Hi! I'm Olivia L and I'm a fifth year doctoral candidate at Columbia University. I'm currently pursuing a PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior. I graduated magna cum laude from Wesleyan University in 2017 with a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience after completing an Honor's thesis. While at Wesleyan, I worked as a student teaching assistant for three years for various courses including Principles of Molecular Biology and Psychology of Motivation and Reward. As a teaching assistant I taught weekly...
Hi! I'm Olivia L and I'm a fifth year doctoral candidate at Columbia University. I'm currently pursuing a PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior. I graduated magna cum laude from Wesleyan University in 2017 with a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience after completing an Honor's thesis. While at Wesleyan, I worked as a student teaching assistant for three years for various courses including Principles of Molecular Biology and Psychology of Motivation and Reward. As a teaching assistant I taught weekly review sessions and held office hours in addition to designing course materials such as lectures, quizzes, and homework assignments. During this time I also continued tutoring elementary students in my hometown during breaks from school, something I have been doing since I was a sophomore in high school. I also have experience working with children and young adults with special needs in this capacity. I worked at the Gutenberg Center for Special Services at the Kaplan Jewish Community Center in New Jersey for 8+ years both as a volunteer and paid staff. My duties included homework help in addition to other behavioral services.
After graduating from Wesleyan, I went on to continue my career in neuroscience research. I was awarded the National Institutes of Health's Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award, and conducted two years of research examining the neurobiology of substance use at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. During this time i began preparing for my graduate school applications, which included preparing for the GRE. After months of preparation, I scored a 329/340 and was admitted to multiple top-tier graduate programs. Now at that I am continuing my studies at Columbia, I still aim to fulfill my passion for teaching. During the difficult transition to online learning last year, I volunteered with the Columbia Student Service Corps offering remote tutoring services for struggling students. I love teaching with all my heart and hope to continue on this path after completing my PhD.
