The Cognitive Science Graduate Students Association (CSGSA)
The Cognitive Science Graduate Student Association (CSGSA) is an organization run by grad students, for grad students. We bring together Master’s and PhD students from a wide range of labs and backgrounds to support and enhance the graduate student experience.
Throughout the year, we host a variety of social events, including pool nights at MacLaren’s, board game nights, holiday potlucks, and more. We also run an annual merch sale, designing fresh, funky fits so you can show off your cog sci pride around campus. In 2025, we launched the CSGSA student lounge—a shared space where grad students from every lab can study, hang out, or simply enjoy the view.
For updates and upcoming events, follow us on social media. You can also visit the lounge in Dunton Tower 2202A, where we post a monthly schedule.
Discord
Who are We?
Mary Nehmé, Co-President
Mary is a second year Master’s student at Carleton University and co-president of the CSGSA. In the LoLa and L-Neuro labs, she researches the N400 and P600 effects in natural and programming languages, aiming to pursue work on TBI, mental health and language. With her love of planning, socializing, and hosting events, she’s excited to foster stronger community involvement in the department.
Tal Friedman, Co-President
Tal is a co-president of the CSGSA, and is in the second year of his Master’s of Cognitive Science. He works in the ACE Lab, researching how vehicle data and machine learning can be used to provide insight into the health status of aging drivers.
Nico Turcas, Treasurer
Nico is a PhD candidate in Cognitive Science investigating cognitive aging through computational modelling. Their research leverages cognitive architectures to formalize and test major theories of aging, with a focus on mechanisms of cognitive reserve, control, and compensation.
Leah Marshall, Admin
Leah is a first-year master’s student in cognitive science. Leah is the admin for the CSGSA. She keeps meeting minutes and serves as the association’s external contact. Her research takes place in the Carleton Math Lab, where she studies early numeracy. She also completed her undergraduate degree in cognitive science in the Math Lab.
Sarah Blackburn, Colloquium Liaison
Sarah is in her first year of completing her Master’s degree in the L-Neuro lab under Dr. Olessia Jouravlev. Her research focuses on the effects of hormonal status and ADHD in females and emotional processing. Her hobbies include reading, running, and being a dog mom to her pup. She is eager to engage with all Cognitive Science students and help create fun social events for everyone to enjoy.
Sam Gouthro, Undergraduate Liaison
Sam is a first year Cognitive Science Masters student in Dr. Kasia Muldner’s laboratory. She is interested in research areas related to learning, programming education, and AI. Funfact: in her free time she likes to swim, draw, and birdwatch!
Isaac Liu, Councillor
I’m a first-year master’s student in the L-Neuro and ANIMUS labs. With a background in sociolinguistics, my research explores the intersection between language and social reasoning through computational and neuroimaging techniques. I will be working as a councillor with the university-level GSA, and I hope to support organizing the fun events within the department.
Rachael Mohl, Councillor
Hello, my name is Rachael! I’m currently in the second year of my master’s in Cognitive Science. My supervisor is Jim Davies. For my thesis, I’m working on making a computational model of mental rotation! A fun fact about me is that I have 5 pet snails LOL.