The SCU Psychology Department is a hive of activity!

As one of the most popular and growing majors on campus, we are striving to ensure that all 550+ students who come into our department have an enriching experience in their time at Santa Clara.

We'd love your support to ensure that we can foster a sense of belonging and connection with our students and also offer high-impact experiences to as many of them as possible!

Here are a few ways you can help us in our mission this year:

New EEG Lab

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of the most commonly-used and affordable tools in cognitive and cognitive neuroscience research, and it is also implemented in wearable devices recently as a fast-growing technology. Researchers have used EEG technology to study sleep and consciousness, and contribute to clinical diagnosis and treatment for sleeping disorders, autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities. Having an EEG recording system on SCU campus is supporting our mission to engage students in research, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and provide unique opportunities to our students to explore the research and technology in brain science, preparing them for future careers and contributing to the greater society.

• A $300 donation covers the purchase of a wearable EEG recording device to allow more students to participate in learning these skills, either in classes or through research experiences.
• A $500 donation will help to sustain a supply of materials routinely needed in an EEG lab, such as gels for applying the EEG leads, syringes, towels, etc.
• A $25,000 donation will support the purchase of the latest EEG machine, which will allow the lab to begin many interesting projects and give students valuable opportunities now!

REAL Funding (Real Experience. Applied Learning)

Each year, donations to our department support students in this University-wide program designed to give financial support directly to students conducting unpaid research or internships over the summer months. The goal is to provide enough support so that students can afford to focus on these high-impact projects without the need for other jobs.

Pictured is Senior Psychology major, Imaan Qureshi, who used her REAL funding to support a summer research project on how young children learn moral lessons from storybooks.

• A $5000 donation covers financial support for one of these students for a whole summer

Alumni Science Conference

Started in 2024 to increase cross-disciplinary interaction among student scholars in Psychology, Public Health and Child Studies, this conference showcases students’ own research or internship experiences.

• Your $500 donation covers the cost of programs and refreshments for presenters and attendees.

WPCUR Registration Fees

The Western Psychological Conference for Undergraduate Research is held each year at St. Mary’s College in Moraga. The Santa Clara Psychology department uses funds from your donations to ensure that all students who want to attend can cover the registration costs for this day-long student research showcase. In the past, Santa Clara students have often been the recipient of research awards given out at this Conference!

• Your $500 donation will cover attendance for 10 students.

Support Conference Expenses

Students cannot “close the loop” of the scientific method without sharing their findings with others! One of the most common ways to present the results of their work at scientific meetings is in a poster format.

• Your $250 donation will cover poster printing fees for 10 students.

Faculty Roundtable

• A $200 donation covers the cost of this unique event where Psychology students are invited to hang out with Psychology faculty to ask questions about careers, graduate school, and life after SCU!

Psych Majors Info Fair

All Psychology majors are encouraged to attend our Annual Psychology Majors Info Fair, held each Fall quarter. This student-led event brings together information about all of the ways our majors can get involved in co-curricular programs and opportunities such as honor societies and clubs, research labs, internships, and our peer advising program. This event helps us to ensure that all students, but especially first-year and transfer students, make the most of their time at SCU!

• A $150 donation covers the cost of SCU swag, such as sweatshirts and hats, that students can win for participating in this Fall event.

Guest Speakers

Each quarter, the Psychology department endeavors to bring in guest speakers from the community so that students can learn about our discipline from a wide array of experts in the field.

• A $400 donation covers the cost of a typical honorarium for a guest speaker.

Senior Award Banquet

Each Spring, we give out a number of awards to students who have distinguished themselves in overall academic achievement, research skills, service to others, and commitment to our field. We celebrate the accomplishments of these students and the achievements of all of our Seniors at our Senior Award Banquet.

• A $50 donation covers the cost for one student to attend the banquet.