On Jan. 9, 2026, a special I Block was offered to students featuring guest speaker Vivian Ciaramitaro, an assistant professor of psychology at UMass Boston. The I Block seminar aimed to connect the intricacies of the human mind to real-world applications.
The I Block was arranged by Kerry Dune, an Intro to Law teacher at Lexington High School. Dunne spoke with Ciaramitaro when asking for parent volunteers to speak about their areas of expertise. The resulting session was designed to show students that psychology is more than just counseling or clinical work.
During the I Block, Ciaramitaro connected brain science and neuroscience to real-world topics such as criminal investigations, eyewitness testimony, and police lineups.
“I was going over ways in which faces are special […] and then tying that into how there are all of these biases in how we perceive faces of people,” Ciaramitaro said.
Because Ciaramitaro’s child was enrolled in an Intro to Law class, she saw the opportunity to make psychology relevant to what students were learning in the classroom.
“The [Intro to Law students] were talking about things tied to criminality and police, which are a lot of the issues that people think about when they think about how you process spaces, how you remember them,” Ciaramitaro said.
Ciaramitaro advised students interested in psychology to remain open-minded, curious, and willing to ask questions. She emphasized that there is no single path to follow when it comes to becoming a psychologist and that having a diverse academic background can be beneficial.
For example, Ciaramitaro herself took engineering physics classes in college simply because she enjoyed them, and that knowledge later influenced her decision to pursue psychology. She urged students to explore a wide range of subjects, as early experiences can shape future research interests.
Outside of the classroom, Ciaramitaro also encouraged students to get involved in research, which can help them make informed decisions about pursuing future careers.
”For people who are thinking of going the PhD route instead of being pre-med, or the standard ways that a lot of people focus on education, I would say just get involved early, get exposure, and make smart decisions,” Ciaramitaro said.
