Faculty and students visited Greensburg to discuss current research and projects with their peers.
“Seeing one’s peers engage in professional research and present their work can help other students see what is possible at the undergraduate level and inspire them to do similar types of experiential learning,” says Stephanie Wilsey, Ph.D., director of the undergraduate psychology program at Carlow University.
For this reason, Carlow’s undergraduate psychology faculty accompanied a group of students to the University of Pittsburgh—Greensburg to attend the Laurel Highlands Undergraduate Psychology Conference on April 23rd.
Jennifer Roth, Ph.D., a Carlow faculty member, gave the keynote, titled “Brain Networks for Working Memory and How to Improve Performance.”
The other presenters at the event were undergraduate students.
“Carlow psychology students do engage in independent research as well as collaborate with faculty on research, and this was another forum for students to present their work and receive positive feedback from faculty and students in the greater Pittsburgh area,” Wilsey says.
Haley Pritchard a junior undergraduate psychology major, presented a technical poster based on research, in collaboration with Dr. Roth, regarding the effects of various lifestyle choices on working memory.
“Everyone there was really nice and supportive,” Pritchard says. “I used to dread doing research before I went though this whole process. Now my mindset has changed completely, and I look forward to doing more in the future. I definitely gained a deeper sense of respect for the field than I already had.”
The attendees from Carlow included the four full-time undergraduate faculty members from the Psychology Department and five students. In addition to Pritchard, the other Carlow students who attended the conference were Andrew Adolphson, Carloyn Jooste, Candice Moxie, and Ashlie Roward.
Wilsey adds: “Carlow students attending the event indicated that they came away with a sense that research conferences can be fun; their attendance demystified these types of experiences for them and helped them to see this kind of professional engagement in a very positive light.”
See the undergraduate offerings in Carlow’s Department of Psychology.