Stephanie Reeves

Stephanie Reeves E X P L O R I N G C U LT U R E THROUGH MOVEMENT AND MIND

Hometown: Hampden, Massachusetts Majors: Behavioral Neuroscience, Dance, Slavic Studies

STEPHANIE’S BIG QUESTION:

What insights do my interests and travels provide into how people work—neurologically, kinesthetically, emotionally, culturally?

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tephanie developed a taste for thinking globally in high school after taking part in a merit-based scholarship program that included a visit to Russia.

“I really wanted to continue this practice of global engagement when I came to Connecticut College.”

Her passion for Russian culture led her to major in Slavic studies. A lifelong dancer, she continued formal dance study, and also sought out Conn’s behavioral neuroscience program.

“My majors are quite different, yet I’ve been able to connect all three through this global lens. I can look at things through multiple perspectives—the arts, the sciences or through looking at cultures—and see how different but similar they are.”

BEYOND STEREOTYPES

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hrough Slavic studies, Stephanie studies Russia closely: its history of nationalism, its citizens’ sense of identity, and the conventional wisdom that clouds both.

“The faculty help you cultivate an in-depth exploration of a place that most Americans are afraid of or don’t understand. Through the faculty, department and classes, we are really encouraged to go beyond the typical stereotypes we have of Russia.”

Andrea D. Lanoux, professor and chair of Slavic studies, sees in Stephanie a special gift for going beyond the usual definition of interdisciplinary thinking.

“I have never had a student with such strengths across the humanities, the sciences and the arts. Stephanie is able to do outstanding work in Russian, behavioral neuroscience and dance, and to connect her work in these areas in complementary ways.”

A FAV O R I T E C L A S S PSY 322: PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

The neural substrates of pharmacology. Focus on cellular and molecular neuropharmacology, metabolism in the CNS, receptors, modulation of synaptic transmission and analysis of neurotransmitter systems.

Professor: Ruth Grahn, Associate Professor of Psychology

A MEETING OF MINDS

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tephanie first met Professor Andrea Lanoux during a presentation for firstyear students highlighting the Slavic studies department.

“She was a dynamic speaker, and I was so excited about what she was doing with the department.”

Professor Lanoux became Stephanie’s Slavic studies adviser, and their relationship quickly evolved into an easy, but always invigorating give-and-take of ideas.

Stephanie finds that faculty at Conn are always available to meet with students, in settings that are accommodating to their needs.

“It’s extremely common for students to meet with faculty in dining halls, in cafes, in their offices, pretty much anywhere on campus.

“Conn is very open and relaxed, and you’re able to talk to your professor, with whom you would normally have a professional relationship, and transfer that professional relationship to a more relaxed setting so you get to know them on a more personal level.”

“Dance has been the one constant throughout my years at Conn. I’m always involved in performances or taking classes.”

C H A N G E O F PA C E

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onnecticut College makes its home in the historic seaport city of New London.

Downtown—offering a wide range of dining options—is a short distance from campus.

Washington Street Coffee House is a favorite spot of Stephanie’s. The baked goods are impressive, the coffee is excellent, and she and her friends can grab a table and play a game of Scrabble. Afterward, they may take a walk through town or by the water.

“Conn’s campus is beautiful, but it’s really nice to go into town and get even closer to the water. New London has a lot more to offer than people realize. If you look for outside connections with the community, you can find fulfillment in many different ways.”

Washington Street Coffee House, New London

“Going to college, I honestly did not know what I wanted to do or study. My solution to that was to do everything. I took a lot of classes that interested me and I ended up falling in love with three seemingly random departments.�

A GLOBAL LAB

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tephanie realized the full potential of connecting her three majors when she spent a summer interning at a microbiology lab in Moscow, Russia. The internship was made possible through her participation in Connecticut College’s Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts.

At the Institute for Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Stephanie focused primarily on a specific molecule important in memory research. Her Russian language skills proved immediately useful in communicating her findings with colleagues who were not as fluent in English.

And she had plenty of opportunity to continue to improve her Russian throughout her internship.

Outside the lab, there were trips to the beach or to museums. Stephanie even found time to take dance classes.

“The whole experience felt like so much more than a summer internship in a lab. It seemed like everything I had been studying at Connecticut College came together in one amazing summer.”

Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, Moscow, Russia

STEPHANIE’S LITTLE QUESTIONS ■

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Dream Dinner Party Guests? David Eagleman (highly acclaimed neuroscientist), Shane Carruth (filmmaker) and Martha Graham, the mother of modern dance Favorite Food on Campus? Chicken parm nights in Harris are the best.

Actor Starring in a Movie of Your Life?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Diane Keaton or my alltime fave Sandra Bullock. “Miss Congeniality” will always have a special place in my heart.

Best Place to Clear Your Head? Up on the rocks by Williams Street. Great place to watch the sun rise.

Superpower of Choice? Mind reading Hidden Gem on Campus? Any place in the Arboretum around the pond Book You’d Want if Marooned on a Desert Island? “A Farewell to Arms,” by Ernest Hemingway, or “Incognito,” by David Eagleman

Watch a video of Stephanie: www.conncoll.edu/stephanie Learn more about Connecticut College at: www.conncoll.edu/admission