Q&A with Cognitive Science Student Society president Daniel Chang

As president of the Cognitive Science Student Society for the past 2 years, Daniel Chang discusses his involvement with the society and his motivation for studying Cognitive Science int he Q&A below.

Interested in getting involved with the Cognitive Science Student Society? Learn more here.

1. What year of study are you in? Are you also completing any minors/certificates/joint majors?

I am in my final year and last semester in Cognitive Science. Among the 4 tracks in Cognitive Science, I chose Linguistics, Philosophy, and Computer Science for the completion of my degree. 

2. Why did you choose to major in Cognitive Science?

Cognitive Science was a happy accident. Like many other students pursuing post-secondary studies right after high school, I was lost in the sea of academia. Over the course of my academic dabbling for the 'right' degree, I stumbled upon Cognitive Science. The major allowed me to continue dabbling into many course topics I am most interested in, as well as, synthesize the material into an interdisciplinary understanding of the mind. 

3. Could you tell us about some of the events that you have held in the past as part of your role in the Cognitive Science Student Society? What are some upcoming events that you will be holding (you can also talk about the coming event here as well!)

I have been the President for CS^3 for the past 2 years and have held events such as, a VR event where students get to try out the latest VR tech in our CogSci Lab, run by Dr. Mark Blair, and a Study Night Event, in which students within our discipline can ask peers for guidance on their upcoming exams. There are other events within the faculty we promote, like the Defining Cognitive Science (DCS) Talks, hosted by Dr. Paul Tupper, our current director in our faculty.

Currently, we have big ambitions to host an interdisciplinary collaborative event called, "The Singularity", whereby students across different faculties come together for an open-discussion on the topic of Transhumanism. What is Transhumanism you might ask? Well, have you ever pondered about the inevitability of computers to be integrated with the human body in the near future? The Singularity event will encourage students to openly discuss about those concerns, moving forward from the human augmentation of cellphones and computers. 

4. Aside from the Cognitive Science Student Society, what other programs/initiatives are you involved with on campus?

Aside from CS^3 this semester, I am a part of the Grappling club. In the past, I have been a part of Chinese Link, and Passport to Leadership (P2L) 1&2 program.