About Me

Hiyya 🙂

I am a first-generation Palestinian-American graduate student from Atlanta, GA. I graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience and minors in Health and Medical Sciences and Middle Eastern Studies from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2021. I began college as a pre-med, but after years of reflecting on where my skills and goals lie, I have found my true passion to be in education- both engaging in it and contributing to the existing body of knowledge about how to improve it (watch an interview about my college journey here). That, in short, is why I have decided to pursue my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at the University of California, San Diego.

I am driven to utilize psychology research methods to better understand the cognitive processes that allow us to become life-long learners. I believe that education is both a fundamental right and a conduit for the betterment of the world around us. I hope that my research will encourage better utilization of school resources and motivate administrators and educators to adopt more effective teaching structures.

I feel grateful to be able to pursue this dream, and know that I could not have gotten here without the support of family members, mentors, and friends. The goal of this website is to be able to provide others with the guidance that I am so lucky to have received.

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Credentials:

Relevant recent News:

  • Current Ph.D. Student in Experimental Psychology at the University of California, San Diego
  • Recipient of the San Diego Fellowship and Anderson Scholarship Prize
  • Paths to Ph.D., Competitive Edge, and Psychology Outreach @ UCSD Speaker
  • Graduate Academic Enrichment Program (GradAMP) Mentor @ UCSD
  • For all work updates, check out my LinkedIn Page

The CV I applied to graduate school with: