Lauren Beck ’16 felt like a pioneer.

The daughter of two 体育买球官网 graduates, she entered 体育买球官网 as a biology and psychology double major, but quickly transferred into the neuroscience program when it was created in 2014.

“I feel like I’ve helped to develop this program that can hopefully attract the next generation of neuroscientists to 体育买球官网,” said Beck, who minored in religion and healthcare studies and was a member of the Honors Program.

Beck developed a particularly close relationship with Kathleen Bailey, associate professor of psychology and her senior research advisor. Beck first met Bailey when she was working on her sophomore essay, a requirement for students in the Honors Program.

“Looking back, I realize how valuable my sophomore essay was. Investigating and researching an area of my major I was especially interested in really solidified my passion for neuroscience. The research skills I developed have definitely helped me in my senior capstone project,” she said.

For her capstone, Beck studied the effect that exposure to acute stressors in adolescent and juvenile rats has on the development of their decision-making abilities.

After graduating from 体育买球官网, Beck worked as a medical scribe before entering Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, N.J.