Conference Directors

SUPC was founded, and continues to be run, entirely by undergraduate students at Stanford University. A different Executive Director is selected each year from among many talented individuals interested in the position. These individuals perform their duties on an entirely volunteer basis, out of their devotion to psychology, and because of their interest in helping to facilitate student networking, promote student development, and advance psychological science. Below is a listing of the current Executive Director and all previous Executive Directors.

Current Conference Director

Brittany Torrez - Executive Director 2016
Brittany Torrez is a senior majoring in Psychology with Honors. During her time at Stanford she has worked as a Research Assistant in the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, the Mind, Culture and Society Lab, and the College Transition Collaborative. Brittany was a member of the SUPC Board of Directors in 2015, prior to becoming Conference Director. After graduation, she plans to continue pursuing her own line of research related to social status and pro-social behavior. In her free time, she loves exploring new cities, trying to find authentic Italian pizza, and playing guitar.

SUPC Senior Advisor(s): Moiead Charawi

 

Previous Conference Directors

Nichole Kim - Executive Director 2015
Nichole Kim was a senior majoring in Psychology when she directed SUPC. While at Stanford, she worked as a Research Assistant in Language Learning Lab, Interpersonal Perception and Communication Lab, and Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Science Research. Nichole was an abstract reviewer for the 2014 Conference before serving as Director of SUPC. After college, her dream is to use her knowledge of Psychology to develop a career in User Experience Research. In her free time, she loves traveling, cooking, listening to music, and skiing.

SUPC Senior Advisor(s): Moiead Charawi

 

Moiead Charawi - Executive Director 2014
Moiead Charawi was a freshman considering double majoring in Computer Science and Biology, with a concentration in Neurobiology, when he directed SUPC. He currently works as the undergraduate research lab coordinator and webmaster at the Political Psychology Research Group, headed by Jon Krosnick. After completing his undergraduate education, Moiead hopes to satisfy his entrepreneurial spirit and enter the vibrant culture of startups in Silicon Valley. In the free time that he has, Moiead loves to listen to music and sing, as well as read about influential visionaries that have shaped the world that we live in today.

 

Michelle Okereke - Executive Director 2013
Michelle Okereke was a sophomore majoring in Psychology, with a specialization in Mind, Culture, and Society, when she directed SUPC. She minored in Film and Media Studies or Computer Science. She worked in the Mind, Culture, and Society Lab as a Research Assistant on the Inequality and Well-Being project. Previously, she worked as a Social Psychology Abstract Reviewer for the 2012 Conference. After college, Michelle plans to pursue graduate education or apply her knowledge of psychology to a career in marketing or human resources. Outside of psychology research, Michelle is currently the Financial Officer for the Black Psychology Student Association and the Director of Advertising for FLiCKS, is involved with the Stanford NAACP, and briefly worked as a Research Assistant on a project in Stanford Law’s Criminal Justice Center. In her free time, Michelle loves watching movies and surfing IMDb.

 

Lemaat Michael - Executive Director 2012
Lemaat Michael was a senior majoring in Psychology (focus on Health and Developmental Psychology) and a minor in Creative Writing when she directed SUPC. She worked as a research assistant in the Carstensen Life-Span Development Lab studying how social, cognitive, and emotional processes change over the lifespan. She also conducted research on issues facing the education system in America, as well as on Fragile X syndrome. Lemaat hopes to pursue either a degree in Medicine or a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology so she can have an impact by working directly with children who have various life-altering disorders. In addition to serving as the Executive Director of SUPC, Lemaat was the president of Stanford's Black Psychology Student Association, as well as the Stanford Ethiopian and Eritrean Students Association. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing, reading, and catching up on all things outside of Stanford.

