WNY Undergraduate Psychology Conference
The Western New York (WNY) Undergraduate Psychology Conference provides an affordable and convenient opportunity for undergraduate psychology students to present their scientific findings at a research meeting. It is specifically designed to be open and inviting to undergraduate students and is a great transition to larger national conventions. Additionally, this conference provides an opportunity for our local WNY students and faculty to meet and network.
Conference Organizer: Joyce Lacy, PhD
2023 Conference
Our 4th annual conference was held on April 15, 2023, in UB's Davis Hall, with presenters from 10 different institutions: Adelphi University, Alfred University, Buffalo State University, Canisius College, D’Youville University, Houghton University, Le Moyne College, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Fredonia, and the University at Buffalo. Students and faculty from Daemen University, Hilbert College, SUNY Empire State College were also in attendance. The conference featured 34 student posters and eight student oral presentations.
Our keynote speaker was Dr. Brittany Merrill, Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University. Dr. Merrill discussed her program of research, which aims to improve the reach, developmental sustainability, and long-term effectiveness of behavioral treatment for childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Best Oral Presentation: Emily Sutton (University at Buffalo)
- Best Poster Presentation: Pooja Nattu (University at Buffalo)
- Best Poster Presentation Runner-up: Romiere Horace (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Come Join Us Next Spring!
Our 5th annual conference will be held in the spring of 2024. Information about the conference, including submission criteria and guidelines, will be posted in early 2024 on our conference website.
Past Conferences
Our 3rd annual conference was held on April 9, 2022, in UB's Davis Hall, with presenters from six different institutions (Buffalo State College, D'Youville University, Houghton College, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the University at Buffalo). Students and faculty from Alfred University were also in attendance. The conference featured 22 student posters and seven student oral presentations. Our keynote speaker, Parveen Attai, BS/BA and MPH candidate, is a research coordinator for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She discussed how a psychology and research background shaped her path toward a career as a clinical and public health professional.
The 2nd annual conference was held live virtually on April 17, 2021. There were 25 student presentations from eight institutions across WNY (Elmira College, Houghton College, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Buffalo State College, Empire State College, Syracuse University, and the University at Buffalo). The keynote speaker, Mary LaLomia, PhD, is a UB alum whose career includes conducting psychological research at Microsoft, Philips Medical, Intel, IBM, and Meta.
The inaugural 2020 conference faced an unexpected obstacle with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this challenge, the conference pivoted to a virtual asynchronous format and still managed to be a great success. Forty-two student posters, representing 10 different institutions (Buffalo State College, Canisius College, Daemen College, Houghton College, Le Moyne College, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Geneseo, the University of Rochester, and the University at Buffalo), were displayed on the conference website. Within a week, the research posters web page was viewed approximately 500 times.
