Flat map of Earth viewed at night

Ariana Thornton

Class of 2029
photo of Ariana
Bio 

Hi there! Welcome to my page. My name is Ariana, I'm a '29, and I want to build solutions to climate problems. I grew up in the DC metro area and Dartmouth has become my home away from home. When I'm not attending class or participating in programs at the Irving Institute or Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship, you can find me reading voraciously or hanging out with friends at Foco Late Night. I hope my blog can give you a vision of the abundant opportunities available to Dartmouth students!

Academic Program 

Intended Major in Cognitive Science, Minors in Human-Centered Design and Digital Arts

Favorite Thing Right Now 

Collis smoothies <3

Hometown 

Gaithersburg, MD

Pronouns 

she/her

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Ariana's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: COGS 1: Introduction to Cognitive Science

      This course was a fantastic, whirlwind introduction to the field of cognitive science, which is the interdisciplinary study of the mind as an information processor. This field incorporates psychology, computer science, neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics. I loved how each lecture covered something new, with topics ranging from neurological disorders and optical illusions to language learning, moral decision-making, and AI. This course was fast-paced, yet fun and laidback – I liked that my professor played upbeat music before class and included memes in his presentations. It was fascinating to get a crash course in what makes people tick. I came away knowing a lot more about how we think, what influences our perception, and what happens when the mind breaks. I’m excited to continue exploring the cognitive science program!

The mentors are fantastic: computer science and AI at Dartmouth with John Guerrerio '26

Student Interview: John Guerrerio '26 on AI Research at Dartmouth
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Read on to learn about a computer science student's journey in AI and the positive influence his professors have had on his growth!

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Posted 05/1/2026 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts