Ileana Andrade
Hello and welcome to my digital portfolio!
I'm Ileana Andrade, a transfer student beginning my junior year at SDSU. I'm majoring in psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience.
I am interested in pursuing a career focused on research. I love learning about how the brain works, and I plan to center my career on developmental and neuropsychology. My research interests center on autism in females assigned at birth, a group that is often underepresented in autism research. I hope to contribute to a more inclusive research in the psychological field.
To learn more about me, head over to the "About me" page.
About Me
I’m Ileana Andrade, a transfer student from Southwestern College in Chula Vista. I am a proud first generation Mexican American student. As of Fall 2025 I am a junior at SDSU, majoring in psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience.
At SDSU, I am part of the NextGen Smoke and Vape Free Latinx scholars program. The NextGen program has played a significant role in my life. I had never envisioned myself to be where I currently am but through this program it has allowed me to transfer to SDSU and has opened many opportunities for my academic career.
Through the NextGen program, I have had the opportunity to intern at the Center for Tobacco and the Environment, where I was able to create and lead my own research project, which focused on third-hand smoke exposure on public transportation within the San Diego Blue Line trolley. This project allowed me to work close to my community since I am a San Diego native, examining thirdhand smoke in a public environment meant that I would be giving back to my community since many different identities travel through the San Diego trolley.
Through the NextGen program I have learned what research can look like and it has made me realize that I would like to continue my career in research. I found it fascinating to see how scientists and researchers can communicate their work and educate their work to the general public.
At Southwestern College, I was involved with Phi Theta Kappa which is an honor society for two year colleges. Being part of PTK allowed me to serve as Vice President of the College Project. As Vice President, I met one on one with college administrators to collaborate on initiatives that supported our student community. One of our main projects that we worked on was creating a third space on campus for students, which would become a welcoming environment where students could recharge and connect with each other. Another organization that I was part of was Psi Beta, this is an honor society for community college students who are interested in psychology. Within this organization I was the treasurer. This role helped me develop my marketing and outreach skills, as I usually would promote the club and events that we offered to our student community.
A long term professional goal of mine is to study the brain. I am interested in learning how our biological internal factors influence our behaviors. There is also so much there is to learn about the brain there are many theories that can be proven to be true and learning about how each structure works and how they all are interconnected is what drives my interest in brain development. I want to eventually become a developmental psychologist who researches autism within females, which are often underrepresented in autism research and a lot about what individuals think about what autism is, is based on behaviors that males present.
Resume
SKILLS
● Knowledgeable in statistical analysis software, including SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences) and Microsoft Excel.
● Completed courses in physiological, abnormal, and developmental psychology, with general
knowledge relevant to behavioral therapy and psychology.
● Bilingual, fluent in Spanish.
EDUCATION
San Diego State University, San Diego, CA Expected May 2027
B.A. Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience
Southwestern College, Chula Vista, CA May 2025
A.A. Psychology
WORK EXPERIENCE
Research Intern
Center for Tobacco and the Environment, San Diego, CA June 2025 - August 2025
● Designed and conducted an independent research project on third-hand smoke exposure in public
transportation settings.
● Collected and analyzed behavioral and environmental data to determine nicotine residue exposure.
● Developed skills in research design, data collection, and ethical compliance in human subjects
research.
● Completed CITI Program training in biosafety, bloodborne pathogens/human sourced materials,
social and behavioral research, and information privacy/security.
Behavior Interventionist May 2024 - December 2024
Intercare Therapy, San Diego, CA
● Provided one-on-one support to children with autism and other developmental disorders using
evidence-based applied behavioral analysis strategies.
● Implemented individualized behavior intervention plans to promote skill acquisition
● Collected and recorded behavioral data to monitor client progress and adjust interventions.
VOLUNTEER/LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Vice President of the College Project, Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society October 2023 - May
2025
● Volunteered at our resource center, providing one-on-one support to individuals with their
personal problems, providing necessary guidance and resources.
● Designed and implemented a project with the school's administrators to support the student
community.
Treasurer, Psi Beta Honors Society for Psychology January 2023- May 2025
● Coordinated community outreach programs aimed at promoting mental health awareness and
providing support for individuals in need.
Skills & Tools
User Research
Wireframing/Prototyping
Interaction Design
Responsive Web Design
Collaborative: During the Summer, I was able to collaborate with my mentors to create the project of thirdhandsmoke within the public setting, which meant that I had to learn how to apply their current knowledge and methodology to this specific setting.
Languages
English
Spanish
French
Education & Certificates
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Bachelor of Fine Arts in User Experience Design — 2016
Google UX Design Certificate
August 2022
Projects
