Gil Interns
Our Karen M. Gil Internship in Psychology and Neuroscience has accepted 12 Gil interns for Fall 2024! Learn more about our current class of Gil interns and their worksite placement below.
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Blumsack, Aidan
Class of 2027
Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Intern
UNC Neurocognition Imaging and Research Lab
air@unc.edu
Aidan Blumsack is a sophomore from Matthews, North Carolina, double-majoring in neuroscience and chemistry. He currently works as a research assistant with the Robinson lab which studies the neural mechanisms involved in behavioral flexibility, focusing on perineuronal nets in corticostriatal regions of the brain. His main project in the Robinson lab is to assist in a large, multi-cohort study assessing the behavioral and structural changes caused by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and adolescent alcohol exposure. Moreover, they assess the neural circuitry impacts and the pharmacokinetic curve of possible addiction treatments. Due to his familial history of addiction and chronic pain, Aidan finds himself deeply interested in understanding and analyzing the neural circuitry of the addiction pathways and how these impact development in adolescents and teenagers. His passion lies in finding the differences, both biologically and environmentally, between those who suffer from addiction. He hopes to attend medical school, where he can apply his developing knowledge in the communities he saw struggle. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, reading, and playing guitar.
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Celemen, Dianne
Class of 2026
Clinical Psychology Intern
3-C Family Services
diannec@unc.edu
Dianne Celemen is a junior from Cary, North Carolina, double-majoring in psychology and human development & family science with a minor in biology. Coming from an immigrant family, a multicultural environment, and growing up in the suburbs of North Carolina, Dianne was drawn to explore the sociocultural factors that impact one’s perception of the world. She decided to join Carolina Scientific as a staff writer, where she had the opportunity to interview Dr. Dalal Safa, who specializes in the intersection of cultural and developmental psychology. This experience coupled with her own background growing in a bicultural environment led Dianne to her research interest: the clinical implications of various contexts of development. At UNC, she contributes to novel research with the Carolina Affective Science Lab, the department of Organizational Behavior at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, and the Developmental Social Neuroscience Lab. Experience in these labs exposed her to several fields in psychological research and sparked a passion in pursuing a career in academia and clinical psychology. Further, working directly with kids as a youth mentor in UNC’s Clever Endeavor confirmed her desire to work in human services. After volunteering with UNC student-led groups focused on disseminating psychological research, including Helping Give Away Psychological Science and the TEACH Initiative, she understood the importance of the destigmatization of psychological disorders. Through her work in research and clinical practice, she aims to increase representation of minority groups in mental healthcare and academia as an Asian American woman. Asa future psychologist, she wants to promote equitable access to resources for people of all generations and cultures. Post-graduation, Dianne plans to continue her education in psychology and hopes to work as a clinician and an educator. In her free time, Dianne enjoys dancing on the UNC Kazi Dance Team, writing, visiting cafes in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area, and spending time with her siblings and friends.
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Etin, Ari
Class of 2026
Social Psychology Intern
UNC Kenan-Flagler – Kuhnen Lab
arietin@unc.edu
Ari Etin is a junior from Cary, North Carolina, double-majoring in economics and psychology with a minor in Russian culture. His research interests include behavioral economics and financial well-being, especially how the design of financial systems can promote better financial decision making. With experience at The Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University as well as the Kenan-Flagler Business School, his research experience involves interventions at financial institutions, analyses of informal financial relationships, and analyses of state tax policies. Ari also fences saber for the UNC fencing team and in his free time enjoys hiking. After graduation, he hopes to use the insights of behavioral economics to inform systems design, particularly in the context of retail financial institutions.
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Grumet, Bella
Class of 2026
Clinical Psychology Intern
Orange County Rape Crisis Center
bellagru@ad.unc.edu
Bella Grumet is a senior from Washington, DC, majoring in neuroscience. Growing up in the DC area, Bella took an interest in the sciences at a young age, regularly exploring the Museum of natural history and Smithsonian Zoo. After receiving brain surgery in sixth grade, her curiosities were drawn toward the brain and healthcare. She is eager to explore opportunities at the intersection of these passions through the Gil Internship. Recently, Bella began working as a Clinical Support Technician for a pediatrics floor at UNC Main Hospital. She hopes to reflect the exceptional care she received after her surgery to her patients. On campus, Bella is involved with the Carolina Harm Reduction Union (CHRU) managing communications and outreach. Using contacts from serving as her sorority’s social chair, Bella implemented a Greek Life opioid harm reduction education program and has presented to more than 10 organizations. Through weekly naloxone handouts and scheduled trainings, the CHRU has distributed over 2,000 doses of IM naloxone to the community. In addition to working with the CHRU, Bella volunteers for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center’s 24-hour hotline and as a research assistant at the Neuroendocrinology of Reproductive Mood Disorders Lab. Both experiences have furthered her passion for advocating for women in the healthcare sphere. In her free time, Bella enjoys cheering on the Tarheels, experimenting with overnight-oat recipes, and watching the Bachelor every Monday with her roommates.
