They scurry around the department to classes, labs, and seminars. We see them present and read their reaction papers. Let’s take some time to learn about the people behind the PowerPoints. Graduate students are essential to the research enterprise and valued members of any department with a graduate program. The goal of the “meet the graduate students” series is to learn more about the experiences of these key players in the Department of Psychology at UNCG.
Let’s meet one of our (at the time of this article) second year students, Samuel Cox. Samuel began at UNCG in the Fall 2024 semester. He works with Dr. Chris Wahlheim and is enrolled in the Cognitive Psychology Ph.D. program. Samuel earned his bachelor’s degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Science with a minor in Philosophy from Washington and Lee University in May of 2024.
Path to and Experiences in Graduate School
What inspired you to begin graduate studies?
I was inspired to begin graduate studies as an undergraduate student, when learning about Anne Treisman’s work with visual attention. My undergraduate advisor helped me run an experiment which assessed whether concavity and convexity are features which fundamentally capture attention. This interest in attention led me to consider downstream effects of attention related to memory.
Can you describe your research area and interests?
My research area involves the intersection between attention and memory. More specifically, I am interested in how fluctuations in attention predict subsequent memory performance. Additionally, I am interested in how these cognitive faculties and the relationship between them change with age.
What is something you’ve accomplished at UNCG of which you’re especially proud?
I’m especially proud of a project that Bayley (another graduate student in the MAC Lab) and I completed for a course about programming in R. We created an updated version of an existing computational model of recognition memory that was only optimal for analyzing datasets holistically. Our version can efficiently model recognition data across individual subjects and multiple independent variables, all at once.
What advice would you give to students aspiring to attend graduate school?
I would advise students interested in attending graduate school to maintain enthusiasm for their research interests, no matter what. Graduate school can be difficult, but if your underlying motivation stays strong, you will be able to be resilient.
Fun Facts!
Where are you from?
I was born in Winston-Salem NC, but grew up in Birmingham AL.
What do you like to do outside of school?
Outside of school, I like to spend time with other graduate students in the program, with whom I have become quite close. I also enjoy playing guitar, fishing, and rock climbing.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I am left-handed.
Could you share a favorite movie, book, or band that you would recommend to others?
I would recommend the Grateful Dead. When paired with a cup of coffee, their long and winding sections of instrumental music are a perfect backdrop for getting some work done.
