Senior Aishah Coleman has won a one-year fellowship to study “Social and Environmental Influence on Brain and Behavior” at Rutgers University-Newark.

The fellowship includes a weekly online research seminar during the 2025-26 academic year, hands-on research training in a Rutgers-Newark lab during the summer of 2026, and instruction on recruiting a diverse and representative sample of human subjects for research.

The award is funded by the National Science Foundation and includes a $6,000 stipend for the summer 2026 internship.

“I hope that I can better understand how the brain works and how to interact with people who may be struggling with mental health or personal issues,” says Coleman. “I’m super excited to see how the research applies in real life.”

When the fellowship concludes, the psychology major and criminal justice minor plans to continue her studies in Neumann’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree program.

“I want to work in the criminal justice system,” she explains, “to provide evidenced-based, empathetic care and turn my passion into action.”

Her passion is based on personal experience. “Growing up, I felt that people who were struggling or different were often misunderstood, and I’m hoping that the knowledge I’ll gain from this research will help me listen and provide empathetic support.”

Coleman faced challenges in pursuing her academic interests. “As a minority female in an impoverished neighborhood, I faced significant barriers to accessing STEM resources and role models, which left me feeling discouraged about my potential in the field. As a child, I believed a STEM career was unattainable due to the lack of role models who looked like me.”

Now, she is confident that the fellowship represents the logical and essential next step in her journey and that the experience will directly inform her future work as a counselor.

Dr. Ariel Kershner brought the fellowship to Coleman’s attention and recommended that she apply.

“Over the past two years, I have watched Aishah grow as a psychologist and researcher both in class and in her role as a research assistant in my lab,” says Kershner. “Aishah is more than an enthusiastic student. She critically thinks about the complex concepts we discuss, excels at communicating questions and concerns, is always eager to learn, and has a very kind heart. I am so excited for her to take this next step in her journey.”