Ashland University Students Accepted to Present at Midwestern Psychological Association

Thirteen Ashland University students have the opportunity to go to Chicago on May 5 to present their research in the field of psychology at the annual Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) Conference. The students received a $2,400 grant from the Ashland University Provost to present their research at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference.

Jessica Bates, Nicolle Valentine, Rachel Carson, Kayla Hoover, Shawn Yambor, Lauren Goossens, Falynn Almeda, Jennifer Schultz, Fred Grant, Nicole Tiberi, Stephanie Gordon, Megen Valerino and Sarah Sladick are the students participating in this event. They are broken down in groups of two and three to present their research at the Conference.

Ashland University’s Psychology Department has a history of students presenting their research endeavors at conferences such as this, says Dr. Brent Mattingly, assistant professor of psychology at Ashland University. In the past few years, students have presented at the MPA Conference, the Eastern Psychological Association Conference and the Society of Personality and Social Psychology Conference.

These students have been accepted by MPA, which is noteworthy because not all applicants are accepted because of space limitations.

“Having one's project accepted for inclusion at the conference is quite an honor, as the project is deemed as being one of the better submissions received,” said Dr. Mattingly, “Thus, the fact that all of our students were accepted to the conference speaks to the high quality of research our undergraduates conduct.”

The students will experience a number of things at this conference. In addition to presenting their own research, students will attend research talks, symposia and additional poster sessions and get the chance to interact with conference patrons. They will learn about current and cutting-edge research in the field of psychology, according to Dr. Mattingly.

According to Dr. Mattingly, this conference will benefit the students in multiple ways. The students will develop the ability to communicate and translate their research ideas to peers in the field of psychology. Knowing that they are receiving something more important than a grade helps to validate their experience.

“Many students find it very rewarding to know that they have contributed to the field's understanding of human behavior,” said Dr. Mattingly.

The 2011 Conference is being held May 5-7. Though this is a regional conference, the MPA has found that 39 states and three foreign countries have been represented at past conferences, according to the MPA website. An average of 250 universities attend the annual meeting.

The MPA is one of the largest psychological organizations in the world, with more than 2000 members worldwide. One of the primary functions of the MPA is to conduct this annual conference where scientific papers and research are presented. According to the MPA website, the annual meeting is “a major opportunity for psychologists in these many settings to keep in touch with current developments in psychological research, theory, and practice.”

Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) is a mid-sized, private institution conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.