Q&A: Kenna Ducoff researches the brain

Psychology major, Kenna Ducoff, 20, has had a successful academic career so far at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She graduated from Batavia High School in 2018 and since then has had several opportunities to push herself in the business world and advanced towards her career goals like interning for Amazon remotely and participating in research projects. Here is a look inside the life of a determined Psychology major.

Dreamereamer Blog: What made you initially decide on commuting to UIUC?

Ducoff: I was initially torn between UIUC and a couple of other Big 10 schools that were good for psychology. Ultimately, I chose UIUC because you can't beat in-state tuition! Also, because of how flexible the Psychology program is. The psych program really aims to cater to everyone’s specific interests.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about UIUC?

A: I am so grateful I chose UIUC! My favorite thing about UIUC has to be all the opportunities available for psychology majors to get involved with research. As long as you have the drive to seek out the opportunities, there are endless experiences available to be involved!

Q: As a psych major, what do you plan on doing in the future with your degree?

A: I am going to apply to I-O Psychology Ph.D programs. Industrial-Organizational Psychology, or psychology of the workplace, is my specific area of interest. After I finish my Ph.D, I want to be an organizational research scientist for either a specific company or do consulting so I can be my own boss.

Q: What is your favorite part about being a psych major?

A: There are so many things I love about being a psych major! I am so grateful I found this field of study. I love how broad of a field it is. Many of my friends are going the clinical route or are pre-med, but there are countless paths you can take with psychology. As a psych major, I have found myself torn between career paths I can take because of how broad even I/O psychology specifically is. I can go into HR, UI/UX Design, Human Factors, Organizational Research, Data Science. The list goes on and on!

Q: What are the worst stereotypes you’ve heard about psych majors and how do you combat them?

A: Many people assume that psychology is an easy route to take, but it is really what you decide to do with the degree. I usually do not try to combat these remarks and just continue on with what I do. I love my major, and I personally know how competitive it is if you are planning to apply for graduate school. I figure since I love what I am planning to do, these comments cannot really impact me and my goals.

Q: What opportunities do you hope this field brings in the future?

A: I would love the opportunity to present at the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologist’s research conference! I was hoping to apply with my research project this year, but everything got set back by COVID. In the future, I would love to present at this conference and be able to speak about my research to many influential researchers in I/O from all over the country. I have heard many cool stories from my graduate mentors about getting to talk to big researchers at this conference. I would love to have the opportunity to express my gratitude in person to these prominent researchers and how much their research inspires me.

Q: How was your experience with interning for Amazon?

A: I am so grateful for my experience interning with Amazon. It exceeded my expectations for what a virtual internship can offer. I was definitely able to verify my area of interest and develop as a leader in the process!

Q: What type of research projects have you taken a part of?

A: I have taken part in both psychology and human-centered design research projects. The first research labcI was a part of was a social psychology lab where I ran participants. The next semester I studied vaccine intention and how fear appeals can precipitate anti-vaxxers to vaccinate within the same lab. The same semester, I also worked in both the “Intelligence and Leadership” and “Etiology of Personality and Individual Differences” labs. The next semester, I was accepted into the psychology honors program to conduct my bachelor’s thesis on individual differences and counterproductive work behavior. As for human-centered design research, I have been involved in three research projects: how to improve the lives of individuals affected by Multiple Sclerosis, owners of dogs with anxiety, and individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/their caretakers.

Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your schooling, research, or internship?

A: Fortunately, my personal research is a meta-analysis, so it is not really impacted by COVID-19. However, both my schooling and internship have been moved to a virtual platform. Although this is a significant change, I am just grateful that I have the opportunity to participate in an internship/school given the circumstances. The biggest impact COVID-19 has had is within my graduate school application process. I have decided to postpone my application until December 2021. This application cycle will be difficult due to many Ph.D graduate seats being unavailable as students within these programs postpone their graduation dates as well. However, I am very grateful that this is the only impact COVID-19 has had, and I am just going to take this unprecedented time one day at a time. I won’t be surprised if my plans continue to be readjusted in the future.

Thanks for reading and thank you, Kenna, for answering my questions,

Elisa Reamer

“Feel the warmth Of this universe Hug you tightly, And easy away Your worries and woes.”-Radiant Planet, RH Fowler

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