PSY Student Spotlight: Advait Rathi
April 21, 2023 - Shelly DeJong
Advait Rathi, is a senior from Delhi, India, who is double majoring in psychology and theater with a data science minor. Advait sat down with us to talk about how a class on simulating zombies led to a research experience, how he ended up at MSU Psychology, and what advice he has to other students.
Advait, how did you end up at MSU?
I applied to over 15 or 16 schools—it was a hard decision to make. There was a conference in Delhi where the Big 10 schools came and represented themselves, and I talked with an MSU alumni who was an international student from India who was now working in the U.S., and they had a lot of confidence in MSU. That was a big influence on my decision. I also saw that the MSU psychology program was really good, that they were research focused, and that the theater program was also impressive. MSU was also willing to give me a lot of scholarships for me to come here, so that also was another factor in deciding.
I also like that typically MSU is a four-year program, so it isn’t as rigorous as a trimester or three-year program school. I can still take 18 credits and be involved on campus. I've been an RA for two years now, I've been the director of events for the International Students Association for two years, I'm involved in the Department of Theatre for various productions and plays. I can do all of those things while still getting my education from a prestigious university.
Why are you studying psychology?
I knew that I was not the biggest fan of science, but I really liked getting answers, being objective, and working with data. I was always interested in finding out the “why” and predicting human behavior. In my 10th and 11th grade, I started dedicating some time to understanding the discipline and it fascinated me. A couple of my teachers also were really impressed by my knowledge, so it was reassuring that I was in the right field for me. I felt that with psychology, you can work in a multitude of different fields, while still having time to pursue something that you love to do, like theater for me.
Can you share your research experience here at MSU?
I did research with Professor Zachary Neal in Psych 493. We essentially learned how to build agent-based models with coding and programming. My final project was based around the idea of conceptualizing applause. How does applause erupt in the audience? How does that phenomenon take place? Where does that start?
I did research on that and found that there's always an initiator in an audience that starts the applause and then different people have thresholds for when they would start clapping. And as soon as that threshold is exceeded, they start to clap. I coded this so you can play with it. You can start and stop it, set the threshold low for the audience, and see it spread out and condense. We also looked at social norms. For instance, you’re allowed to clap in a comedy setting, but if you're at an orchestra concert, you're not supposed to clap at different times.
From there, I was able to work with Dr. Neal, who is just an amazing professor, on a COVID-19 agent-based model to simulate how it spreads in the population. We applied for and received two grants so fortunately it was fully funded research. I learned a lot of things. One of the most enjoyable parts for me was running tests on the model and then having files of data, so I could do all sorts of data analysis.
I was able to present that at UURAF last year. There was a video game component to my presentation so people could play with the model. We had a QR code for a web-based version that you could play on your phone. The objective of the game was to survive and not infect others. It was fun! I also loved UURAF because everybody was presenting something that they’re passionate about.
How was your time as an international student here?
Yeah, it's been interesting. I have found what I want to do, what I want to be a part of, and I have learned some things about me like what kind of work environment I would want to be in and how I receive feedback, but it's also been challenging to know that home is 5000 miles away on a flight. It's not always easy dealing with some of those things. In terms of academics and career, I think I have a good handle on what I want to pursue and I’m appreciative of the opportunities available here. But on a more personal side, home is home so that can be hard. That said, I have met amazing people here at MSU, which definitely helps.
Do you have specific psychology classes you enjoyed?
Of course, Psych 493 with Dr. Neal. The way that class was marketed was genius because he was like, “Want to play video games and learn how to simulate zombies?” I didn't even know what the course was about, but I knew I was going to definitely take it. I’d tell anyone to just close your eyes and go into any course with Dr. Neal.
I also really enjoyed Psych classes with data analysis and research like Psych 295 and 395. Those were absolute favorite courses because I love that side of psychology, which I didn’t even know existed. I like being able to make a hypothesis and prove it through data. The whole idea is fascinating to me, which is why I absolutely loved both of those courses.
I really liked Psych 301 Cognitive Neuroscience with Dr. Susan Ravizza, who is an absolute gem. I highly recommend taking a psychology neuroscience course. If you're a psych major and you're not taking those neuroscience courses, you're missing out. So please take them! They could be a little bit challenging because the content is a bit dense, but I would say you would enjoy them.
Do you have any advice for other psychology students?
I love my psychology academic advisor and I urge everyone to go to the academic advisor and build that relationship because they can really help you. The first day I met my advisor, Rachael, I was really impressed that she had answers to all my questions, which I think is big because I have a lot of questions. We were able to figure out some of the conflicts that happen when you double major. I could not be more grateful to her and the people in the psychology department.