Meet Dezhi, a junior at the University of Michigan from Beijing, China, who is passionate about understanding the human mind. Pursuing dual majors in Cognitive Science (focusing on philosophy and cognition) and Linguistics, Dezhi transferred from the University of Edinburgh to UMich and is currently studying psychology at University College London.
His fascination with cognitive science began with a deep interest in how the mind works. "I started to get into it after learning some basics in psychology, linguistics, and philosophy," Dezhi shares. "The idea of viewing the mind as an information processor intrigued me, especially on big questions like consciousness, the self, and language."
Attending the Cognitive Science Society annual meeting was a dream come true for Dezhi. He discovered the opportunity while researching UMich travel grants and reflects, "The highlight for me was getting in touch with the state-of-the-art in the field. I learned about current lab work and saw how research evolves through talks, Q&As, and workshops."
One noteworthy presentation was by Professor Morgan Barense, whose research on memory resonated deeply with Dezhi. "Her work provides insights into improving our memory in daily life," he notes. Dezhi also presented his own research, a poster on implementing a human-like autobiographical memory system in AI. "The feedback was very engaging and helpful," he recalls.
The conference expanded Dezhi’s perspective on cognitive science, noting an increasing dominance of computational research over areas like emotion and consciousness. "Though AI advancements are impressive, I hope to see more focus on underexplored areas," he observes.
The support of UMich in providing funding was instrumental for Dezhi’s participation. "While the funding did not cover everything, it still offset a significant portion of the cost. It also reminds me of how the Institute supports us as undergraduate students to pursue our academic goals," he adds. Dezhi’s journey highlights the enriching and transformative opportunities in cognitive science. We look forward to seeing where his academic pursuits take him next!
