Sonakshi Negi
Clinical Psychology PhD Student
Chi Kappa | George Mason University
I am a clinical psychology PhD student at the University of Kansas, and in that capacity, I serve as a student therapist and a graduate-student researcher. My work is focused on improving assessment and treatment of eating disorders. Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are severe, debilitating, and common psychiatric illnesses that result in one death every 52 minutes. To improve lives of people with eating disorders, I have been grateful to receive various research grants and fellowships, including the Junior Scientist Fellowship from the American Psychological Association, the COGDOP Graduate Research Scholarship from the American Psychological Foundation, and the Eating Disorders Summer Research Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. I have been fortunate to have the impact of my work be recognized by the Academy for Eating Disorders via the Student/Trainee/Early Career Top Poster Abstract Award and an Honorable Mention for the Young Investigator Award. My passion for eating disorders research dates back to when I was an undergraduate student at George Mason University, where I received the Dean’s Challenge Award and served as the Vice President of the Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society. More recently, I was honored to receive the following awards from the University of Kansas Clinical Science PhD program in the recognition of my work: The Don Hutchings Memorial Award, a student body elected award for leadership and generosity of spirit; the Snyder Award for Research Achievement in recognition of my academic contributions to the field of psychology; and the Clinical and Professional Skills Award in acknowledgement of my work as a student therapist.
What motto or phrase motivates you?
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Resolute, Authentic, Curious
What advice would you give to someone entering your field?
One piece of pragmatic advice would be to get involved in research, and to do this early. In addition to mentorship fit, Clinical Psychology PhD programs expressly look at the breadth and depth of research experience when making admission decisions. An intangible and arguably more important piece of advice is to deeply reflect on your personal and academic values and use them to shape your research mission. Morally grounded research and scholarship are so important in today’s world, perhaps now more than ever. Use your values as a moral compass in guiding your career!