Cognitive Science Travel Awards: Up to $1,000 for Study Abroad & Travel
Welcome Back Students! Come Meet the COGS Team on 9/10
Welcome back, COGS students! We hope your semester is off to a great start!
To kick off the new academic year, we’re hosting a casual Meet the COGS Team drop-in on Thursday, September 10 from 3–4 PM in Arjona 339.
Come meet the people behind the Cognitive Science Program:
Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas – COGS Director
Dr. Adrian Garcia-Sierra – Director of Undergraduate Studies
Crystal Mills – COGS Program Coordinator
Whether you have questions about the program, want to learn more about COGS, or simply want to stop by and introduce yourself, we’d love to see you!
This is a casual drop-in — stay for five minutes or the whole hour.
Can’t make it but have a question? You can always reach us at cogsci@uconn.edu.
Expand Your Skills with a Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science
The UConn Cognitive Science Graduate Certificate Program is accepting applications for the fall semester through October 1, 2026.
Requiring just 12 credits (four courses), the certificate provides interdisciplinary training across fields such as psychology, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, communication, education, artificial intelligence, computer science and engineering, biomedical engineering, and speech, language, and hearing sciences.
The program is open to current UConn graduate students as well as individuals with a bachelor’s degree who are not currently enrolled in a UConn graduate program. The certificate can complement an existing graduate degree or be pursued as a standalone credential by those looking to broaden their knowledge, develop interdisciplinary skills, or enhance their professional experience.
Application Deadline: October 1, 2026
Applications require a CV, brief personal statement, and two letters of recommendation. Current UConn graduate students receive an application fee waiver.
Visit the Cognitive Science Graduate Certificate webpage for complete eligibility, course, cost, and application information.
COGS End of Year Luncheon
Join us on Friday, May 1 | 12–2 PM | Arjona 339 for food, community, and celebration!
Open to COGS undergrads, grad students, and faculty—come meet, connect, and celebrate our graduating seniors. Stop by for a few minutes or stay the whole time!
Free food + COGS merch (stickers, notebooks, stress balls & more—perfect for finals!)
🎓 Seniors: Can’t go to the 4/24 send-off? You can still decorate your cap, grab a regalia pin, and celebrate with us!
CogSci Senior Send-Off 4/24
CogSci Seniors,
You made it 🎉 — come celebrate with your fellow seniors!
Join us for a Senior Send-Off to wrap up your CogSci journey:
📅 Friday, April 24
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Arjona 339
Open to all Cognitive Science majors graduating in May or August.
We’ll have:
✨ Snacks & refreshments
🧠 CogSci merch
🎓A cap-decorating station (rhinestones, markers, cardstock, letters, & more!) Feel free to bring your own items!
📌 Senior pins available for pick-up, to be worn on your regalia!
👉 Please fill out this quick RSVP form so we can plan accordingly!
Can’t make it? Join us at the CogSci End-of-Year Luncheon on Friday, May 1 from 12–2pm in Arjona 339 — another chance to decorate your cap, grab a pin, and celebrate.
Cognitive Science Program Colloquium: Matt Daniels on 4/1
Cognitive Science Program Colloquium: Matt Daniels
Date/Time: Wednesday, 4/1 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm EST
Location: McHugh Hall 305
Talk Subject: In this talk, Matt will walk through how to start a creative practice (publicly or just yourself!), that uses your scientific expertise as a foundation.
Abstract: Matt Daniels‘ work centers on both art and technology, creating visual, data-driven essays for The Pudding, an online publication. Through his work, he’s collaborated with many people in the sciences, particularly in computer engineering and data science. These collaborators often remarked that they had assumed creative pursuits would take a back seat to their professional path, and how energized they were to combine their technical expertise with an artistic goal. This talk will center on how to start or maintain a creative practice (publicly or just yourself!), that uses your scientific expertise as a foundation. Matt will review different Internet subcultures/communities at the intersection of art and technology, as well as career paths. He will also discuss the importance of project-based learning, and how that translates to ways to both start and maintain creative energy for your own work.
Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Matt on 4/1 or attending dinner in the evening, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu.