 

Rebecca Johnson - Executive Director 2011
Rebecca Johnson was a senior majoring in Psychology, with minors in Economics and Religious Studies, when she directed SUPC. She worked on research projects on maladaptive and adaptive responses to bullying, neural reward mechanisms, and pro-social versus self-oriented vocational goals on developmental outcomes. She also pursued an honors thesis on the stigmatization of mental illness, and hopes to pursue a PhD in health policy and ultimately a career in mental illness advocacy with a focus on mental health as a relevant and pertinent global health issue. In addition to SUPC, Rebecca was the co-president of Stanford Women in Business, a Conference Director for the Stanford Association for International Development, and a Board Fellow with Stanford Nonprofits. In her free time, Rebecca loves backpacking, going to music festivals, and exploring new countries.

 

Kyonne Isaac - Executive Director 2010
Kyonne Isaac was a senior majoring in Psychology, with a minor in African & African American Studies, when she directed SUPC. She worked in the Mind, Culture & Society research lab for three years, conducting research that explores identity, race, culture and prejudice within the individual and its interaction with society. Her honor's thesis focused on identity affirmation in response to the perpetual foreigner stereotype in the Asian American community and its impact on interactions with other American minority groups. While at Stanford, she also volunteered as Co-President for the Stanford NAACP. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and become a university professor. In her time away from school, she enjoys dancing and reading.

 

Adriana Miu - Executive Director 2009
Adriana Miu was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. in 2001. While directing SUPC, she was a junior majoring in psychology and economics at Stanford. She joined a lab doing research on HIV intervention with online social networks, such as Facebook and Myspace. Past research projects include testing stigma and people's willingness to pay for an HIV test in a test bundle compared to a separate test. In addition to her interest in social psychology, she also enjoys learning about stress and motivational factors in students. She hopes to become an educational psychologist, and combine her knowledge and experiences in the fields of psychology, education, and economics. In her free time, she likes to read, play piano, ping pong, and basketball.

 

Peter Radu - Executive Director 2008
Peter Radu was a junior at Stanford majoring in psychology when he directed SUPC. He also served as the president for the Psi Chi chapter at Stanford, and was the principal investigator of a study examining the ability of behavioral measures of impulsiveness to predict relapse in individuals recovering from substance addiction. Peter was also involved as a research assistant on a project exploring the facets of therapeutic listening, a direct relationship to his interest in the writings and theories of Carl Rogers. He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. When not in the lab or library, he enjoys playing on the Stanford club hockey team and, in the fall, supports the rapidly-improving Stanford football team.

 

Lauren Anas - Executive Director 2007
Lauren graduated from the University of Oregon in 2004 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Business. While at the University of Oregon, she worked for a clinical lab investigating the role that stressful life events play in the onset and maintenance of major depressive disorder. While directing the Conference, Lauren served as a research coordinator for the Stanford Mood and Anxiety Disorders Lab, a position that she held for two years. In addition to psychology, she enjoys reading and spending time outdoors.

 

Carolina Gutierrez - Executive Director 2006
Carolina is originally from Salinas, California, and was a master's student at Stanford while serving as SUPC Executive Director. She also completed majors in both Psychology and German Cultural Studies, and a minor in Ethics in Society, at Stanford. Previously, she worked as a Lecturer's Assistant for the Introduction to Psychology course and helped with research in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry. Hoping to go to law school or a school of public health, she was specifically interested in the intersection of health/ medicine and race/ ethnicity/ culture. She worked for Kaiser Family Foundation for over a year on issues related to minority health policy. In her free time, she enjoys gossiping with her sister, trying new foods, and Latin dancing.

 

Eva Chen - Executive Director 2005
Eva Chen was a senior from Taiwan majoring in Psychology and coterming in Sociology while serving as SUPC Executive Director. She conducted research in the Tsai Culture and Emotion Lab since her sophomore year, and worked on a Bing project looking at the differences in affect valuation in preschool children. In the summer before her senior year, she worked in the Boroditsky Cognation Lab, looking how languages influence thought. Eva completed an Honor's thesis on the relations between religion and emotion. She also served as Director of Internal Affairs ('03-'04) and Director of Programming & Events ('04-'05) for the Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Association, and as the Financial Officer for the Stanford Chapter of Psi Chi. In addition, she served as Associate Director for SUPC 2004 and directed SUPC 2005. Eva hopes to go on the graduate school in psychology and eventually return to Taiwan as a professor.

