Melanie was a research assistant with the where she worked with Dr. Nicole Lytle on a project on children’s eyewitness testimony. She also worked as Dr. Laura Lakusta’s graduate assistant and lab manager.

“I think it was helpful to have completed a master’s degree before applying to a doctoral program. The MA program guided me to develop research skills and narrow my interest which I believe are instrumental in a doctoral program. Overall, I think that in my experience the program prepared me to continue my education as a doctoral student,” she said.

What are your career goals?

“My future career goals will be to work closely with community-based organizations that aid Latina immigrant women and families. I would like to become an advocate and hopefully help develop culturally relevant programs that assist immigrant women. Also, I aspire to contribute to the research field by examining perinatal mental health disparities among Latina immigrant women.

The FSHD program offers various fieldwork opportunities that extend beyond the lab. I am a part-time student, and the program has helped me to become involved in various ways. The program’s social justice emphasis is central to my interests as it has strengthened me as a scholar and advocate for Latino immigrant families.”

First-Person Account from Diana Cabezas in 2014 on the BA/MA Program in General Psychology

I started at ����vlog in 2009, and as a freshman was unsure of what major to declare. I found myself switching constantly until my first semester as a sophomore, when I discovered an interest in psychology. I became fascinated with the courses offered and developed great relationships with the professors and students. Through the courses and relationships with faculty, I became more involved in the field. My primary goal was to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in four years. Little did I think that I would leave with a Bachelors and a Masters degree in psychology, all in only 5 years!

I applied to the Psychology Department’s BA/MA Program in General Psychology in early April of 2012. I was unsure of what to expect as a member of the BA/MA class, yet I was eager to learn. I was interested in clinical or counseling psychology, but was not sure if I wanted to commit the additional 4 plus years to a Ph.D. program- at least not just yet. I believed that the BA/MA program would allow me to acquire more skills in order to find a job close to my interest.

The program did that and much more! Not only did I graduate in May 2014 with a Masters, but I found a job as a case worker for an immigration and refugee service in a non-profit organization. There I will be working with families and children who have been separated, helping them reunite and adjust to their new situations. To say the least I am amazed and glad to work for this organization because my Master’s Thesis examined how Latino immigrants coped with and adjusted to their new homes and communities in the United States. I feel that I can definitely apply the knowledge I obtained from my research to my new job. I am looking forward to this new opportunity and I am glad I enrolled in the BA/MA program. It helped me to define and pursue my interests and to develop lasting friendships.

In high school, Jennifer Cobuzzi ’08 used to joke that she wanted to be a truck driver when she grew up — academics didn’t motivate her much back then, but she’s since turned them into her life’s work. Cobuzzi is a new lecturer in psychology at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn. She also rocketed through a PhD program at American University in Washington, D.C., specializing in Behavior, Cognition and Neuroscience and completing many published works in biomedical journals. In addition, she has co-authored a paper with her mentor, Montclair State professor Debra Zellner, this past fall. They’re now working to publish another and secure grant funding to continue their work.

Montclair State as a launch pad for success
When Cobuzzi was first looking at colleges, she didn’t want to go far from home. She was accepted at multiple institutions, but ultimately decided on Montclair State, thanks to great reviews from friends already studying on campus. Cobuzzi excelled at Montclair State. “I felt like I belonged on that campus. It turned out to be the best place for me,” she said in a phone interview.

She got involved with , and forged connections with faculty members who shared input and advice. Cobuzzi worked with Zellner to design her own research program and felt well-prepared for American’s PhD program, she said.

“The beauty of college is that you get to sample from a buffet that you didn’t even know existed,” she said. Courses outside the major were valuable too. For instance, Cobuzzi took a class on the sociology of rich and poor nations as part of general education requirements that expanded her global outlook – an awareness that boosts her effectiveness as a teacher in a multicultural and diverse university setting.

Why study psychology?
It was an A.P. psychology class and an engaging teacher in high school that first drew her to the subject. Continuing at Montclair State, Cobuzzi loved the knowledge that she gained in the classroom and the personal, relatable examples that the professors shared from their own research. She developed a fascination with the brain and the field: “Psychology is like an instruction manual for humans that we never came with.”

A research and teaching focus
After Montclair State, Cobuzzi pursued a dual path, as both a researcher and a teacher. A research focus alone wasn’t enough, she said, since she wants to use the knowledge gained to instruct the next generations of students. She takes a personal interest in her students, looking forward to meeting each new batch. Cobuzzi relishes an opportunity to help them fulfill and find their hopes and dreams. For example, “I likely have someone in my class that will do something amazing for humanity and society,” she said.

Paying it forward
Cobuzzi’s investment in the next generation is following in the footsteps of her mentor, Debra Zellner. She took Zellner’s undergraduate class on experimental psychology and was impressed by the experience. Cobuzzi later approached her outside of class asking, “I kind of want to do what you do. How do I do that?” Fast forward nearly a decade and Cobuzzi has charted a path similar to her mentor. The two even received doctoral degrees from the same faculty advisor at American University.

Collaborators
Zellner and Cobuzzi recently published their Food Quality and Preference. The pair conducted research in Philadelphia last year, looking at what modifications can be made to a school lunch program that can increase healthy eating, specifically vegetable consumption. Now they’re working to publish a second study with larger implications, so they’re in frequent contact with virtual “meetings” by phone, email, and even text messages, said Cobuzzi.

