“When I came to school, my goal was to be a clinician, but getting involved in research has opened my eyes to how exciting it can be,” said Vivian Austin,(’27, psychology) an undergraduate majoring in psychology.

Austin was presenting her poster on Thursday at the 47^th Psi Chi Convention for the Behavioral Sciences, highlighting undergraduate engagement in research. She found that parents' emotional states regulate – and even predict – infant sleep quality. 

She’s been a research assistant for the past two years in the lab of Janet Frick, associate professor of psychology with the behavioral and brain sciences program, and set out on this independent project for her honor thesis. She applied for four grants and received all of them for a total of $4,500 to put toward the study. Now, she said, her interest in research has spurred her to think about pursuing a career in academia, with a focus on clinical psychology or neuropsychology. 

Just a few feet away, Priscilla Asamoah, ('27 biomedical physiology) (l. in photo) and Jemsy Mariam James (r.), ('27 psychology), were talking about their data that showed when employees disclosed a chronic health condition, stigma in the workplace increased and their privacy decreased. Asamoah is looking to leverage the research experience in preparation for medical school, and James wants to pursue a master’s program in organizational psychology. 

In the end, Austin won for Best Poster for another project on gauging the ability of people with an increased risk of psychosis to recall autobiographical memories. This study was an outgrowth of her work in another lab, the Clinical Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, since this past summer. 

The other winners are Sofia Ferrucci, ('26 psychology), for a poster on maternal mindfulness, and Syada Hasan ('26 psychology and sociology), for best oral presentation on a project on how prospective pre-med students pivot to other careers after failing to gain admittance to medical school. 

Psi Chi is an international honors society that seeks to encourage excellence in scholarship, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology.