{"id":549,"date":"2023-03-27T22:54:27","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T22:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/?page_id=549"},"modified":"2025-09-11T20:15:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T20:15:34","slug":"gasp","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/gasp\/","title":{"rendered":"GASP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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WHAT IS GASP?<\/p>\n

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GASP<\/strong><\/b> stands for Graduate Association for Students in Psychology, the wonderful family that comprises graduate students in the psychology department of USC. As the GASP executive board, we are responsible for helping organize student orientations, Town Hall, and community events.\u00a0 We also share resources for professional development and are the liaison between students and administrative staff.\u00a0 Most importantly, we build a community of friendship and support by organizing events and outings for students such as game nights, Halloween parties, and comedy events, with lots and lots of delicious food. As GASP, we are here for you, and strive to make your PhD experience as welcoming and enjoyable as possible. The GASP Mentor-Mentee Program<\/strong><\/b>\u00a0has been a success in getting new students to feel welcome and helping them get oriented with the PhD program and life at USC. Every new psychology student that begins a PhD at USC gets matched with a current student and learns some tips and tricks for navigating the grad life from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Stay Connected!\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Stay connected with your fellow graduate students using our Slack<\/span> <\/a>channel<\/strong>! Search for the #psychology-graduate-students channel.<\/p>\n

You can also connect with us on IG @gasp_usc<\/strong> to stay up to date with social events!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n

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\n GASP Executive Board 2025-2026\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Meet the GASP Executive Board for the 2025-2026 school year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n Meltem Ozcan\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Co-President<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am a fifth-year PhD student in quantitative psychology working with Dr. Mark Lai. I\u2019m interested in developing and applying quantitative methods to fairly and accurately assess and model complex psychological phenomena, and harnessing advances in machine learning and Bayesian statistics to improve upon traditional methods in psychology. In my second year as GASP Co-President, I\u2019m committed to fostering a supportive, fair, and collaborative department culture with many opportunities for students to get together and have fun. Outside of school and work, I enjoy traveling and exploring the city, reading, learning languages, swimming, spending time at the beach, and going on hikes.<\/p>\n

Contact: ozcan@usc.edu<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n \n \n \n

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\n Yalda Daryani\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Co-President<\/strong>
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I am a third-year PhD student in the Social Psychology area, working with Dr. Morteza Dehghani. My research examines intergroup relationships, with a particular focus on how moral values and attitudes can give rise to prejudice and hate, as well as how interventions can be designed to reduce these outcomes. As Co-President this year, I am committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive community within our department, where all voices are respected and heard. Outside of work and\u00a0research, I enjoy exploring new places in LA, visiting art galleries and museums, hiking, practicing reformer Pilates, and cooking Persian food.<\/p>\n

Contact: daryani@usc.edu<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n \n \n \n

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\n Yi Zhang\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Professional Development Chair
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I\u2019m a sixth-year PhD student in the social area working with Dr. Leor Hackel. I\u2019m broadly interested in three lines of questions: How does emotion regulation influence our responses to moral disagreements? How do people develop sense of belonging to their social groups? How do individuals learn to empathize with others through social interactions? As the Professional Development Chair this year and job market candidate, I\u2019m excited to help GASP members navigate their career development at different stages, from exploring career paths to seeking professional experiences, to crafting job application materials and preparing for interviews. Outside of research, I love running, cycling and reading.<\/p>\n

Contact: yzhang51@usc.edu<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n Jina Chung\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Mentor-Mentee Program Coordinator<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

I’m a second-year PhD student in the social\u00a0area working with Dr. Elisa Baek. I’m broadly interested in studying the factors that affect individuals’ feeling of social connection and exploring the neurological underpinnings of these connections. As the Mentorship Program Coordinator this year, I\u2019m excited to welcome new students to the program and help them settle in by building community among mentors and mentees! Outside of research, I love traveling,\u00a0exploring the city, and relaxing at the\u00a0beach.<\/p>\n

Contact: saewonch@usc.edu<\/a>
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\n Sarvenaz Oloomi\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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DGSA Representative<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b>I am a second-year PhD student in the Developmental program working with Dr. Santiago Morales. My research involves understanding the impact of biological, environmental, and cultural factors on different trajectories of socioemotional and cognitive development in children. I\u2019m excited to be serving as GASP\u2019s DGSA representative to be a liaison between our department and the broader graduate student community. In my free time, I enjoy exercising, reading at the beach, and exploring LA’s food and\u00a0music scenes!<\/b><\/p>\n

Contact: oloomi@usc.edu<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n \n \n \n

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\n Aarthi Ganapathi\n <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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DEI Climate Officer<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m a third-year PhD student in the clinical area working with Dr. Bruna Martins-Klein, and my research is focused on social connection and how we leverage our close relationships to improve mood and wellbeing. Outside of school, I consider myself a serial hobbyist – I’ve done everything from piano to pottery – but if I had to choose, my main hobbies are gardening, baking, and singing loudly in my car. I’m looking forward to working\u00a0with the wonderful community we have in this department to promote justice and equity as GASP’s CLIMATE chair!<\/p>\n

Contact: asganapa@usc.edu<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n \n \n \n

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\n Previous GASP Executive Boards\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n \n