Ian Olasov '08

A Bard High School Early College graduate, Ian Olasov found his Bard College studies taking a surprising turn when he discovered psychology. He had arrived in Annandale expecting to concentrate in philosophy—as his father, now a lawyer, had done in college. “I barely knew a thing about psychology when I got here,” Olasov says. “I don’t know why, but I decided to take two psych classes.” That decision could have been triggered by his reading of famed British philosopher Bertrand Russell, who predicted in the mid-20th century that philosophers would need to become familiar with scientific methods and results to make progress in their own discipline.

As a result, Olasov graduated with a double major in philosophy and psychology, with Senior Projects focusing on semantics (philosophy) and tools for studying states of consciousness (psychology). “We can use psychology and neuroscience to explore aspects of our mental lives, but we need philosophy to explain what we’ve really found,” says Olasov, who has applied to graduate schools for philosophy, “though I wouldn’t mind doing psychology experiments until I die.”

Ultimately, he wants to teach: not surprising, considering that he began teaching Hebrew studies at Brooklyn synagogues when he was 14. His other interests include playing recorder in a rock band, HongKongathon (with fellow Bardian Sam Brodsky ’08). Somehow, it’s all related to philosophy for Olasov. “I’ve managed to squeeze every ounce of education out of that program that I could,” he chuckles. “It rewards people who push for it.”