¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Research in Psychology Conference and Psi Chi Induction Ceremony
Psi Chi Conference celebrates students' research and academic achievement. It also celebrates the induction of new Psi Chi members. The conference takes place yearly at the end of the spring semester.
2026 Psi Chi Conference
¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s Psi Chi Conference brought students, faculty, alumni and guests together for a full day of psychology research, academic recognition and professional engagement. Held in the Campus Center Event Room, the conference highlighted the work of psychology students while celebrating scholarship recipients, student researchers, new Psi Chi inductees and distinguished alumni.
The event opened with welcome remarks from Dr. Hannah Wolfe, Psi Chi Advisor & Assistant Professor of Psychology, followed by the presentation of several student awards. Honorees included recipients of the Keith B. Williams Psychology Merit Scholar Awards, Hughes Family Fund Awards and the Michael and Maureen Frank Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research in Psychology.
A major focus of the conference was student research. Project for Distinction students presented work on a wide range of psychology topics, including emotional responses to social media, body image and disordered eating, perfectionism, social support, mental health, bullying, campus climate, colorism, parenting, exercise, memory and inhibitory control. These presentations gave students the opportunity to share original research, discuss real-world issues and connect classroom learning with active scholarship.
The conference also featured a Research Experience in Psychology presentation by Riley Perron and a Distinguished Alumni Award presentation honoring Ashlie Jefferson, M.A. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Jessica Leffers, Assistant Professor of Psychology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, who presented on children’s and adults’ downstream consequences of racial categorizations.
The day concluded with the Psi Chi Induction Ceremony and a student research poster session, giving attendees another opportunity to engage with student work and celebrate the accomplishments of ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s psychology community.
Conference Highlights
The Psi Chi Conference featured:
- Student scholarship and research award presentations
- Project for Distinction research presentations by psychology students
- A keynote address on racial categorization and psychological development
- A Distinguished Alumni Award presentation
- Psi Chi induction ceremony
- Student research poster session
- Opportunities for students, faculty and alumni to connect around psychology research
Student Research Topics
Student presentations explored timely and meaningful areas of psychology, including:
- Social media and emotional reactivity
- Body image, eating behavior and societal reward
- Perfectionism and judgments of others’ weight
- Social support and mental health
- Bullying and career choices
- Same-race bias, familiarity and attraction
- Campus climate
- Colorism and bullying experiences
- Exercise, working memory and inhibitory control
The conference reflected ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s commitment to undergraduate research, student achievement and the study of psychology as a discipline connected to everyday life, human behavior and social issues.
