Intern Blog

And that's a wrap! Congratulations are in order for our Spring 2026 Gil Internship cohort. This amazing group did a wonderful job presenting all the hard work they completed throughout the semester. Dr. Buzinski, Dr. Gil, and Richie are all extremely proud of every intern and wish them luck in their future endeavors. Please take a moment to scroll through our showcase presentation. Congrats again to our Spring 2026 Gil Internship cohort!!!

Hi! My name is Karenna Barmada, and I am a senior from Washington, D.C. studying Neuroscience with a Business of Health minor at Kenan-Flagler Business School. This spring, I had the opportunity to intern at UNC's Center for Thriving Communities through the Karen M. Gil Internship Program, supporting the CommunityRx-Kidney Health trial, a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases-funded randomized clinical trial examining the effect of a structured comm

Hello! My name is Kariss Cone, and I am a senior from Nashville, Tennessee, double-majoring in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Social and Economic Justice. This semester, I’ve had the privilege of working as a Clinical Psychology Intern at The Purpose Center @ KKJ Forensic and Psychological Services in Durham. My interest in psychology comes from both intellectual curiosity in the human brain and behavior, and from personal experience. From navigating my own mental h

In the Chapel Hill area, April 22nd from 2:30 to 3:20 PM? If so, make sure to stop by our Spring 2026 Gil Intern Showcase located on the first floor of Howell Hall . Here you will be able to ask interns about the work that they conducted throughout the semester at their worksites and learn more about the Karen M. Gil Internship Program. Excited to see you then!

Hi there! My name is Athena Dontas, a current Karen M. Gil Social Psychology intern at UNC TEACCH Autism: Employment Services. I am a junior from Roxboro, North Carolina pursuing my B.A. in Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My interest within the field of psychology was piqued from a young age, when I tried to understand the struggles my older brother constantly wrestled with. My older brother was diagnosed with high-functioning Autism at an ea

Hello everyone! My name is Richie Gray, and I am the Gil Internship Manager for the Spring 2026 Gil cohort. I had the pleasure of visiting The Purpose Center (formerly known as KKJ Forensic and Psychological Services) recently during the Spring 2026 semester. This was a unique experience as this was the Gil Internship’s first virtual site visit! The Purpose Center is a multi-speciality, small private clinic in Durham, North Carolina, that provides empirically-supported psych

Hey everyone! My name is Maya McPartland, and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in psychology and computer science. This semester, I’ve had the privilege to work as a quantitative psychology intern at The Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development. This opportunity has served as a chance to fully explore my long-time interest in the interplay of technology and mental health. Growing up, I experienced firsthand the negative eff

Hello Gillers! Interested in seeing what other Gil Alumni are up to? Look no further, as the Spring 2026 edition of Sharing the Gil News is here! See what our lovely alumni are up to! Interested in getting more involved in the Internship Program as an alumni? You can! Please make sure to fill out our Gil Alumni Survey if you haven't already and request to join our alumni group on LinkedIn . Also, we have a Microsoft Group for Gil Alumni which you can join, so just email u

Hello everyone! My name is Juliana Floriani, and I am a clinical psychology intern at 3-C Family Services this semester. I am currently a senior from Asheville, North Carolina, pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Biology. My interest in psychology began through my clinical shadowing experiences in high school. I was one of eight students selected for the MAHEC Mentoring Program, where I spent time shadowing in a women’s health clinic. Many of the patients I observ

Hi y’all! My name is Fareeda Akewusola, and I am a senior Neuroscience major from Houston, Texas, with double minors in Medical Anthropology and Entrepreneurship. This semester, I have had the incredibly enriching experience of working as a Clinical Psychology Intern with the AHB Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness in Durham. My interest in mental health has always lived at the intersection of science and lived experience. Growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed firsthand

Hello, my name is Angelika Santero (she/her), and I transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill in the Fall of 2025 from Central Piedmont Community College. I am currently majoring in both psychology and data science, with a particular interest in social and organizational psychology. Growing up, I witnessed how my loved ones’ long work shifts and stress loads affected their well-being. I witnessed how our wellness is not an isolated phenomenon but is intertwined with social structures su

Hello everyone! My name is Richie Gray, and I am the Gil Internship Manager for the Spring 2026 Gil cohort. I had the pleasure of visiting 3-C Family Services recently during the Spring 2026 semester. 3-C Family Services is a multi-speciality private clinic composed of psychology, psychiatry, and counseling professionals working as a team to promote children’s positive mental health and social development and to strengthen family relationships. 3-C Family Services offers a

Hello! My name is Charlotte Wilkerson, and I am a Clinical Psychology Intern at Lepage Associates Psychological Services this semester. I’m a junior from Asheville, North Carolina pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in German studies. My interest in psychology originated from personal experience with chronic illness. I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis when I was 10, and it took years for it to go into remission, making it a defining aspect of my adolescence. I ex

Hi everyone! My name is Manchen Wang, and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy. Since early adolescence, I have been captivated by the long-standing nature-versus-nurture question, whether human morality is rooted in nature or shaped by experience. I always felt certain that people were born inherently good. However, as I grew older and became more aware of psychological struggles, moral conflict,

Hello everyone! My name is Gurnoor Grewal, and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Neuroscience, and I’m originally from High Point, NC. This semester, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Clinical Operations and Market Strategy Intern at Pulvinar Neuro. I began my journey at Carolina heavily invested in neuroscience research. During my junior year of high school, I conducted a year-long research project analyzing how dif

Hi everyone! My name is Urvi Patel, and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Neuroscience, with minors in Chemistry and Entrepreneurship. Throughout my time at Carolina, I have been driven by a strong interest in how access shapes health outcomes. As I prepare for a career in medicine, I have become especially committed to addressing the inequities that prevent individuals in underserved communities from receiving quality care. “I’m sor

Hi everyone! My name is Kejia Zhang, and I’m a senior at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. My curiosity about the mind started long before I knew what neuroscience was. Growing up between Russia and China, I was surrounded by multiple languages and cultural contexts, and I became sensitive to how people change the way they speak depending on who they are with and what they have lived through. Language felt less like a fixed system and more li

Please attend the Spring 2026 Gil Internship Info Session on February 19th, 2026 at 6:00 PM in Howell 205 if you wish to learn more about our program!

Please welcome our Spring 2026 cohort! Feel free to learn more about each intern here !

Hello! My name is Megan Taylor (she/her), and I am a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. I’m originally from Minneapolis, MN, and this semester, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Gil Intern at the TEACCH Autism Program. My interest in the human brain and neuroscience originated from early personal experiences that highlighted how severe neurological conditions and behavioral health crises fundamentally influence dail