Peer facilitators are upper-level Cognitive Science students who support their peers through:
- Increasing awareness about the CogSci major on campus
- Helping undeclared students explore whether or not CogSci is a good fit
- Creating a sense of community amongst declared CogSci students
- Answering curriculum/class registration questions for their peers
- Working with their peers on decisions about the future, and the best way to market CogSci as they pursue grad school, internships, or jobs
- Offering strategies to support their peers in time management and studying
- Sharing the student perspective with their peers on courses and opportunities such as research and study abroad
The Peer Facilitators are excited to meet you! Please see their bios below and consult the schedule for their office hour availability. No appointment is necessary. If your question is specific to your track of study, you may prefer to meet with a Peer Facilitator on that track. However, even Peer Facilitators not on your track will be able to help you with most, if not all, questions. You can also reach the Peer Facilitators at cogsci.peerfacilitators@umich.edu.
Pictured (top row) are Nick Hollman, Grayson Yin, Taylor Adams, Elle Konrad, and (front) Jimmy Dale, Maria Marginean, Mansi Brahmbhatt, and Meryl Rueppel.
The schedule shown here takes effect on Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Peer facilitators can be found on the 9th floor of Weiser in the cubicle closest to the study tables (two rights off the elevator, head down the hall and take a right past the Weinberg Institute front desk). Feel free to walk-in or schedule an appointment!
Read more about the Peer Facilitators below, and watch for their essays
in Peer Perspectives.
Taylor Adams: Language & Cognition
Taylor is a senior on the Language track, pursuing a dual degree with the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in Voice Performance. Taylor chose CogSci to take as diverse a coursework as possible! During her time at U-M so far, she has studied abroad (in France!) and she’d love to do so again. Taylor spends her free time making awesome music with her a cappella group, the DJs, brushing up on her Super Smash Bros skills, and reading fantasy novels. She’s lowkey obsessed with her best friend/roommate Hayla. Also, she very often gets asked how tall she is. She’s 5’11”. After U-M, she hopes to harness her musical and CogSci expertise as a speech therapist and work in voice rehab.
Ask Taylor about: your general CogSci questions, study abroad, dual degrees
Mansi Brahmbhatt: Philosophy & Cognition
Mansi is a senior on the Philosophy track, also pursuing the pre-med curriculum. She chose CogSci because the field seeks to answer the question of how things happen in the brain. During her time at U-M, she’s been the manager of the Women’s Rowing team. This year she’s hoping to enjoy her last year on campus by meeting new people. Mansi is passionate about food, loves music, and is a dancer. She would describe herself as happy and content with life (don’t you love that?!) After U-M, she hopes to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Ask Mansi about: your general CogSci questions, pre-med curriculum
Jimmy Dale: Decision & Cognition
Jimmy is a senior on the Decision track, also pursuing a minor in Political Science. He chose CogSci because of his interest in so many of the classes on the curriculum, and because of its ability to expand other fields of study. During his time at U-M so far, he’s done research and been president of a student org. He’s currently trying to learn guitar and identifies as an aspiring (slash wannabe) chef. He’s a huge sports fan (loves playing basketball) and also considers himself a good friend and positive thinker - which we at Weinberg agree with! After U-M, he hopes to pursue an MBA or go to law school, work in consulting, and ultimately be happy.
Ask Jimmy about: your general CogSci questions, research, applying CogSci to a professional degree
Nick Hollman: Philosophy & Cognition
Nick is a senior on the Philosophy track, also pursuing a minor in Complex Systems. He chose CogSci because he felt it could cater his studies to be the perfect blend of psychology and philosophy. During his time at U-M, he has done research with the Ecological Neuroscience Lab. He has also had the chance to do research with an organization at the intersection of public policy and decision sciences and hopes to further explore this kind of research. He is the co-president of the Effective Altruism Michigan Club and is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. He is always happy to talk philosophy/philosophical views, so don’t be shy!
Ask Nick about: your general CogSci questions, research, honors thesis, transfer credit, Weinberg Institute funding requests, exploring graduate school
Elle Konrad: Decision & Cognition
Elle is a senior on the Decision track, also pursuing a minor in Graphic Design through STAMPS. She chose CogSci because she’s interested in the science behind how people make decisions. Elle is a student manager for the Michigan Men’s Lacrosse team, which means she helps facilitate practices and games, both home and away. Her passions include Harry Potter, John Mulaney, and stand-up comedy. Whenever (if ever), she has time, she loves to read. This year she’s hoping to get into yoga as there’s a studio right by her new apartment. She’s also a super proud big sister - her younger sister just started college at Western. After U-M, Elle hopes to apply her CogSci knowledge to marketing or consumer habits in general - in a big city either in the states or abroad!
Ask Elle about: your general CogSci questions, business & CogSci
Maria Marginean: Computation & Cognition
Maria is a junior on the Computation track, also pursuing a Computer Science major. She chose CogSci because she liked the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the ability it gave her to create her own unique curriculum taking the classes she would have explored anyways. During her time at U-M, she’s participated in WTF Magazine and GEECS. This year she hopes to get more involved with the Cognitive Science Community. She’s driven and motivated, follows her gut, and trusts herself. She’s trying to learn how to multitask and time manage efficiently (we hope she’ll share her tips with us!) She loves writing poetry, reading thrillers, Michigan football, basketball, and volleyball, and Broadway - especially Dear Evan Hansen! After U-M, Maria hopes to work as a software engineer on one of the coasts.
Ask Maria about: your general CogSci questions, EECS courses, employment at U-M (including being an IA), the Office of AI, the intersection of STEM & humanities
Meryl Rueppel: Philosophy & Cognition
Meryl is a senior on the Philosophy track, also pursuing a minor in Digital Studies. Meryl chose CogSci because it merged her interests in psychology and philosophy, while keeping the door open to other disciplines as well! So far during her time at U-M, she has done research and studied abroad (in Denmark!). She hopes to pursue an honors thesis this year. She is also an editor for HerCampus at Michigan. She loves drawing, crafting, designing, as well as travelling and hiking. She’s currently working to climb all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks, #impressive! She’s also super close with her family (the oldest of 3 sisters), is a great baker/cook, and is obsessed with music, most recently classic rock. After U-M, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Ask Meryl about: your general CogSci questions, research, honors thesis, study abroad, exploring graduate school
Grayson Yin: Computation & Cognition
Grayson is a senior on the computation track, also pursuing a double major with Math and a minor in Computer Science. Grayson is an international student, hailing from China. He chose CogSci for its scientific approach to the brain/problem solving. He has done research in the Mind, Machine, and Mathematics (M3) Lab and plans to continue his involvement this year. Outside of academics, Grayson is super active - he has played IM soccer, is a long distance runner, and is a salsa dancer. He loves natural science and mathematics and considers himself a physicalist and a unified theory pursuer. When he finishes his time at U-M, he hopes to pursue a PhD.
Ask Grayson about: your general CogSci questions, research, Weinberg Institute funding requests, exploring graduate school, EECS courses
Read more about Grayson in Peer Perspectives.
