From interdisciplinary classrooms at Ahmedabad University to advanced research in cognition and language at the University of California, Berkeley, alumna Manushi Pandya, BA (Hons) in Psychology, Class of 2023, continues to build an inspiring academic journey. She has recently been accepted into the prestigious PhD programme at UC Berkeley, marking another significant milestone in her pursuit of research in psychology and cognition.

Manushi’s journey reflects the value of curiosity-driven learning, rigorous research training, and an interdisciplinary academic foundation. While pursuing her major in Psychology at Ahmedabad University, she also completed minors in Social and Political Sciences and Philosophy, broadening her perspective and shaping her approach to cognitive research.

As an undergraduate, she actively engaged in research across institutions. She built her research foundations under the guidance of Professor Nithin George and later worked as a Research Assistant with Professor Divita Singh at Ahmedabad University. She also gained laboratory research experience through an internship with Professor Meera Sunny at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar.

Her strong academic and research background led her to pursue an MS in Psychology at Arizona State University, where she explored how language shapes human experience. Her work examined conceptual metaphors across cultures, as well as inner speech and visual imagery among individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

At UC Berkeley, Manushi will join the Language and Cognition Lab and work with Professor Mahesh Srinivasan. Her doctoral research will focus on language, cognition, social development, and the ways humans construct meaning and mental models of the world.

From Ahmedabad to Arizona to Berkeley, Manushi’s journey demonstrates how interdisciplinary learning and early research exposure can open pathways to global academic excellence.