PURC
Conference Info and Winners
Conference Poster Winners and Conference Speakers
Overall Winners
1st Place 2022: Kylie Szymanski for “Associations Between Task-Switching and Adaptive Behavior Outcomes In Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumor”
2nd Place 2022: Naveen Thourani for “Relationships Among White Matter Hyperintensities and Cognitive Flexibility Performance in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Cerebellar Tumors”
3rd Place 2022: Kathleen Friedlein for “Prospective and Retrospective Metacognitive Judgments by Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta)”
1st Place 2019
2nd Place 2019
3rdPlace 2019
1st place 2017
2nd Place 2017
3rd Place 2017
1st Place 2016
2nd Place 2016
3rd Place 2016
1st Place 2015
2nd Place 2015
3rd Place 2015
1st Place 2014
2nd Place 2014
3rd Place 2014
1st Place 2013
2nd Place 2013
3rd Place 2013
Diversity Winners
Diversity 2019
Diversity 2018 Moore
Diversity 2018 Packard
Diversity 2017
Diversity 2016
Diversity 2015
Diversity 2014
Diversity 2013
Neuroscience Winners
Neuroscience 2019
Neuroscience 2018
Neuroscience 2017
Neuroscience 2016
Neuroscience 2015
Neuroscience 2014
Neuroscience 2013
November 12, 2021
November 13, 2020 |
V-PURC took place on-line for the second time due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 23 oral presentations. Sawyer Adams (co-authors Arias, Ezenna, & Walker, and faculty sponsor Ciara Smalls-Glover) won first place overall for their presentation, “Racial Coping and Family Social Support in Black College Students.” Katie Basford’s presentation “Symbol Learning to Guide Relational Abstraction in Adults and Children” took second place (co-authors Paniagua, Sanchez, & Church, faculty sponsor David Smith). Ryan Garland and Heather Patton jointly presented “Applying an Apriori Classification Model to Evaluate Efficacy of Aviophobia Treatments to Reduce Intense Situational Fear” and won third place (faculty sponsor Page Anderson). Maria Parilla won the Neuroscience Award for her presentation, “Sleep Quality and Executive Function in a Diverse Sample of Healthy College Students” (co-author Kautiainen and faculty sponsor Tricia King). Keneisha John’s presentation, “Resting state Brain Networks' Connectivity and Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenia” (faculty sponsor Jessica Turner) received the Neuroscience runner-up award. Sawyer Adams (co-authors Arias, Ezenna, & Walker, and faculty sponsor Ciara Smalls-Glover) won the Diversity Award for their presentation, “Racial Coping and Family Social Support in Black College Students” and Maria Parilla won the runner-up Neuroscience Award for her presentation, “Sleep Quality and Executive Function in a Diverse Sample of Healthy College Students” (co-author Kautiainen and faculty sponsor Tricia King). Psi Chi, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Psychology Department sponsored this event.
