Featured Scholar:
Ashish Desai

Senior Ashish Desai believes in volunteering. During his busy undergraduate years as a psychology and statistics double major, Desai found that assisting others also improved his own life. "I've been involved in a variety of community projects," he says. "I think it's important to help people in need, and beyond that, I've found that volunteering offers me a cathartic way to cope with my daily stresses."

A recent Phi Beta Kappa inductee from Tallahassee, Desai has served at the Alachua County Crisis Center for three years. "We get a wide variety of calls," he explains. "Some are very low-key; others are suicidal or victims of abuse." Before he was able to field such calls, Desai received extensive training from the Crisis Center. "Not everyone gets through the initial instruction. It can be a very intense experience, but that's what I like about it."

Desai is also involved with the India Student Association, where he served as sports director and participated in the Indian Cultural Dance competition. "This was a lot of work, actually. We made up the steps with the help of a choreographer, and the complete dances were judged by people with expertise in Indian dance."

A student with wide-ranging interests, Desai also worked as a teaching assistant for the course "Introduction to Statistics" for two years. He was responsible for making lesson plans, leading discussions, and grading.

Desai will be moving to Atlanta in July to work with Deloitte and Touche as a consultant. "My title will be consultant, but I'll be working in the Human Capital division. It should be a great way to get business experience within the field of organizational and industrial psychology," he says.

Desai believes his University Scholars research offered him valuable opportunities. "I got to see a research project all the way through to completion. Most undergraduates never get that chance," he says. "And my project poster won an undergraduate Psi Chi Research Award at the Southeastern Psychology Association conference in New Orleans this year. The USP has been a great experience."

Photo by John Elderkin