 

Felicity Miao - Executive Director 2004
Felicity Miao, originally from Hong Kong, was the Lab Manager for Dr. Jeanne Tsai's Culture and Emotion Lab at Stanford University while the Executive Director for SUPC. She had just recently graduated from Stanford with both a B.A. and M.A. in psychology. Her Honors and Master’s thesis explored the underlying mechanisms responsible for differences in affect valuation (ideal emotions) between Asian Americans and European Americans. During her four years as a student at Stanford, Felicity was a teaching assistant for several courses, and was awarded the Centennial Teaching Assistant Award as well as the Departmental Teaching Assistant Award for outstanding teaching. Felicity was also active in the department by serving as the President and Vice-President of the Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Association, and as an Associate Director for the 3rd SUPC. In addition, she was a member of the Student Council for the Western Psychological Association (WPA) in 2003-2004.

 

Michael Osofsky - Executive Director 2003
Michael Osofsky is originally from New Orleans, LA. He graduated from Stanford with a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology, and received both Departmental Honors and University Distinction, as well as several awards including the Firestone Medal for Excellence in Research, the Dean’s Award for Academic Accomplishment and the James W. Lyons Award for Service. Michael was also selected in 2003 by USA Today to their ALL-USA First Academic Team as one of the top 20 college students nationwide for overall excellence in academics, leadership and extracurricular pursuits. During his four years at Stanford, Michael conducted research under the mentorship of Philip G. Zimbardo and Albert Bandura, involving more than 300 interviews with correctional officers who directly work with executions in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. In addition, he has given more than 15 professional presentations and has published 5 articles on his research. Michael was President, Vice-President, and Peer Advisor of the Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Association, Co-President of the Stanford Chapter of Psi Chi, a two-time ASSU Undergraduate Senator, and a Director for the 1st and 2nd SUPC.

 

Sarah Mascarenas - Executive Director 2002
Sarah Mascarenas is originally from Tempe, AZ, and completed law school at Yale after leaving Stanford. While pursuing her master's and bachelor's degrees in psychology at Stanford, she served as Co-President of Psi Chi, advised on the department's curriculum committee, and was a teaching assistant for several courses. Her academic research explored relationships between cortisol levels, rumination, and negative cognitive bias in major depressive disorder. As Executive Director of SUPC in 2002, she increased the conference's community outreach program, launching a high school psychology poster contest and giving guest lectures at local high schools. While Sarah maintains her love for psychology and her commitment to community affairs, her current interests lie in the regulation and operation of financial markets. She is looking forward to a career in investment banking and eventually hopes to launch her own clothing line in Los Angeles.

 

George Slavich - Conference Founder &
Executive Director 2001

George Slavich is an assistant professor and Society in Science: Branco Weiss Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. He founded SUPC while completing undergraduate and graduate coursework in psychology and communication at Stanford. After receiving his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Oregon, he was a clinical psychology intern at McLean Hospital and a clinical fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He subsequently completed post-doctoral training in psychoneuroimmunology, first in the Health Psychology Program at UCSF and then at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. In addition to his research, which examines how social experiences affect health, George has been a long-time champion of student interests. In addition to SUPC, he founded the Western Psychological Association Student Council in 2002 and helped found the Society of Clinical Psychology's Section on Graduate Student and Early Career Psychologists in 2006. He has received several awards for these contributions.

 

 



Did you Know...
● SUPC was founded in 2001 by Stanford undergraduate George Slavich, who wanted to institutionalize Stanford's ability to "give psychology away" to undergraduate and high school students worldwide



● The Conference is, and has always been, run entirely by Stanford students who volunteer their time to promote psychological science



● The position of Executive Director of SUPC is very coveted -- many Stanford students apply for just one position



● Previous Executive Directors of SUPC are now renowned psychologists, economists, lawyers, and executives