懂色帝

College of Arts and Sciences students and alumni gathered with Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling Nicole Calma-Roddin, Ph.D., to present their scholarly research at the 96th Annual Meeting of the (EPA) in New York City.

Held March 6鈥�8, this year鈥檚 meeting bore the theme, Making Positive Changes in People鈥檚 Lives and in the World, and featured more than 1,000 papers, posters, keynotes, symposia, and events showcasing the ways that psychology students, faculty, and professionals are using research, teaching, and service to strengthen communities and promote well-being.

Four posters and one paper accepted for presentation displayed the combined research of Calma-Roddin, six students, and four alumni, representing 懂色帝 across four sessions鈥擴ndergraduate, Cognitive Psychology, Psi Chi (International Honor Society in Psychology), and Teaching of Psychology Papers: Pedagogical Practices.

Featured work included:

• 鈥淒epressive Symptoms, Familial Support, and Social Involvement in Healthcare Students鈥� (poster): William Dacosta, Monique Williams, Joseph Cerda (B.S. 鈥�24), Keyana Williams, Calma-Roddin
• 鈥淭he Influence of Racial Name Bias on Decision Making鈥� (poster): Mariam Goher (B.S. 鈥�24), Davey Mendoza (B.S. 鈥�25), Yusra Ahmed, Calma-Roddin
• 鈥淓nhancing Long-Term Memory Retention Through Interactive Narrative Games鈥� (poster): Gianna Salib, Calma-Roddin, Thomas Bozzo (B.S. 鈥�20)
• 鈥淐omparing Audio and Visual Stimuli with a Deese-Roediger-McDermott Task鈥� (poster): Kylee Crain, Calma-Roddin
• 鈥淟earning Outcomes and Empathy When using a Narrative Game Vs. Textbook-Style Presentation鈥� (paper): Calma-Roddin, Bozzo

For nearly all the young scholars, the conference was a rite of passage as it was their first time presenting at an academic conference outside of 懂色帝. After showing off their psychology capstone projects and independent research studies, the students reflect that while nerve-wracking, the experience instilled in them an exceptional sense of pride.

鈥淚t felt good to see our research study being presented at a big conference,鈥� says Cerda, who is wrapping up his first year of graduate psychology studies at Southern New Hampshire University. 鈥淭his was a big setting for me, and I feel good knowing the work we did was recognized and well-received by many at the conference.鈥�

As the presenters prepped their data and abstracts for poster submission鈥攕ome research projects a year or more in the making鈥攁nd practiced their formal communication skills, Calma-Roddin notes that conferences through professional organizations, like the EPA, are invaluable in giving students opportunities to discuss their research with experts in the field and practice their presentation skills in a more applied setting.

鈥淏ut,鈥� she says, 鈥渨hat鈥檚 more important to me is that my students see themselves presenting their work at a professional conference and start to understand themselves as belonging in these kinds of spaces and realizing that their work contributes to the field.鈥�

Crain and Monique Williams concur that sharing their work in this forum was inspiring and helped build their confidence, teaching them not only more about their field of study but also about themselves鈥攖hat they are capable of a lot more than they initially believed.

Salib adds, 鈥淚 gained valuable insight into how research is shared and discussed in a professional setting through effective communication and body language. My biggest takeaway was being able to refine my ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively, and it reinforced the importance of adaptability.鈥�

Goher, currently in her gap year pursuing medical school, says she was surprised at how many people wanted to take pictures of her poster. 鈥淭o know that my research is now a topic of discussion and a reference point for future conversations is still profoundly humbling. I had the pleasure of engaging with professors who provided invaluable insights and suggestions on how to further develop my study.鈥