Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology Conference to be Held Virtually

Social science researchers present their findings today

KENNESAW, Ga. (Jun 12, 2020) — Kennesaw State University’s 18th annual Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology Conference (GURP) will be held virtually today. Psychology students from schools around the southeastern United States will have the opportunity to present their research in a professional setting.   

“GURP is the culmination of the research project for a lot of students,” said Adrienne Williamson, GURP co-coordinator and a professor of psychology.  “We typically have students coming from the same universities every year, usually around 15 to 20 universities.  I think it is a point of pride for students to be able to present their research.”   

Due to COVID-19 concerns, GURP will take place virtually instead of the traditional face-to-face format.  “This year will be different, but students were still given the opportunity to present their research and I think they are excited to show what they did,” added Williamson. 

GURP 2020 

GURP provides students with an opportunity to develop professional skills, learn about research at regional colleges and universities, as well as connect with both students and faculty who share an interest in research. 

“Since other institutions may not have university-wide events like the Symposium of Student Scholars at KSU, GURP is their students’ opportunity to present their research,” said Jennifer Willard, GURP co-coordinator and associate chair of the Department of Psychological Science.  “We could be fulfilling a need at other institutions.” 

GURP will start at 10 a.m. with opening remarks by Willard, followed by a panel of graduate students to discuss their experiences.  KSU psychology faculty Anisah Bagasra, Ebony Glover, Brian A. Moore, Amanda Wolfe and Dianhan Zheng will then give presentations about their research.  Paul Story, GURP co-coordinator and associate professor of psychology, will moderate the faculty session.  The awards for best papers and posters will be announced by Williamson, who will also give the closing remarks. 

“The interesting thing about GURP is that our presentations were recorded in advance,” said Kaelyn Ireland, a recent graduate with degrees in psychology and foreign languages.  “A presentation in a face-to-face conference is more spontaneous.  For this virtual conference, we had the opportunity to really polish our presentation skills.” 

“Switching to conducting research online was definitely an interesting experience because it changed the way we did it,” explained Ireland.  “Since most of my research involves online surveys, participants are still able to take part in them.  So, we do not have to do anything in person, which is great.”   

Ireland had submitted three projects to be included in the conference.  One of the projects, focused on attitudes toward immigrants and immigrant issues, was a team-based project Ireland led through involvement in the Undergraduate Research Club (URC) at KSU.  Ireland has been a member of the club for the past three years, serving as vice president for this past year.   

The URC is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research and creative activity at KSU through conducting research as part of an interdisciplinary team.  Amy Buddie, director of undergraduate research at KSU, serves as one of the faculty advisors for the club.  

“Dr. Buddie is the person who got me involved in research in the first place,” said Ireland.  "Without URC, I may not have had the opportunity to work on multiple research projects.  Dr. Buddie has really encouraged my interests and has been a very supportive mentor.”

With a research interest in social psychology, Ireland plans on attending graduate school to become a professor in the subject area.  Ireland is interested in researching anything related to diversity, focusing on different social groups like immigrants, racial groups, and LGBTQ individuals.  Ireland enjoys learning about how people’s identities shape who they are and how their identities impact the way they interact with others. 

Another conference presenter is psychology major Patrick Kielly, who led other URC members on a team-based project focused on student anxiety pertaining to mass shootings.  Having served as the marketing chair this past year, he will be the incoming president of URC this fall.   

Kielly wants to become involved in different research projects to broaden his research areas and build up his resume. 

“Research is invaluable,” he said. “I really think that working on a project this year has done so much for my personal development.  Being a leader and working with people on problems that  have been harder than anything I have experienced in an academic setting has helped push both myself and my team to new bounds.”

Kielly desires to pursue a career as a psychotherapist or counseling psychologist once he is finished with his studies.  He said that he loves being able to help people and learn more about them.  He is interested in research, leveraging technology that takes counseling into new directions. 

“Undergraduate research is an experience that will help you in anything you decide to do in life,” said Kielly.  “The skills that you learn in undergraduate research can be applied almost anywhere.” 

For more information about GURP and today's schedule, visit https://gurp.kennesaw.edu/. 

– Landon Mion  

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