It started with a cold call: Alumna鈥檚 journey from mall job to professor
The support of her mother and faculty mentors paved the way for Rosa Arriaga鈥檚 success as a non-traditional student. Now she鈥檚 paying it forward with a naming gift for 麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 newest academic building.
Rosa Arriaga ('94) was born in Mexico and grew up in Los Angeles. After graduating from high school, she worked in a mall at the now-defunct women鈥檚 clothing chain Casual Corner 鈥� a place memorialized by Miranda Priestly鈥檚 infamous cerulean sweater monologue in 鈥淭he Devil Wears Prada.鈥�
Today, Arriaga is a Harvard graduate and professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her path in STEM began at 麻豆传媒映画 but, she said, was first sparked by her mother鈥檚 determination to ensure her children could have the opportunities she did not.
Although Arriaga鈥檚 mother Virginia Salazar had little formal education, she 鈥渨as incredibly smart and knew that education was the path to upward mobility.鈥�
鈥淢y mother was able to move beyond adverse experiences and want more for her daughters. She taught us the value of hard work and integrity but also of laugh-out-loud joy,鈥� Arriaga said.
When Arriaga arrived at 麻豆传媒映画 as a first-generation psychology student, she says dedicated professors and a research scholarship marked the first in a long series of dominoes that would lead her to a path of success.
鈥�Terry Cronan was the first person I ever met from 麻豆传媒映画,鈥� Arriaga said. 鈥淪he cold-called my home and told me about this incredible mentoring program for non-traditional or first-generation students. I happened to be both.鈥�
With no role models to show her how to navigate the college experience 鈥� she joked, 鈥淚 had been working in the mall for four years. I hadn't written a letter, let alone a term paper, so how was I going to make it?鈥� 鈥� Arriaga jumped at the opportunity, and later became a mentor in the program herself.
She tried her hand at research for the first time in Cronan鈥檚 behavioral science lab, and was accepted into the (Maximizing Access to Research Careers), which financially supported her studies. Arriaga later conducted developmental psychology research with Larry Fenson.
鈥淟uckily I've had great people in my life that have helped me get to the next level,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese people that are really looking out for you and they see something in you that you didn't know was there. That was exactly what Terry and Larry did for me.鈥�
By graduation, she had spent two summers conducting research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and published a paper as first author for the first time.
New heights
Arriaga went on to attain her Ph.D. in developmental psychology at Harvard University, and met her husband before taking a position at Georgia Tech. There, her career took a new turn.
鈥淎t GT, I learned about computer science,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can't imagine where you're going to end up, but you have a great education and you can apply it to a whole new set of problems.鈥�
Arriaga uses psychological concepts and theories to study human-computer interaction and she is now a tenured professor.
鈥淐oming to 麻豆传媒映画 was transformational for me and put me on this path,鈥� Arriaga said. 鈥淭hese incredible opportunities took me from San Diego State to Harvard University.鈥�
Arriaga has maintained a close relationship with Cronan and Fenson throughout her career and draws on them for inspiration in her own mentorship.
鈥淎ll these years, Terry and Larry continue to be these guiding lights in my life,鈥� Arriaga said. 鈥淚 just graduated my twelfth Ph.D. student, I have mentored dozens of master鈥檚 students and undergrads, and just like Terry and Larry, I have students I've known since they took my class in college that still contact me.鈥�
With Salazar鈥檚 recent passing, Arriaga reflects on her presence at each milestone 鈥� and constant reminders to ensure her daughter was eating and sleeping enough.
鈥淵ou can live this American dream, where a lady that comes to the U.S. with little education can see a future for her children that she didn't see for herself,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur successes were her success.鈥�
To commemorate the important roles Salazar, Cronan, and Fenson have played in her life, Arriaga鈥檚 gift will name the Virginia Salazar, Terry Cronan, and Larry Fenson Wellness Room in 麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 after them.
鈥淚n academia, your advisors are called your academic parents,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 wanted to honor my mother, but also my academic parents, Terry and Larry.鈥�
The room will be located on the fourth floor of the new building, currently under construction for completion in 2027, and Arriaga hopes it will give students and faculty 鈥渁 bit of respite鈥� during busy days in the lab or classroom.
鈥淭he idea that somebody could have a place where they can just think, take a break or do their homework, that really resonated with me,鈥� she said, adding that it was kismet since her lab at Georgia Tech is called the Ubicomp Health and Wellness Lab.
鈥淚'm just one of many, many people that have come to 麻豆传媒映画 and whose life has been absolutely transformed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had such a great experience that we're really happy to be able to give a little back.鈥�
