Name:  Annie S. Ditta

Department: Psychology

What Scholarship or Award did you receive? The Frank X. Barron Creativity Award for Research

What year are you? Just finishing my 4^th-year of the PhD program.

Where do you call home? Poway, California (San Diego County)

What is your field of focus? Cognitive Psychology—in particular, the relationship between memory and creativity/problem-solving.

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? When choosing a PhD program, one of (if not the) most important factor to consider is the fit between yourself and the advisor, in terms of research interest and mentorship style.  I chose to attend UCSC because my advisor, Dr. Ben Storm, seemed like he could provide the best mentoring out of all my potential advisors at different universities.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I hope to obtain a teaching position at a university in California, as I can come to realize my passion for teaching while serving as a Teaching Assistant at UCSC.  However, I am open to other career possibilities.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? Any time I see Hank the Turkey in a standoff with a car!

 How will this scholarship/award impact your academic life/research? This award will allow me to continue my studies of creativity and problem-solving through the summer, when it can sometimes be a challenge to find funding.  In the grander scheme of things, this award will help me complete my degree more quickly (anticipated June 2018!).