PURC was presented entirely on-line for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and became known as V-PURC (virtual-PURC). There were fourteen oral presentations. Heather Patton (co-authors Gade and Ellis and faculty sponsor Page Anderson) won first place overall for her presentation, “An Examination of the Relationship between Religiosity, Spirituality, and Attitudes toward Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.” Kyla Brannigan’s presentation, “Self-reported Vividness of Visual and Auditory Imagery is not Correlated with Resting-state Network Activity” took second place. Faculty sponsors were Jessica Turner and Heather Offutt. Neami Tedla (co-authors Steinberg, Hecht, & Robins; faculty sponsor Tricia King) won the Neuroscience award for her presentation, “White Matter Integrity Associated with Empathy: A DTI-based Study.” Keianna Moyer (co-authors Packard & Sheikh; faculty sponsor Sierra Carter) received the Diversity award for her presentation, “Examining the Relationship Between Race-related Stress, Private Regard, & Depression in an Urban, African American Community Sample.” |
October 25, 2019 |
Professor Emeritus Dr. David Washburn gave a talk entitled “Psychological Well-Being from the Standpoint of a Monkey.” There were 50 GSU student posters and one from UGA. Humza Baig (co-authors Arrington, Harrington, & Krishnamurthy and faculty sponsor Robin Morris) won the overall first place and the neuroscience awards. Hillary Ortiz (co-authors McQuarrie, Ronkin, & Murphy and sponsored by Erin Tone) took the second place overall award. Tobi Quadri (co-author Semmel and sponsored by Tricia King) won the third place overall award. Syrina Merilan (co-authors Gonzalez-Ortiz, Galvez, Brooks, & Limia; faculty sponsor Seyda Özçalışkan) won the Diversity award. |
October 26, 2018 |
Dr. Stephen Nowicki returned to deliver again his successful talk on “Hedgehogs, Foxes, and Other Essentials for Research Success.” There were 42 student posters. Tamika Spiess (co-author Singh and faculty sponsor Chris Conway) won the overall award. Aja Woods (co-authors Woods, Little, Dean, and Angel; faculty sponsor Ciara Glover) took second place. Third place went to Tanya Panwala (co-authors Fox and Tucker; faculty sponsor Tricia King). Mykala Jeter (co-author Arrington; faculty sponsor Robin Morris) won the neuroscience award. Two presenters shared the diversity award: Renita Moore (co-author Hale, faculty sponsor Kuperminc) and Grace Packard (co-authors Taylor, Peraltilla, Ellis, and Abbott; faculty sponsor Page Anderson). |
October 27, 2017 |
Dr. Drew Appleby, professor emeritus of IUPUI, gave a talk titled “Can Undergraduate Research Prepare Students to Enter the Job Market?” There were 38 student posters. Caleb Truscott (co-authors Sosnowski & Tomeo and faculty sponsor Sarah Brosnan) won the overall first place award. Naimah Daniels (co-authors Patel & Borman and faculty sponsor Kevin Swartout) won the second place award. The third place overall winner was Grace Mirabito (co-authors Taiwo & Bezdek and faculty sponsor Sharee Light). The neuroscience award went to Shivany Patel (co-authors Whylings and Fullerton and faculty sponsor Geert de Vries) and the diversity award went to Jeannette Soledad Lopez (co-author Clevinger and faculty sponsor Heather Kleider-Offtut). |
2016 October |
October 28, 2016. Dr. Andrew Kazama from Emory University gave a talk titled “Developing Passion for Research: Thinking Outside the (Checked) Box.” There were 22 student posters. Martin Estates won the first place overall award (co-author Gray and sponsor Erin Tully). Tamika Crane won the second place overall award (co-author Ross and sponsored by Chris Conway). The third place overall award went to the poster by Kendrick King, Thompson, & Molloy, sponsored by Erin Tone and Jessica Turner. The Neuroscience award went to Tamika Crane (sponsor Chris Conway) and the Diversity award went to Sonia Jamani (sponsors Barbara Church and David Smith). Psi Chi and the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience co-sponsored the conference along with the Psychology Department. |
2015 October |
October 30, 2015. Dr. Angela Laird from Florida International University gave a talk entitled “‘Big data’ Approaches for Developing Neurocognitive Models of Brain Function.” There were 51 student posters. Nadia Quyyum (co-authors Clark, Ahmadi, and faculty sponsor Jessica Turner) won the overall first place award. Lauren Sargent (faculty advisor Rob Latzman) won the second place award. Yamini Patel (co-author Hrabic and faculty sponsor Becky Williamson) received the third place award. Geraldo Valdez (co-author Smith and faculty sponsor Chris Conway) took the CBN neuroscience award and Ashley Lauterbach (co-author Deocampo and faculty sponsor Chris Conway) won the diversity award. Psi Chi, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Program co-sponsored PURC. |
