Meet UC Davis Graduate Student Gent Silberkleit

• Department
  Psychology
   
• Program and year of study
  Ph.D., 4th year 
   
• Previous degrees and colleges
  BA Psychology, UCLA
   
• Where did you grow up?
  Sonoma, CA
   
• Where do you live now?
  Too close to Davis High School. (Did you know high school students must honk every time they enter and exit the parking lot?)
   
• What's your favorite spot in Davis?
  I used to really love the Simpsons pinball machine in the basement of the MU. But they took it away.
   
• How do you relax?
  I read the shorter journal articles on my reading list. I also started learning guitar, which I’ve come to really enjoy.
   
• What was the last book you read for pleasure?
  I just reread The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book). It’s one of the only books that makes me laugh out loud.
   
• What was the last film you saw at the theater?
  It might have been Star Wars? Probably Star Wars.
   
• Research interests
  Broadly, public economics (when and why does the government intervene?) and labor economics (in particular, income inequality)
   
• Dissertation title or topic
  TBD, but it may have to do, in part, with predicting juror decision-making.
   
• Please share a surprising or noteworthy fact or finding from your research
  If I ask you about an event and you lie to me, I probably can’t tell. But if I suddenly make you tell me about an event in reverse-chronological order, I have a much better chance of noticing your “tells.” It turns out that increasing cognitive load by making people recite an alibi backwards may make them less able to convincingly lie.
   
• Which professor or class inspired you to pursue graduate studies?
  Psychology & Law with Professor R. Edward Geiselman
   
• Which scholarly text do you wish you had written? Why?
  The Nature of Prejudice by Gordon Allport. While I haven’t read it in its entirety, Allport covered so much in this seminal book, and many of his insights hold up today.
   
• What's the best thing about being a grad student?
  It was the pinball machine below the MU… However, I do really value the access I have to some of the world’s top psychology experts. Bouncing ideas off of different professors in private meetings, when not terrifying, has been really rewarding, and I appreciate those opportunities very much.
   
• What's the worst?
  The stress/anxiety/pressure.
   
• If you weren't a grad student, what would you be doing?
  I almost went to law school at one point, so I might have become an attorney.
   
• Finally, please ask yourself a question - "What is your favorite day trip away from Davis?"
  Gold panning on the American River has been one of my favorites so far.
   

Graduate student profile courtesy of the UC Davis College of Letters and Science.

About Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies at UC Davis includes over 100 dynamic degree programs and a diverse and interactive student body from around the world. Known for our state-of-the-art research facilities, productive laboratories and progressive spirit – UC Davis offers collaborative and interdisciplinary curricula through graduate groups and designated emphasis options, bringing students and faculty of different academic disciplines together to address real-world challenges.

UC Davis graduate students and postdoctoral scholars become leaders in their fields: researchers, teachers, politicians, mentors and entrepreneurs. They go on to guide, define and impact change within our global community.

For information on Graduate Studies’ current strategic initiatives, visit the Graduate Studies strategic plan page.