Category: Berger Institute News

Students Engage with Research

In the month of April, Berger students gave presentations summarizing different research articles on stoicism, resilience, and externalizing behaviors. Throughout their tenure at the Institute, Berger provides students with opportunities to engage deeply with complex scientific literature and to practice translating and communicating technical research findings into more broadly accessible forms. Berger students strengthened their understanding of psychological research through peer-led presentations on academic articles exploring themes of stoicism, resilience, and behavioral responses to adversity. 

Across all three presentations, a central theme emerged: how different coping mechanisms can have both adaptive and maladaptive consequences for well-being, both psychologically and physiologically. One group presented an article on the relationship between stress, stoicism and how they can increase allosteric load. Another group explored the article about stress and depressive symptoms in pre adolescent African Americans. The last group presented research on externalizing behaviors and the biological effects of early life adversity. 

The students practiced analyzing research papers and synthesizing the main points of each one. After each group presented, they opened the conversation up to a discussion and facilitated questions about each of the broader applications for the research. The peer discussion helped to stimulate critical thinking about research findings and encouraged students to develop a better understanding of psychological research within a supportive community.

 

Lunch and Learn with Adam Nemer ‘92

By Lia Fox |

Following a talk at the Athenaeum, Berger Board Member and CMC Alum, Adam Nemer ‘92, spoke to a select group of students at the Berger Institute about the importance of normalizing discussions about mental health in the workplace.

Nemer, a former CFO at Kaiser Permanente, spoke on his radical career transformation from the corporate world to founding Simple Mental Health, an organization focused on destigmatizing mental-health struggles in the workplace. Nemer described how his colleague’s small act of compassion encouraged him to seek help and inspired his new career in mental health consulting. 

“I enjoyed his presentation since Adam is very passionate and knowledgeable about the topic, and that made it even more engaging,” said research assistant, Belén Padilla. “I previously thought corporate offices did not care about mental health wellbeing as much, but it is assuring to know that he does workshops with possibly thousands of CEO’s who then incorporate mental health wellness into their teams.” 

Nemer provided students with a toolkit of resources to hold on to and use in future situations with peers and colleagues. He illustrated the signs of struggle to look for and walked students through helpful language that can be used in approaching peers and co-workers that might show signs of needing help. He also underscored the importance of educating high-level executives on the basics of mental health literacy. 

“I really enjoyed the talk. It was great to get to learn more about a board member and to connect in- person. I really appreciated the way that his story about switching career paths helped to normalize that transitioning career paths is possible at any point in time, from directly post college to even after becoming a C-suite professional,” Leah Atkins, a senior student researcher, said. “It made me think about how even within psychology, we are very sterile almost in the way that we discuss our own mental health in the workforce.” 

Many students engaged and discussed different methods for increasing mental health cognizance in public settings. Kaitlin Ip, a research assistant at Berger, came away from the talk feeling inspired.

“Adam Nemer’s Lunch and Learn session was truly enlightening. His transition from a senior executive at Kaiser to founding a mental health company aimed at the very organizations he once worked for represents a significant shift in mindset, priorities, and life values,” Ip said. “His presentation prompted me to reconsider the importance of mental health, highlighting its relevance alongside physical health.”

Berger Alumni Panel Discuss Graduate School

By Lia Fox |

On October 18, 2024 The Berger Institute invited Alumni Dr. Frida Liu ‘04, Joceyln Chang ‘23, and Isabel Mendiola ‘18 to hold a graduate student panel. Each panelist gave personal insight into their experiences obtaining their graduate degrees in psychology, medicine, and law.

Dr. Liu, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, shared her experience getting a PhD in clinical psychology. Chang, spoke on her journey applying and attending Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Mendiola, currently in her third year at Stanford Law School, informed students on her nontraditional path to law school.

The panel began discussing the skills they carried over from their time at the Berger Institute. Dr. Liu emphasized adaptability, saying that her undergraduate research experience taught her to do “good work anywhere,” a mindset that helped her succeed in graduate school at the University of Arizona. Chang built off of Dr. Liu’s points and expressed the importance of flexibility and being able to digest a challenging load of new information. Finally, Mendiola concluded that her biggest lesson from her time at the Berger Institute was the value of collaborative problem solving.