2014 October |
October 31, 2014. Dr. Stephen Nowicki Jr. from Emory University gave a talk entitled "Hedgehogs, Foxes, and Other Essentials for Research Success.” There were 38 student posters. Jessica Snellings (co-authors Ahmadi, Barbosa, Persichetti, Pommy, Turner, & Bogenschutz; faculty sponsor Jessica Turner) won the top overall award and the CBN neuroscience award. Sarah Vogt (co-authors Arnold, B.S., Griggers, W.R., & Donohue, M.R.; faculty sponsor Erin Tully) won the second place overall award, and Sanjay Pardasani (co-authors Valdez, G.E., Smith, G., & Frishkoff, G.A.; faculty sponsor Chris Conway) took third for the overall award. Van Phan (co-author Khatib; faculty sponsor Winnie Chan) won the diversity award. Psi Chi, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Clinical Psychology program sponsored the conference. |
2013 October |
October 25, 2013. Dr. Deborah Jones from UNC Chapel Hill gave a talk entitled "Bridging the Gap between the Classroom and the Lab: Engaging Undergraduates for a Richer and more Rewarding Program of Research.” There were 34 student posters. The top overall prize was won by Nicholas Bello (faculty sponsor Gwen Frishkoff). Kim Braunsworth (faculty sponsor Rebecca Williamson) won second place and Alexandra Duncan (faculty sponsor Gabe Kuperminc) won third place. Morgan Mosley (faculty sponsor Nancy Forger) won the CBN neuroscience award and Hadrian Mendoza (faculty sponsor Aki Masuda) won the Diversity Award. Psi Chi, Center for Behavior Neuroscience, and the Clinical Psychology program sponsored the conference. |
2012 October |
October 26, 2012 Dr. Laura Kohn-Wood gave a talk entitled “Knowledge is Power: Why it is Important to be Involved in Undergraduate Research.” Dr. Kohn-Wood is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami. There were 31 student posters. The top overall prize was awarded to Omid Midanaky (faculty sponsor Gwen Frishkoff). Luke Shin won second place and Makeda Moore (faculty sponsor Diana Robins) won third place. The CBN Neuroscience top award went to G. Taylor Brooks (faculty sponsor Gwen Frishkoff) and the Diversity award was given to Damla Corekli (faculty sponsor Seyda Ozcaliskan). The conference was sponsored by Psi Chi, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Community Psychology Program. |
2011 October |
October 28th, 2011. Dr. Robert Hampton gave a talk titled “Learning Who Is Boss: Social Skills for Monkeys”. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Emory and Associate Research Professor of Psychobiology at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He is an affiliate of Emory’s Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology undergraduate program. 39 students presented posters, and five were selected for top honors. Overall first place was awarded to Alyssa Ailion (Tricia King, faculty sponsor), Pedro del Valle (Rebecca Williamson, sponsor) won second place, and Ashley Watson won third place (Marise Parent, faculty sponsor). The CBN poster award went to Zena McCarthy (Gwen Frishkoff, faculty sponsor), and the Diversity award went to Alesha Bond (Heather Kleider, faculty sponsor). PURC was sponsored by the Psychology department, Psi Chi, and the GSU Second Century Initiative in Primate Social Cognition, Evolution, and Behavior. |
2010 October |
October 22nd, 2010. Dr. Deborah South Richardson gave a talk titled “Research on Everyday Aggression: Personal Experience Leads to Research Questions.” Dr. Richardson is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Augusta State University, where she also serves as Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. She has recently been appointed to an adjunct professorship in the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia, where she serves as Director of the Educational Research Fellowship through the Education Discovery Institute. 44 students presented posters, and five were selected for top honors. Overall first place was awarded to Mirjana Ivanisevic (Tricia King, faculty sponsor), Alyssa Ailion (Tricia King, sponsor) won second place, and Kristen Nielsen won third place (Robert Latzman, faculty sponsor). The CBN poster award went to Evan Werstler (B Ford, faculty sponsor), and the Diversity award went to Amanda Culver (Tracie Stewart, faculty sponsor). PURC was sponsored by the Psychology department, Psi Chi, and the Emory Center for Injury Control. |
