Undergraduate Student News

The department has initiated several new degree programs in the past couple of years. First, we are happy to introduce the new minor in psychology. This exciting new opportunity allows students in many other fields the chance to take courses in psychology to supplement their training for their chosen career paths. The Department of Psychology is also participating in the new minor in neuroscience and minor in addiction studies. Both interdisciplinary minors rely heavily on expertise and courses from our department faculty. 

The Department of Psychology is participating in a new streamlined application program for students interested in a Master’s in Public Health from UB. Current (BA or BS) psychology students who meet the admission requirements can be directly admitted into the MPH program.

The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) program celebrated its 15^th anniversary of a partnership with UB’s undergraduate programs this summer. Over 400 Psychology students are currently enrolled in the SIM program. In their time in the program, many UB-SIM students come to Buffalo to study, and UB students regularly go to Singapore for a semester abroad at UB-SIM.

Mariangela Perrella graduated with a bachelor of arts double major in psychology and dance, with a minor in counseling. Mariangela’s awards and honors include being a University Honors College Presidential Scholar; a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Chi International Psychology Honor Society, and National Honor Society for Dance Artsd and eight semesters on the Dean’s list. Perrella worked as a research assistant in Professor Gregory Fabiano’s laboratory. Under the supervision of Fabiano, she completed her psychology undergraduate honors thesis, “Does Classroom Furniture Affect Students' Behavior? An Examination of Flex Seating and Its Relationship to On-Task and Disruptive Behaviors.” Mariangela was an alternate for the Fulbright Grant in 2019. Perralla’s future plans include working as a clinical counselor for the Community Connections summer program in Buffalo, applying to graduate programs in school psychology, and working abroad. You can read more about Mariangela’s story at: www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/student-leaders-perrella

Brandon Koscinski won the Feldman-Cohen Award in 2017 for his undergraduate thesis. Brandon conducted this research in the laboratory of Professor John Roberts. He is currently a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Ohio University.

"In Spring 2017, I completed my undergraduate honors thesis at UB under the mentorship of Dr. John Roberts. The project, titled 'Examining the Cognitive Catalyst Model with Autobiographical Memory' offered a tremendous opportunity for me to grow and develop as an independent researcher. As an individual from a non-traditional college background, the Feldman-Cohen Award acted as a significant boost toward my sense of belonging in academia, while also allowing me to sharpen the technical skills that would best serve me as an academic, both in graduate school and afterward. As a student who completed both an undergraduate and graduate degree at UB, I can confidently say that while the Feldman-Cohen award was an honor to receive, it was the journey associated with the project that will remain the most beneficial thing that I have done prior to starting a Ph.D. program. I am currently a first-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student at Ohio University, and I intend to continue on the trajectory to become a faculty member at a research university."

Kristin Tymchak of East Amherst, N.Y. won the Feldman-Cohen Award in 2018 for her undergraduate honors thesis, “The Effects of Social Experience on Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Production in CBA/CaJ Mice (Mus musculus).” Kristin conducted this research in the laboratory of Professor Micheal Dent. Kristin is currently a student in the school psychology graduate program at UB, working with Professor Bridget Hier on her master’s degree. Kristin also works as a lead clinical counselor at The Summit Center, teaching social skills to children with autism.

"In May of 2018, I defended and completed my undergraduate honors thesis, entitled, “The Effects of Social Experience on Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Production in CBA/CaJ Mice (Mus musculus),” under the direction of Dr. Micheal Dent. The study aimed to investigate whether prior social experience, separation time, and sex have an effect on the number of USVs produced and the number of USV types produced. Looking back at this experience now, I can honestly say that this was the most challenging, albeit the most rewarding, experience of my undergraduate career. My mind was stretched in ways I never thought possible, and I learned to become a creative and critical thinker that will assist me in my future endeavors. Moreover, receiving the Feldman-Cohen award validated the effort I put into my project, and it gave me a sense of certainty as I set out on my graduate studies. Currently, I just completed my first year of UB’s school psychology M.A./A.C. program. Although I ultimately chose to exchange studying mice for working with children, the intensive experience of conducting my own research project has helped me to think critically in my graduate studies and to become an advocate for research-based practices in my field."

Alex Schick of Amherst, N.Y. graduates summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Alex is a member of the psychology honors program, Phi Beta Kappa, Tau Sigma Honor Society, the Undergraduate Psychology Association and Psi Chi, where she served as secretary. She worked as an undergraduate researcher and completed her honors thesis titled “Elucidating the Critical Site of Angiotensin II Action in Enhanced Appetition” in Professor Derek Daniels’ laboratory for the study of ingestive behavior. She recently accepted a full-time research position with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study human nutrition, metabolism and the neuroscience of eating behavior. Schick plans to pursue a medical degree or a doctorate after her time at the NIH.

"In summer 2018, I started working on my independent honors thesis entitled “Elucidating the Critical Site of Angiotensin II Action in Enhanced Appetition” under the guidance of Dr. Derek Daniels. I investigated the brain region responsible for the enhanced appetition, or increased drinking response, to repeated Angiotensin II injections. After over 2 years of working in the lab, countless hours of preparation, late night surgeries, and early mornings of testing, I was overjoyed to cap my undergraduate research career with the honor of receiving the Feldman-Cohen award. Completing my honors thesis was by far the most rewarding and challenging experience during my time at UB. Spending over a year working on an independent project – from design and planning an experiment, to writing, presenting, and defending an original thesis – allowed me to explore the research process and discover my passion. Research can be extremely rewarding, but it also involves a lot of troubleshooting, questions, and dead-ends. Facing such challenges while conducting my experiment taught me to be resilient and find new solutions to the problems that arose along the way. When I found unexpected and difficult to interpret results, I spent weeks thinking through different explanations. I learned to think critically and deeply about scientific questions and to persevere in the face of challenges. When my experiment and thesis were both completed, I was proud of what I thought was an interesting and exciting project. Receiving the Feldman-Cohen award was a true honor not only because it showed that others appreciated my work as well, but also because of the immensely talented and dedicated students in the Psychology Honors Program along with me. Currently, I am working as a post-baccalaureate researcher at the National Institutes of Health before I apply to MD/PhD programs. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Quinton and the Honors Program, as well as my mentor Dr. Daniels, without whom I would not be where I am today."

Tara Strade of Orchard Park, N.Y. graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and english with an education minor. A University Honors College Scholar, she was a senior resident advisor and vice president of the UB ASL Club. Tara served as a teaching assistant for Honors Colloquium, conducted social psychology research, served as a writing tutor, and acted as a mentor for the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership in Buffalo Public Schools.
 

Jennifer Mosley recently won an award for her poster presentation at the Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference. The title of her work was: "BOLD" Differences in the Posterior Parietal Cortex Differentiate Familiarity in Object Representations, and she was mentored by PhD student Erica Edwards and assistant professor Christopher McNorgan.

 

Mian-Li Ong, a former UB-SIM Psychology Department graduate (2012), won the American Psychological Association (APA) Citizen Psychologist Presidential Citation as a student affiliate. Mian-Li was a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently at Clinical Psychology Resident at University of Texas Health San Antonio.