What began as a faculty-student relationship has grown into teamwork and research collaboration between colleagues, “all thanks to Montclair State,” said Cobuzzi.

— Published April 18, 2016

*Ashley Pena is an English major at Montclair State.

A special thanks to alumnus Altair Gobo and the students who served as part of the CHSS Professional Mentor Program. The photo above is from a March 2016 meeting where students got an opportunity to learn from a mentor who also studied at ����vlog.

Gobo was born in Jersey City and grew up in Cliffside Park. Gobo didn’t start out in financial services after college. He graduated from ����vlog with a BA in Psychology and taught high-school for six years before beginning a life-changing career in financial services. He is the author of several published articles and has been a guest on CNBC, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, FOX Business News, Bloomberg, and CNN. The PMP mentees were paired as a group with the mentor to explore career possibilities beyond a liberal arts and humanities degree.

Students included Hamna Khuld, Hope Hood, Mr. Altair Gobo, Shenille Friday, Hope Kremer and Julie Bravo.

After graduating summa cum laude from Montclair State, Ellyn McColgan worked in human resources before receiving an MBA from Harvard Business School. She began her 25-year career in the financial services industry with Shearson American Express, then moved to Fidelity Investments, where she rose to President of Distribution and Operations. As President and Chief Operating Officer of Morgan Stanley Global Wealth Management Group, she oversaw 17,000 employees and revenues of $16.5 billion. She was elected in May 2012 to the NASDAQ OMX Board, where she remains the only woman.

Q: What role did Montclair State play in your career path?
A: I knew that finishing my college education was a prerequisite to any career in teaching or business. My goal at Montclair State was to get great grades, be involved in activities and position myself to be hired by someone. I was a psychology and social studies ed major, but there were few teaching jobs when I graduated. So I pursued a career in personnel—or human resources. There were no resources available to students back then to get us started on careers. I had to figure it out myself.

Q: What is the single most important factor in your career success?
A: Finding mentors who were willing to help me is what made all the difference. Financial services was a man’s world—there were no women mentors then. You needed men to stand behind and support you. I was enormously lucky—my bosses mentored me throughout my career.

Q: Are you a mentor?
A: I serve purposefully as a mentor for women—and men. I believe that women have to help women. A lot of younger women are unduly optimistic and think everything has changed. It hasn’t. Things are better, but they aren’t fixed yet.

Q: Did you have to work harder than your male counterparts to succeed on Wall Street?
A: We all worked hard, but women had to work harder at making the men feel comfortable that we could handle the same work. Back in 1983, very few women were working in the financial services business and those of us who were pioneers had to convince people we could do it. Men assumed that even if they invested in training women, the women would marry and leave to have kids. Once we were given the chance to compete, we proved we were capable and were given more opportunities.

Q: How do you juggle career and personal life?
A: I never married and I don’t have children, so I never had to make those choices. That being said, it’s not so easy to be single and manage a career either. I’ve still had to manage friends and family relationships. I had to make sure that I had a life outside of work so that I wouldn’t be consumed by it. Life is complicated: it needs managing and everyone has to make choices to do that.

Q: Is it easier for women to succeed on Wall Street today?
A: Without question, it’s easier, but there are still very few women in senior positions on the Street, so there is more work to be done. I’m on the NASDAQ Nominating and Governance Committee and hope to introduce more women candidates to the board. It’s odd to look up in executive session and see I’m the only woman at the table.

Q: How should young people go about building careers?
A: Career paths are no longer linear, so it’s really important to identify your goals and develop action plans to achieve them. Do you want to make a lot of money? Be the president of a company? Find a cure for cancer? Have a family? You’re the only person who can design your life.

What’s your academic background, and what drew you to the field of forensic psychology?
I received my bachelor’s degree from Montclair State in Psychology. After my bachelor’s program, I went to Villanova University and received a master’s degree in Counseling. I then received my PsyD in School and Community Psychology from Hofstra University in 2007. Montclair State holds a very special place in my heart since it provided the starting point for my academic learning and career direction.

Child abuse is primarily what drew me to the forensic psychology field. It’s an area that I’ve always been passionate about. My goal is to work within the court system, providing expert testimony on the impact of child abuse as well as conducting child abuse evaluations.

You are currently in the Forensic Psychology certificate program at ����vlog. Can you describe that program and the areas of study it focuses on?
With a forensic psychology certificate, there are two different avenues to possibly pursue. You can choose the criminal or the family/civil track. The family track focuses more on working with children and their families. Based on my background and experience, it’s the path I feel more passionate about.

How has this program helped prepare you for your current career, and how do you think it will help you in your future career goals?
It’s certainly going to propel me forward in my career. The Forensic Psychology certificate program will enable me to help more at the beginning of the process, more in terms of what’s going on in a particular situation, what exactly happened, and what can we do to prevent any further incidents from occurring.

What are some career paths individuals can pursue from their training in the Forensic Psychology programs at ����vlog?
Students will definitely be well trained and prepared to work within the legal system as experts in their field. Many career paths including working in family civil proceedings like divorce mediation and adoption screening and even criminal investigations into abuse and neglect cases are possible.

You are so busy with your private practice, working at the Hoboken Board of Education, and studying in the Forensic Psychology certificate program – among other professional tasks – do you actually have any free time? If so, how do you spend it?
I’m a total soccer mom! I have soccer four days a week with my boys. Plus, I’ve been training for my first half marathon, which will be in a couple of days.

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– Interview from September 2015