15
FALL/WINTER 2026
TODAY, SHIRLEY WANG '17 runs her own
psychology research lab as an assistant
professor at Yale University, where she
builds computational models to under-
stand how mental health problems develop
and change over time. She also mentors
the next generation of scientists.
Before that came a PhD from Harvard
and a recognition on Forbes' 2024 list of
30 Under 30 in Healthcare.
The roots of Wang 's career stretch back
to an undergraduate classroom at TCNJ.
When she arrived at the college in 2013,
Wang was a first-year student with
wide-ranging interests in math, statistics,
psychology, and medicine — and no idea
that research would eventually become
central to both her career and her identity
as a scientist. Her introduction
to that world came during psychology
professor John Ruscio's stats course.
Wang loved the class. She came early,
stayed late, and lingered to explore the
ideas discussed. Her professor noticed.
Shirley Wang '17 (standing)
with her lab students at Yale
