Class of 2026: Ella Reitmeier turns her passion for advocacy into research

Name: Ella Reitmeier

College: College of Science

Major: Dual degrees in psychology and cognitive and behavioral neuroscience with a minor in peace studies and social justice

Plans after graduation: Pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of North Texas

Favorite Hokie memory: Watching the women’s basketball team play in Cassell Coliseum during the NCAA tournament

Leaving her mark

Every year, selecting the Outstanding Senior in the College of Science is a challenge for the curriculum committee. Each of the college’s 11 departments and units submits its top student for consideration, each nominee fully deserving of recognition as an outstanding senior.

But when two departments within the college nominate the same student, it indicates that maybe this student – in this case, Reitmeier – really does stand out among the rest.

Put forward by both the Department of Psychology and the School of Neuroscience, Reitmeier has certainly proven herself in the classroom. A member of the Honors College, she has managed a perfect GPA while pursuing dual degrees in psychology and cognitive and behavioral neuroscience as well as minoring in peace studies and social justice.

In addition to being an outstanding researcher – she has worked as a research assistant in the Research for Alcohol and Couples Health (REACH) Lab – Reitmeier has demonstrated her leadership through campus organizations, serving as co-director of Scientista at Virginia Tech and the president of the local chapter of Help Save the Next Girl.

Finding the perfect research fit

Reitmeier first became involved with Help Save the Next Girl after stumbling into a booth at Gobblerfest, Virginia Tech’s annual involvement fair. She was already somewhat familiar with the organization after reading information about it online, and its mission – sexual and gender-based violence prevention – is a topic that she is passionate about.

“It’s been cool to be a part of and lead conversations around topics that people don’t necessarily like to talk about,” said Reitmeier. “Being able to participate in events like the Sexual Assault Awareness Month launch event with the Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education and getting to partner with the Women's Resource Center of the New River Valley and other organizations both on- and off-campus has been great.”

Reitmeier’s involvement with Help Save the Next Girl also set the stage for her research activities. Meagan Brem, assistant psychology professor and director of the REACH Lab, attended a Help Save the Next Girl event to talk about her work. The talk introduced possibilities that Reitmeier never knew existed, namely that research could be applied to solve the problems that she was so passionate about.

“Sexual violence has been a topic I’ve been interested in from an advocacy and prevention standpoint, and it just didn’t occur to me that was something you could do research on too,” she said.

Reitmeier joined the REACH Lab, which investigates the co-occurrence of alcohol use — and other substances — and intimate partner and sexual violence. In addition to assisting with various studies, she has served as the project coordinator for a National Institutes of Health-funded study examining the relationship between alcohol use, stress, and intimate partner conflicts on a day-to-day level as opposed to over time.

Her research will continue in a similar vein at the University of North Texas, where she will join a lab that studies alcohol-facilitated sexual violence as she pursues her Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Finding community

Reitmeier has made the most of her time at Virginia Tech, excelling both in and out of the classroom. But if not for receiving a full scholarship, she may never have become a Hokie.

A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Reitmeier applied to schools throughout North Carolina and Virginia, not certain of what path she wanted to take. Although she enjoyed her initial tour of Virginia Tech, it was “out-of-state and expensive,” so she wasn’t sure it would be the right place for her.

Fortunately, Reitmeier was awarded the Stamps Scholarship, a multi-year scholarship that enables students to pursue their educational interests while developing their leadership skills. Stamps Scholars receive funding for four years to cover the estimated cost of attendance, which include tuition, fees, room, and board, along with an enrichment fund for experiential learning opportunities.

“I’ve used the enrichment fund to go to conferences and do a spring break study abroad, as well as a service project with the Women’s Resource Center,” said Reitmeier. “It’s allowed me to pursue opportunities that I might not have been able to otherwise.”

While it was the scholarship that enabled Reitmeier to attend Virginia Tech, it was the campus community that inspired her to make Blacksburg her home.

“Coming to campus and experiencing how welcoming everyone was, it felt like people actually wanted me to be here and cared about telling why I should choose Virginia Tech,” said Reitmeier.

“There was a feeling of community when I came back, and that really stood out to me.”