This article is in a series about UHD’s student-centered professional organizations, ranging from smaller groups founded on campus to collegiate chapters of national organizations. Across all four academic colleges, these organizations offer students opportunities for professional development, community service, advocacy, academic enrichment, and more.
Ophelia Palomo, UHD Chapter President of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology feels, “a great sense of pride” as a Psi Chi member. The organization is among the largest honor societies in the United States, connecting nearly one million student, faculty, and alumni members.
Palomo credits the supportive faculty and organization’s resources for the chapter’s success. With advisors Drs. Kristin Anderson, Professor of Psychology, and Courtney Baugh, Assistant Professor of Psychology, the organization has hosted field practitioners as guest speakers. Last spring, Maria Benezra, the Clinical Director with Greater Houston Counseling Services, spoke about her career as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor. “These kinds of experiences are formative for students in helping them decide what they want to do with their futures,” Baugh said.
The UHD Psi Chi Chapter also holds graduate school talks clarifying the realities of postgraduate studies, helping Gators decide if advanced academic study is right for them. “Psi Chi is made up of high-performing psychology students,” said Baugh. “These students want to ensure that they use their major for something that helps others.