Meet UBC PSA’s Executive Team for 2026 – 2027!
President – Lauren Farahani
When asked, “What makes PSA special?”
“Psychology as a discipline at UBC is absolutely enormous, and many students, new and senior, may undoubtedly feel disconnected from the community. Going onto my second year as an executive in the PSA, I’ve seen just how hard everybody here works—from our volunteers, to our VPs, to our faculty—in coming together and creating an amazing space for everyone to connect. I feel that the PSA is truly unique and special compared to other associations in this regard, as we provide so many opportunities to not only make relationships with your fellow classmates in such a huge field, but to also support you in extending your reach towards research, professors, and academia in psychology as a whole. Even if you aren’t a member, the PSA provides a tremendous amount of structure, help, and fun for anybody interested in psychology, and it is this inclusivity that makes me love it so much!”
VP Social – Kaitlyn Nguyen
When asked, “What makes PSA special?”
“To me, the PSA is so special because of the connections and memories made along the way. Being VP Social has blessed me with the opportunity to meet so many ambitious, fun, and honest individuals who have all had an effect on my experience at UBC. Building and maintaining a strong community is extremely important to me, and getting to be a part of the PSA has been such a lovely time!”
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“The community and opportunities it creates for psychology students! Navigating the psych world can be such a challenge, and having events that help you through some of those struggles (e.g. how to get into grad school, letter of recommendation workshop) can be so helpful and informative. Psychology students are some of the most inquisitive and curious people I know, so getting to create a space for people to pursue what they love, especially with the competitiveness of research labs here at UBC, is something I am super excited to help initiate this year! Being able to connect with other students attending these events is a really great way to meet new people who share similar struggles and goals!”
VP Marketing – Phoebe Chu
When asked, “What makes PSA special?”
“Being UBC’s largest and primary psychology club, the PSA does an incredible job bringing students together from every year and academic level. In a discipline as huge as psychology, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed or disconnected in lecture halls with hundreds of people. The PSA bridges that gap through hands-on workshops, faculty research panels, and community events that let you explore practical applications of psychology you would never run into in regular classes. What really sets the PSA apart, though, is that our community is not limited to psych majors alone. Students from Science, Arts, Commerce, and across campus regularly jump into our initiatives. It creates a welcoming, multidisciplinary environment where anyone can discover new perspectives, collaborate on creative ideas, and build lasting friendships outside their own home faculties.”
VP Communication – Luciana Mastrangelo
When asked, “What makes PSA special?”
“With over 8,000 students in the psychology department, the PSA acts as a meeting place for students from all years and expertise to gather together as a community. Our department can sometimes feel so spread out and disconnected, but with the PSA we are able to share a common space and learn about the many possibilities our studies have to offer!”
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VP External – Anna Beck
When asked, “What makes PSA special?”
“Navigating the Psychology department can feel super overwhelming, the PSA has helped not only foster an amazing community of like-minded individuals but also student-led events that are built specially for your psychology journey. These events don’t just offer practical guidance on things like finding labs or managing coursework but they create a space where you can connect with people who actually get it. It’s an easy way to meet peers who share your goals, face the same struggles, and make a huge major feel a lot more personal!”
VP Internal – Ira Badesha
When asked, “What makes PSA special?”
“I’ve been the Psychology Representative with AUS since last year, and while I loved that role, I found myself wanting something a little different this year, something more community driven. Being AUS rep is great for advocacy and structure, but PSA feels like the space where I can actually connect with people who share my interests, build genuine friendships, and serve in a way that feels personal rather than procedural. With how big and spread out our department is, PSA gives me the chance to be part of a smaller, tighter knit community of like minded psych students, and that’s exactly what I was looking for this year.”
When asked, “What makes PSA special?”
“Being part of PSA since my first year in UBC has made PSA an indispensable part of my university experience. Through attending the events in my first year as a general member, to becoming part of the committee planning those events in my second year, I’ve met and worked with so many amazing students, faculty and staff. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities PSA has giving me to be involved in a department as big as psychology. The truth is, being in one of the biggest departments with over 3000 students pursuing the same bachelor degree, it’s easy to feel like you are “just a number” in the pool of people. The sense of community PSA brings is so special and essential to a UBC psychology student.”
Alumni
Many thanks to our former executive members, the most recent of whom are mentioned below:
| · Jimmy Chokmeesuk (2021-2023) | · Khushi Mehta (2020~2021) |
| · Shain Poon (2022-23) | · Lior Torgeman (2019~2020) |
| · Sneha Beniwal (2022-23) | · Charlena Ng (2019~2020) |
| · Miriam Tang (2022-23) | · Olivia Dong (2019~2020) |
| · Anushka Gulani (2022-23) | · Elfie Freudenberg (2019~2020) |
| · Kaitlyn Hagihara (2020~2023) | · Nishthaa Lekhi (2018-2019) |
| · June Reisner (2022-23) | · Neha Sree Tadepalli (2018-2019) |
| · Aakanksha Bhatia (2020~2021) | · Celine Kao (2017-2020) |