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Rita Barakat is an Assistant Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. She focuses on educating and mentoring students from diverse academic backgrounds and lived experiences, with an emphasis on increasing the representation of historically underrepresented individuals in STEM disciplines. Dr. Barakat teaches undergraduate courses in cell biology, human physiology, neurobiology, and cognitive science for both majors and non-majors, as well as graduate students. Her research interests lie in investigating the bilingual advantage hypothesis through cognitive tasks. With a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from USC and a BA in Molecular Cellular Biology from UC Berkeley, she is committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment and actively serves on several departmental and university-wide committees. Barakat is a member of the Biological Sciences Laboratory Safety Committee and the Neurobiology Section Executive Committee, and has contributed guest lectures to various courses.
University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA
Teaching undergraduate courses and mentoring students.
University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA
Instructing various courses and engaging in departmental service.
GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.