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Hoffman, Madison
Class of 2025
Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Intern
UNC Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
mehoff@unc.edu
Madison Hoffman is a junior from South Glastonbury, Connecticut, majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience. Madison is a United States Army Veteran who served four years as an Intelligence Analyst and Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. Her interests in psychology stem from her military background and desire to support the military community and families. During her time in the military, she began to see an ongoing mental health crisis across the Armed Forces, further fueling her desire to pursue a B.S. in Psychology. At UNC, she is an active member of Mental Health Ambassadors and Carolina Student Veterans of America. She is also an LSN Volunteer for the Heels Care Network, where she provides outreach to students seeking support or information about the university’s mental health resources. She is interested in studying Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and substance use disorders in adults. After graduation, Madison hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and ultimately work as a clinical psychologist for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Outside of academics, Madison enjoys going to the beach, skiing in the northeast, and exploring the world!
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Ma, Shenghe
Class of 2026
Social Psychology Intern
Lenovo
mshenghe@unc.edu
Shenghe Ma is a junior from Nanjing, China, pursuing a double major in psychology and statistics with a minor in entrepreneurship. Since middle school, Shenghe has maintained gratitude diaries, an experience that inspired his passion for positive psychology and exploring methods to enhance well-being and mental health. As a certified life coach with 300+ hours of practice, Shenghe became the youngest speaker at a TEDx event in 2021, presenting on the mindset of solution-focused thinking. To further his commitment to this field, he founded UNC’s first Life Coaching Club and is currently developing a website to connect students and faculty seeking pro-bono life coaching services with coaches around the world. Since 2022, he has also been a licensed TEDx organizer, hosting annual city-level conferences to amplify powerful yet unheard voices. In the summer 2023, he conducted research testing the efficacy of Tomatis Technology (natural neurosensory stimulation through customized auditory programming) on youth. This project reduced, and even reversed, negative self-image and deprecating self-talk in 31 patients (aged 2-17) with developmental disabilities in concentration, motivation, or relationships untreatable by brain hospitals or physiological consultancy. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, photographing, participating in tag games, and traveling.
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Menyelshewa, Elat (Lily)
Class of 2025
Clinical Psychology Intern
UNC Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Community Clinic
aklilue@ad.unc.edu
Lily Menyelshewa is a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, majoring in psychology with minors in chemistry and neuroscience. She is currently a Nursing Assistant at UNC Health’s Adult Psychiatric Disorders Unit, where she works alongside nurses and other professional to help patients overcome mental health struggles. Working throughout the psychiatric hospital, Lily has discovered a passion for mental health care as she has seen patients heal and work through various conditions and setbacks. As a first-generation Ethiopian American, she is especially interested in the stigma surrounding mental health care in minority communities, and studying the ways clinicians can better address them. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future, centered around caring for underserved and minority communities. In her free time, Lily enjoys reading, cooking, thrifting, and hiking.
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O’Sullivan, Maura
Class of 2025
Developmental Psychology Intern
UNC TEACCH Autism Program
mosullivan1@unc.edu
Maura O’Sullivan is a senior from Atlanta, Georgia, pursuing a double major in psychology and disability studies and a minor in medical anthropology. She developed an interest in disability through volunteer opportunities at the summer camps that her younger brother, who is on the autism spectrum, attended as a child. At UNC, she has worked with individuals on the autism spectrum in several contexts, including data collection for Project EXPRESS through Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and direct support work with adults who have autism and intellectual disability at TEACCH Autism Program’s Carolina Living and Learning Center. Her experience as a one-on-one aide to children and teenagers who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has motivated her to integrate interpersonal perspectives and a respect for diverse systems of communication into her research and direct care work. She is currently developing an honors thesis in Psychology that focuses on the effects of social camouflaging on autistic adults, and an honors thesis in Disability Studies that focuses on rich pictures and comics as a means of understanding how adults with ADHD interact with their home environments. Long-term, she hopes to improve mental health outcomes for multiply marginalized disabled people, particularly those in autistic and LGBTQ+ communities, through applied research and clinical work. After graduation, Maura plans to pursue additional research experience and hopes to attain a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, hiking, and ice skating.
