LaTonya Harris is pursuing a Ph.D. because she has always wanted to contribute to scientific knowledge and thinking in children’s development. Harris selected developmental psychology, because she has an interest in how children develop cognitively, and also in knowing how to promote positive development in children.

As an undergraduate, Harris took a class on child development and learning, which sparked her interest in understanding how psychological principles affect learning and education. She continued her education and received a master’s degree in education, with a focus on human development and psychology.

UC Davis was among Harris’ graduate school choices because of its strong psychology program and because the university is conducting critical research in the fields of memory and autism. Harris was also impressed that her chosen program is one of the interdepartmental graduate groups that bridge faculty, students and departments across campus – providing students a more enriching graduate experience.

“I’ve worked hard to get into my UC Davis graduate program and meet its benchmarks, so earning a graduate degree from UC Davis will be a fantastic achievement,” says Harris. “It would provide me with an extraordinary opportunity to potentially transform knowledge, teach others, create programs and policy, and contribute to scientific thinking.”