Getting involved in student organizations is a great way to meet others who share your neuroscience interests, learn more about the topics important to you, and find out more about events and careers in neuroscience-related fields. Involvement in such organizations can open important doors for post-college opportunities and is viewed positively on applications for graduate and medical programs. We strongly encourage undergraduates to get involved in student organizations, whatever their focus. This page lists just a few of the organizations that ut neuroscience students are active in:
SYNAPSE
Synapse is an organization for students with an interest in neuroscience. More than just a place to find useful resources, advice, and connections, Synapse is a community for neuroscience nerds. If you're just starting out in your neuroscience journey, being in this community can help you develop your interests and help you figure out what parts of neuroscience are most intriguing to you. Many students have found research labs through Synapse by attending research talks by professors specifically geared toward undergrads. Others have planned their career path through helpful advice from their peers. It's also nice to see familiar faces in your neuroscience classes when you've met your classmates through Synapse meetings and socials. Members enjoy sharing research papers, discussing current events, and having fun as an important counterbalance to a long day in the lab or studying for classes. As a community of neuroscience enthusiasts, Synapse provides the perfect opportunity to grow together. The Synapse website can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/utsynapse and is the best place to find information about joining the organization.
NURP (NEUROSCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE READING PROGRAM)
NURP is a mentorship program for undergraduate students who want to develop their interests on a specific neuroscience topic. Each undergraduate is paired with a neuroscience graduate student with common interests to review and discuss journal articles together. More information about the NURP program can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/utaustinnurp.
The Association for Women in Science
The Association for Women in Science at UT is an organization open to undergraduates, graduates, and faculty dedicated to uniting and empowering a diverse group of women in science at UT. Focused on opportunities and resources for women seeking professions across medicine, academia, and industry, we host seminars with prominent scientists, coffee chats with women in STEM, host our own mentoring program, and are dedicated to volunteer, outreach, and networking to build leaders within and beyond the UT community. If you’re interested in getting involved this upcoming fall, please follow our social media on Instagram @awisatut and Facebook at AWIS at UT to keep updated, and join our newsletter via Hornslink (https://utexas.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/awisatut).
Other Organizations
Because of the wide range of interests of neuroscience students, is difficult to compile a complete list of relevant student organizations. Hornslink is a great way to find out about groups and activities here on campus. The following organizations might be of particular interest for neuroscience students. (If you are a member of an organization and would like to add contact information to this list, contact Susan Cushman with your request.
