Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, honors and recognizes undergraduate students who make the study of psychology one of their major interests and who achieve academic excellence in the field. Touro College established its chapter of Psi Chi in November 2011.

Parents, faculty advisors, and deans joined the inductees in the main reading room at the LAS campus in Flatbush, where Dean Robert Goldschmidt shared opening remarks and congratulations, and encouraged students to continue their education while striving for distinction. Chair of the LAS psychology department Dr. Melech Press emphasized that this ceremony “marks considerable achievement,” after which Dr. Barbara Rumain, associate professor at LAS and faculty advisor to Touro’s Psi Chi chapter, began the formal Psi Chi proceedings.

“You are about to be inducted into an organization which is international in scope, international in interests, and international in opportunities,” introduced Dr. Rumain. After she recited the formal statements, students collectively accepted the conditions of membership, were called upon individually to sign their names on documentation, and received an official honorary Psi Chi membership pin.

Some inductees plan to channel their psychology background into health or education fields. This fall, LAS 2016 graduates Gayla Katz and Seema Kazen, who were both preceptors in the NSF-funded Experimental Psychology Lab at LAS this past year, plan to pursue a PsyD at Farleigh Dickinson University. “My favorite thing about psychology is that it's always changing,” said Katz, who is interested in adolescent school counseling. “There is always more to learn about new and different ways to help people.”

Students Yaakov Wenick (LAS ‘16) and Yisroel Dov Goldstein (LCM ‘16) both hope to continue their education in doctorate programs in clinical psychology. While studying at LCM, Mr. Goldstein interned with Dr. Alan Perry, chair of LCM’s psychology department, at criminal courts in Brooklyn and Queens. Forensics was “interesting” to Goldstein, but he prefers to “help people work through difficult life issues,” and is looking forward to a 2016-2017 Joel Daner Yachad Communal Fellowship opportunity.

This past year, psychology and mathematics major Hinda Friedman (LCW ‘16) provided math support as a teacher at Bais Yaakov of the Lower East Side and began her studies in adolescent mathematics education at the Touro College Graduate School of Education (GSE). She plans to continue teaching next year, running math labs and assisting in classrooms as a student teacher at Yeshiva of Flatbush. “Teaching isn't just about giving over information, but understanding your students, their backgrounds, and classroom dynamics,” says Ms. Friedman. “Studying psychology prepared me in those areas.”

Congratulations to the 2016 inductees!

Aliza Lasky, LCW

Asael Kent, LCM

Basha Steinhauser, LAS

Daniel Gabay, LCM

David Rotblat, LAS

Elky Krupka, LCW

Esther Gitty Schwartz, LAS

Gayla Katz, LAS

Hinda Friedman, LCW

Kayla Kraus, LAS

Leah Guterman, LCW

Michael Groden, LAS

Moshe Warga, LAS

Reena Tessler, LAS

Rina LInn-Kanowitz, LAS

Rochel Bretter, LAS

Sara Liberow, LAS

Seema Kazen, LAS

Shaina Shagalow, LAS

Teri Franco, LCW

Yaacov Wenick, LAS

Yisroel Dov Goldstein, LCM

Yocheved Geisinsky, LAS