Drawing on her personal and academic interests, psychology major Sophie Wasserman ’13 has secured a post-grad position in psychological research that focuses on animal behavior. After graduating in May, Wasserman traveled to Thailand to work with Think Elephants International, a non-profit organization that uses cognitive testing, field research, and educational programs to promote ecological understanding and protect elephant populations.
Wasserman’s position as a research assistant encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including designing lab experiments, working directly with elephants, and managing the organization’s blog and social media sites. “One of my absolute favorite aspects of the job so far is the challenge of adapting human experimental paradigms to work with elephant physiology,” she says.
Wasserman, who spent past summers running children’s camps at the Birch Aquarium in San Diego, credits Haverford’s senior thesis process and study abroad program for her ability to confidently conduct research in an international setting. Updates on her research and her work with the organization’s educational programs can be found online at www.thinkelephants.org.
“Where They’re Headed” is a series of occasional blog posts reporting on the post-Haverford plans of members of the Class of 2013