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Scoggins, Skye
Class of 2025
Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Intern
UNC Neuroendocrinology of Reproductive Mood Disorders Lab
skyescog@ad.unc.edu
Skye Scoggins is a senior from Morganton, North Carolina, pursuing a double major in psychology and advertising & public relations. At UNC, she works as a research assistant in Dr. Hopfinger’s attention lab studying attentional allocation and suppression. Additionally, she serves as a research assistant in Dr. Abramowitz’s Stress and Anxiety lab researching Obsessional Compulsive Disorder subtypes. This past summer, she worked in the Carolina Affective Science lab with Dr. Lindquist to help better understand how physiological experiences affect emotional perception. Beyond her work in research, she works at the Student Union as the student coordinator for the executive director, helping connect students with campus resources. Skye is passionate about the allocation of resources for underserved communities. After graduation, she hopes to attend a PhD program and ultimately become a clinician. In her free time she enjoys playing intramural sports, volunteering, spending time with friends, traveling, and cycling.
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Segars, Heidi
Class of 2025
Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Intern
UNC Winston National Center
hsegars@unc.edu
Heidi Segars is a senior from Raleigh, North Carolina, majoring in both neuroscience and psychology with a minor in education. As a human factors researcher in the LACElab at NC State University, Heidi has developed a particular passion for how psychological and neurological principles can be applied to make systems more usable, efficient, and safe. Her most recent field work and research project (in conjunction with the US Military Academy at West Point) focuses on trust repair within human-autonomous (AI) military teams involving robots in training exercises. Additionally, Heidi is exploring these interests as an Open Science, Engineering, and Technology intern at NASA this summer, where she is collaborating on space mission concept development and ensuring open science compliance in the Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Heidi also has enjoyed being part of the Parr Center for Ethics at UNC since freshman year. As an Ethics Fellow, she is currently serving as the Center’s Undergraduate Assistant for Program Assessment and Evaluation. In addition to her academic involvements, Heidi represents UNC as a rock climber on the national competitive level, coaches an elite youth team, and loves to volunteer.
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Walker, Lauryn
Class of 2025
Clinical Psychology Intern
NC Maternal Mental Health MATTERS
lwalker1@unc.edu
Lauryn Walker is a a senior honors student from Atlanta, Georgia, majoring in neuroscience and minoring in chemistry and Spanish for the health professions. She is interested in pursuing a medical career and plans to attend medical school after graduation. At UNC, she is a Student Ambassador in the Admissions Office, a member of the Black Student Movement, Club Gymnastics, and the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS). Outside of class, Lauryn loves doing gymnastics, making earrings for her business, reading books, and spending time with friends and family.
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Yuan, Rachael
Class of 2025
Developmental Psychology Intern
Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities
rachy@unc.edu
Rachael Yuan is a junior from Franklin, Massachusetts, double-majoring in neuroscience and psychology and minoring in education. Growing up as a Chinese-American, Rachael became passionate about learning how people from different cultures and backgrounds approach mental health and articulate their emotions. After witnessing the cross-generational impacts of China’s denunciation of mental health, she hopes to contribute to a more inclusive future that prioritizes the well-being of each individual while taking their background and upbringing into account. Her interests currently lie in pediatrics, neurology, and internal medicine, and she hopes to leverage her psychology and education background to improve the field of medicine and primary care. She currently works as a research assistant at the UNC School of Medicine, focusing on the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disorder, specifically apathy. Previously, she worked at the UMass Chan Medical School as a research assistant, where she focused on the applications AAV gene-therapy can have on neuromuscular, neurological, and retinal disorders. Rachael is dedicated to serving the Chinese community as a Mandarin Clinical Interpreter at the Student Health Action Coalition, a free, student-run health clinic for the Chapel-Hill Carrboro community, and President of the Chinese Undergraduate Students Association at UNC. Her other interests include crocheting, playing logic/word games, listening to podcasts, and spending time with friends and family.
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