2009 October |
October 30th, 2009. Dr. Laura Namy (Emory University) gave a talk titled "How Undergraduates Make Research Better: Tales from the Language and Learning Lab." She received her undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Psychology from Indiana University. She completed her doctorate in Cognitive Psychology at Northwestern University in 1998 and has been at Emory ever since. Her research focuses on word learning, symbolic development and conceptual development. 33 students presented posters, and five were selected for top honors. Overall first place was awarded to Shawn Sheehan (Akihiko Masuda, faculty sponsor), Johnny Garretson (Aras Petrulis, sponsor) won second place, and Kelly Minor won third place (Rihanna Williams, faculty sponsor). The CBN poster award went to Brett Young (Marise Parent, faculty sponsor), and the Diversity award went to Alice Barrett (Scott Weaver, faculty sponsor). PURC was sponsored by the Psychology department, Psi Chi, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Language and Learning Initiative. |
2008 November |
November 5, 2008. Dr. Roger K. R. Thompson (Franklin and Marshall College) is the Dr. E. Paul & Frances H. Reiff Professor of Psychology and Biological Foundations of Behavior at F&M, and is one of the world's leading authorities on animal minds. Overall first place was awarded to Cedric Dortch (Rihana Williams, faculty sponsors), Melissa Nikolic (Diana Robins, sponsor) won second place, and third place went to Michael Williams. The CBN poster award went to Bethany Bagley, and Leon Silvers (Julia Perilla, sponsor) received the Best Diversity Poster award. |
2007 November |
November 2, 2007, Understanding Psychopathology, Dr. Terry D. Blumenthal, Wake Forest University |
2007 April |
March 30, 2007, Exploring the Developing Mind, Dr. Ralph Radach, Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University |
2006 | Friday, April 7, 2006, The Social Mind and Social Brain, Dr. Sam Gaertner, Professor of Social Psychology, The University of Delaware. "Corporate mergers and acquisitions, organizational consolidation, desegregation, and second marriages are but a few examples of a frequently occurring social phenomenon: The merger of two or more groups into one organizational structure. Professor Gaertner's work in both field and laboratory settings examines how intergroup relations across diverse settings such as these can be conducted more smoothly and effectively. Professor Gaertner's research, at a theoretical level, concerns the development of intergroup unity, which involves connectedness and cohesiveness between the memberships within a merged group structure. It is hypothesized that inducing the memberships of these groups to conceive of the aggregate as a single entity enables their relationship to benefit from their common in group identity." |
2005 | Dr. Michael J. Kuhar of Emory University, is a world-reknown scholar whose research focuses on drug receptors, neurotransmitters, and their involvement in therapeutics and disease. In addition to his role as the Chief of the Division of Neuroscience at the the Yerkes Regional Primate Center here in Atlanta, Dr. Kuhar has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to science by being named Charles Howard Candler Professor at the Emory School of Medicine and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. |
2004 | Third Annual PURC at GSU – “Diversity in Psychology”; student poster presentations and juried paper presentations; practicum and graduate students panels; alumni panel; professional roundtable; keynote speaker; workshops on preparing for graduate school, resume writing, interviewing, networking Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Woolard, Psychology Professor, Georgetown University |
2003 | Second Annual PURC at GSU; 69 student poster presentations, including 12 by students from other schools (Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, Emory, UGA); practicum and graduate students panels; alumni panel; professional roundtable; over 120 students registered to participate Keynote speaker: Dr. Scott Lilienfeld of Emory University |
2002 | First Annual PURC at GSU; 29 student poster presentations, including 6 by students from other schools (Morehouse and Spelman); practicum and graduate students panels; professional roundtable |