Student Spotlight: Rachel Katcoff

Rachel Katcoff ’23 is a junior in the College of Natural Sciences who is studying Psychology with a double major in Public Health. She is also pursuing a certificate in Medical Humanities. Rachel says she initially came into UMass as an undecided major in the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, but decided to switch to Psychology because she was so interested in mental health and how the brain works. There’s an unlimited amount of information about the brain, she says, and she wants to be a part of that research. Rachel’s goal is to work in the field of clinical psychology, and she plans to pursue a graduate degree in the field after graduation. 

Rachel’s favorite class that she’s taken so far in CNS is Psychology 370: Personality with John Bickford. Not only is the content interesting, but she cites Professor Bickford’s unique teaching style and ability to keep the class engaging as the key reason why the class has made such an impact on her. “You can tell that he really wants us to succeed and do well,” Rachel says of the professor. 

Outside of the classroom, Rachel is involved in numerous extracurricular activities around the UMass Amherst campus. She is a science translator for Protect Our Breasts, a campus registered student organization that aims to educate women on the everyday toxins that can lead to a breast cancer diagnosis later in life. Her role is to translate scientific articles into language that those without a scientific background can understand. Rachel is also a member of the CNS Dean’s Student Advisory council, advising current CNS Dean Tricia Serio on a student’s perspective on the department. As if that’s not impressive enough, Rachel also participates in Chaarg, the SPACE Peer Mentoring Program, and her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. 

Rachel says that her current internship at the Crisis Text Line allows her to do work that is meaningful to her in the field of mental health psychology. She says it’s extremely rewarding to work through crises with the individuals she works with and empower them to go through the rest of day with a calmer state of mind.