IBACS and PSYC BNS Co-Sponsored Talk: Dr. Dylan Gee from Yale University on 3/26
Talk Co-hosted by IBACS & PSYC BNS: Dr. Dylan Gee
Professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University
Date/Time: Thursday, 3/26/26 fat 4pm EST
Location: Bousfield 160
Talk Title: The Developing Brain in Context: Translating Neuroscientific Insights to Promote Youth Mental Health
Abstract: Environmental contexts can have a profound influence on brain and behavioral development. From trauma exposure to variation in the predictability of caregiving behaviors, the environments in which children and adolescents develop actively shape their neurodevelopment and mental health. Advances in developmental neuroscience have demonstrated how experiences of safety, predictability, and adversity influence the maturation of corticolimbic circuits in ways that confer risk or resilience for mental health disorders. This talk will illustrate how these insights from developmental neuroscience can inform efforts to optimize clinical interventions for anxiety and stress-related disorders in youth. Together, this work advances understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that promote favorable mental health outcomes and guides approaches to foster recovery among youth exposed to adversity or living with mental health conditions.
Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Gee or attending dinner, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu.
LangFest 2026: Submissions and Registration Are Now Open
We are pleased to announce that the registration and submission form for attending and/or presenting research at Language Fest 2026 is now open!
Language Fest is a university-wide research conference that was established in 2009 to bring together the full community of language researchers at UConn for a day of sharing results, ideas, methodologies, and fostering future interdisciplinary collaborations. With the generous support of the Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the 2026 installment of Language Fest will take place on Wednesday, April 15th from 3:30pm to 7:00pm.
This year’s festival will include a spoken program (in Konover Auditorium) followed by poster sessions and a reception (in Bousfield Psychology Atrium). We welcome talk submissions for the Graduate Student Symposium and poster submissions (which come with an option to be part of a data blitz). The deadline for all submissions is Wednesday, April 1st, 2026 at 11:59pm.
For those attending but not presenting, we still ask that you complete the registration form above so we have an accurate headcount for catering.
Submissions for the Poster Sessions. Poster presentations by students of all stages, research staff, and faculty are welcome! If your research explores any questions related to language, your poster would be a great fit. You are more than welcome to present work that you have recently submitted or presented at a different conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your work with our multidisciplinary community and to receive enthusiasm and feedback for your work! Poster presenters will have the option to give an oral preview of their poster as part of the Data Blitz in the spoken program. Limited funds are available to help those in need of financial assistance to cover the cost of poster printing. For inquiries, please reach out to us at langfest@uconn.edu. Finally, we recognize that this year’s festival will take place on the same day as the 2026 Frontiers exhibition. Please know that we have been in touch with the Frontiers organizers and both of us are happy to accommodate those interested in presenting at both events. If you intend to present at both LangFest and Frontiers, please leave us a comment at the end of the submission form, and we will schedule your presentation accordingly.
For any questions about Language Fest, please email: langfest@uconn.edu and visit our website https://languagefest.uconn.edu/.
We look forward to your attendance and participation!
Postdoc Opening at University of Western Ontario’s Centre for Brain and Mind
Dr. Marc Joanisse at the University of Western Ontario is currently recruiting new postdoctoral fellows funded by the Western Postdoctoral Fellowship program. They’re seeking talented recent PhDs interested in working in the area of language and reading processing, where their work focuses on the intersection of cognition, neuroimaging and computation. Work could target any aspect of development, processing and disorders. This might be of particular interest to someone who has developed expertise in one of these areas and wants to expand their toolkit.
Fellowships will provide a minimum stipend of $70,000/year (pending any association agreement changes), plus recoverable benefits and a $5,000/year research allowance for two years. A successful candidate can start the position sometime between July 2026 – June 2027 (without exception). However, there is a relatively short internal deadline (March 20), but the PI is willing to work with the right candidate to build a successful application.
Details about the lab are here: https://lrcn.uwo.ca/
Details about the Centre for Brain and Mind including available facilities and other PIs: https://www.uwo.ca/bmi/
Western PDF Program details are here: https://www.ssc.uwo.ca/research/postdoctoral_scholars/western_postdoctoral_fellowships_program.html