UMass Amherst

Valerie Vancollie

Majors: Psychology, Biology

Hometowns: Antwerp, Belgium; Chapel Hill, North Carolina


"Labor Day Orientation with Commonwealth College let me get to know a good part of campus through the various activities, sort out my class schedule, and meet other freshmen. And it did all this before everyone else arrived and things became hectic."

During her first year on campus Valerie Vancollie lived in the Creativity learning community on Orchard Hill. "It was a great experience because it meant I was on a floor with other freshmen whom I had a class with. We helped each other with the class work and became close friends. It is how I met my best friend."

"Commonwealth College has also helped me to discover some interesting possibilities in my majors and encouraged me to explore them in more depth," Valerie says. After an honors psychology seminar, which introduced her to the work of Behavioral Neuroscience professor Jerrold Meyer, she pursued an honors independent study with him and became a research assistant in his lab at the Center for Neuroendocrine Studies. She says the work is preparing her to conduct her own research for her senior thesis. "It is an extremely valuable opportunity as it allows me to get hands on experience with the scientific methods."

Valerie is also working with another of her former professors, Neil Carlson, in the revision and update of two of his psychology textbooks. "I am gaining exposure to publishing," she says, "and helping improve the textbook I used in class and liked so much."