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Tau Sigma Awardee Lia Rice 鈥�27 Finds Le Moyne is a Great Place to Explore Her Passion for Psychology

Lia Rice 鈥�27 has long had a passion for both the social and natural sciences. When it came time for Rice to consider how to blend those fields, psychology seemed to be the natural choice. It is work that is deeply appealing to Rice because of its duality. While many of the things that people endure, from grief to physical pain, are universal, how we respond to them varies widely from person to person. As Rice puts it, 鈥淟earning how people can process the same thing in such different ways is fascinating to me.鈥�

A native of Camillus, New York, Rice began her undergraduate degree at another institution, but found that it was not necessarily the right fit for her. She wanted to have the opportunity to explore her interests and her place in the world in a closely knit community, one that would recognize her as a whole person. That led her to transfer to Le Moyne, where she is pursuing a major in psychology and a minor in applied statistics. Rice鈥檚 long-term aim is to earn a doctoral degree in neuropsychology and to build a career in cutting-edge research, particularly as it relates to adolescent psychology.

Under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Psychology Ezra Wegbreit, Ph.D., Rice is already studying cognition using what is known as a Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, a non-invasive, portable optical brain imaging technique. It is a tool that essentially allows her to measure how hard a person is thinking while performing certain tasks. The research Rice is conducting will serve as the foundation of her Departmental Honors thesis.

Outside of the classroom and the lab, Rice serves as the president of Le Moyne鈥檚 Student Government Association and the College鈥檚 chapter of Tau Sigma, and vice president of the College鈥檚 Psychology Club. She has served as an intern at St. Joseph鈥檚 Personalized Recovery Oriented Services, which provides care for people living with severe mental health conditions. Making the most out of their Le Moyne experience, just as she has.

Rice is confident that the combination of these experiences will leave her well prepared for a career dedicated to making a positive impact on individual lives and entire communities.
鈥淭he support I鈥檝e received at Le Moyne, and the opportunities I鈥檝e been given to learn and grow here, have proven to me that I made the right decision when I transferred to the College,鈥� she says.

鈥淚 am excited to see where this journey will continue to take me.鈥�

Every year, , the national honor society for transfer students, awards a series of scholarships to exceptional transfer students across the country in recognition of their academic achievement, involvement in their chapters, contributions to their campuses, and service to their communities. This year one of the organization鈥檚 awards was presented to a member of Le Moyne鈥檚 chapter of Tau Sigma, psychology student Lia Rice 鈥�27. A total of $100,000 in scholarships were awarded to 67 students from 57 colleges and universities across the United States.

Established in 1999 at Auburn University, Tau Sigma has grown to include approximately 225 chapters nationwide. Le Moyne鈥檚 chapter was established in 2012.