The panelists moved on to discuss the decision to take a gap year before graduate school. Dr. Liu, who attended graduate school directly after college, still encouraged students to take a gap year as she acknowledged the landscape for applying to PhD programs has changed since her time there. For Chang, taking a gap year allowed her to have real field experience that she believed to be beneficial for both the application process and also one’s own understanding of their future. Mendiola described how working with Teach For America and a juvenile justice nonprofit helped her gain clarity and confidence before applying to law school.

Additionally, the panelists talked about their experiences financing graduate school. Dr. Liu explained that most competitive PhD programs in the STEM field are fully funded through a stipend. However, both Chang and Mendiola’s noted that medical and law schools almost always require federal loans and grants. The panelists emphasized the importance of seeing graduate school as an investment, and weighing the potential cost and return.

Finally, the panelists discussed strategies to cope with the stress of graduate school. Dr. Liu advised students to take time to adjust to the new demands of graduate school. Chang echoed this and also emphasized the importance of building good coping mechanisms before entering medical school. Mendiola spoke on the value of defining personal goals and distinguishing what is necessary versus fulfilling in the process.  

 

Cara Hagan: Where Ritual and Civic Practice Meet

By Kaitlin Ip |

The Berger Institute teamed up with the Gould Center for Humanistic Rights to invite Cara Hagan to the Athenaeum on January 29th, 2024. 

Cara Hagan, Associate Professor and Program Director for the MFA in Contemporary Theatre Performance at The New School, describes herself as “a mover, maker, writer, curator, champion of just communities, and a dreamer.” She believes deeply in the transformative power of art, challenging traditional notions of time and physics in the pursuit of liberation. Hagan’s work spans various mediums, including live performances, on-screen films, art installations, poetry, books, and numerous other forms. She emphasizes that the end result is just as significant as the journey of creating the work itself. 

Cara started her presentation with a poem, “Welcome to you and your body,” setting the tone for an exploration of the relationships, interactions, and experiences of humans in various spaces. She accompanied the poem with an evocative short film “Cygnus,” portraying a solitary figure dancing gracefully in a shallow lake, symbolizing the beauty and movement of the human body. 

Following the poem, Cara prompted the audience to utilize their bodies together, starting with clapping, stomping, and humming, to create a symphony of sounds that echoed throughout the Athenaeum. Afterward, she invited the audience to collectively synchronize seven deep breaths, raising their arms over their heads when inhaling, and lowering them while exhaling in unison. These simple yet profound actions engaged the audience in a shared artistic expression, illustrating Cara’s concept of civic engagement through collaborative artmaking.

She illustrated the power of her approach with another example of her work: a recent art installation called the Altar for Black Lives, which emerged in her North Carolina community following the tragic murder of George Floyd and others due to racism. Through the act of memorializing the victims, the installation provided a platform for her community to collaborate, express, and envision a more peaceful and equitable future. 

Cara delivered a unique and interactive Athenaeum presentation never seen before. The Berger Institute and all members of the community who attended her presentation deeply appreciate Cara’s use of art and movement to engage others in reimagining the world we live in. 

Racism takes years off our lives, ritualism attempts to take some of that time back.

 –  Cara Hagan

Project STRIVE and Resilience

By Kaitlin Ip |

In a remarkable journey shaped by personal resilience, Director of the Berger Institute Stacey Doan has become a leading researcher on resilience, particularly among youth. Recently awarded prestigious grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global, Doan is spearheading resilience-based interventions for youth facing adversity. Her transformative research, specifically Project STRIVE, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of resilience programs, identify key factors impacting outcomes, and extend the benefits to historically underrepresented adolescents in underserved communities. This initiative, blending positive psychology and contemplative practices, has the potential to prevent mental health issues among historically underrepresented youth and illuminate risks in other minority groups.

Click here to read more about Dr. Doan’s research journey at CMC.