For Prospective PhD Students

I am looking for students with a strong interest in developmental cognitive neuroscience, psychophysiology, and social development. Prospective students should be interested in stress, adversity, and/or EEG.

Competitive applicants typically have:

• • A degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Physiology, Computer Science, or a similar field

  • Completed an independent research project and/or made substantial intellectual and technical contributions to research projects in an established laboratory

  • Have an interest and/or experience working with developmental EEG data

  • Have experience with children and families

  • Achieved an intermediate-level or higher proficiency with at least one statistical computing language (e.g., Matlab, R, or Python) and are able to describe how they have used it to test a hypothesis.

  • Experience working as a full/part-time research assistant or lab manager in their post-bac years.

  • Strong organizational and communication (verbal and written) skills.

In your application, be sure to highlight your research skills (especially those pertaining to programming, study design, data collection, data analysis, and presentations/manuscript preparation) and research experience, as these are often weighted most heavily in determining top candidates.

It is important to understand that I am committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive laboratory. All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, socioeconomic class, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or gender expression), religion, creed, national origin, age, citizenship, disability, marital status, sexual orientation. I also support a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and values, and recognize that individuals affiliate with multiple identities. I will always welcome applicants from historically underrepresented in the psychological sciences (e.g., BIPOC, first-gen college, low-income, LGBTQIA+, disabled). 

The lab less likely to be a good fit for:
1. Students who are primarily interested in clinical practice
2. Students who want to specialize in qualitative research
3. Students who are not interested in developmental questions
4. Students who do not want to do any kind of programming (e.g., R, MATLAB, or Python)
5. Students without research experience

Grad students in the lab will have opportunities to contribute ongoing research projects in the lab and to develop their own area(s) of research that fall within the scope of the lab’s research focus. Grad students will be expected to run studies from start to finish, including developing an empirical question, designing an experiment, collecting and analyzing data, and preparing results for publication.

Students will meet with Dr. Troller-Renfree at least weekly and should anticipate regular discussions of strengths, weaknesses, short-term goals, and long-term goals. Students can expect me to help develop project ideas, learn methods, review progress, and discuss career development. Grad students should also expect to mentor undergraduates and/or research staff in the lab and will receive mentoring guidance. All students should expect to write manuscripts and submit grant applications.

Resources for Applying:

1. Check out this amazing list by Laurel Gabard-Durnam (scroll to 'Graduate School Application Resources')

2. Check out this program for underrepresented (e.g., BIPOC, low-income, first-gen, LGBTQIA+) undergraduates and post-baccalaureates

Yes!  Accepted students are customarily offered a funding package that includes tuition and a living stipend.

I only accept students starting in the fall semester.

I generally don't meet with students prior to our first round of interviews. You shouldn't take this as a lack of enthusiasm, but rather that I care about and exercise equity in the application process. I simply can't meet with everyone who is interested in applying, but I always devote a lot of time to interviewees and, of course, my current students.

I generally don't meet with students prior to our first round of interviews. You shouldn't take this as a lack of enthusiasm, but rather that I care about and exercise equity in the application process. I simply can't meet with everyone who is interested in applying, but I always devote a lot of time to interviewees and, of course, my current students.

If the non-refundable application fee poses a financial hardship:

1) Start your TC application (your application needs to exist)

2) Contact David Estrella (dpe2103@tc.columbia.edu) with “Application Fee Waiver Request” as title

3) Provide supporting financial documentation demonstrating your need

Note: Teachers College is unable to refund any paid application fees, so we ask that you do not submit any payment until you receive a response pertaining to your waiver request

Email me at svt2110@tc.columbia.edu and I will add it!  I want this to be the most informative page possible.