Christelle Williams

Class of 2012, B.A. in Psychology

Where have you worked and/or studied since you graduated from USC?

After graduating from USC, I worked as a Junior Editorial Research Analyst at Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR), a video game market research company. I am currently a Data Analyst at Lnx Research, where I analyze medical and pharmaceutical industry data. Recently, I was accepted into USC Annenberg’s Master of Communication Management program for Summer 2014.

What was the most beneficial thing you did as a student at USC to prepare you for post-graduation?

Research! My research experience has opened up many opportunities for me. I started as a research assistant in Dr. Michael Dawson’s psychophysiology lab, and then I joined the Psychology Honors Program and the USC McNair Scholars Program. I had no idea you could conduct research on topics such as video games. My Honors Thesis, which focused on the psychophysiological effects of avatar customization and point of view, actually helped me to land a job in the video game industry! Furthermore, collecting and analyzing data from these research experiences have helped me to develop valuable skills necessary for my current job. I would highly recommend students to start seeking research opportunities as soon as possible.

What course did you enjoy the most?

I enjoyed Behavioral Neuroscience and Brain, Mind, and Machines: Topics in Neuroscience. I also loved Japanese II and III!

If you were an undergraduate again, is there anything that you would do differently?

As an undergraduate, I was so busy focusing on research and studying that I never had any time to participate in extracurricular activities. Also, if I didn’t have to commute, I would have explored Los Angeles a bit, too.