by Makaye Smith ’15
A record number of Central College psychology students will present at Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) conference in Chicago April 30-May 2. Of 38 current students and recent graduates who were accepted, 32 will present their work.
Randall Renstrom, assistant professor of psychology, said the number of representatives from Central has increased steadily in recent years, and the college now sends more students than any other private college in Iowa. In 2013, 27 were accepted and 25 attended. In 2014, 32 were accepted and 24 attended.
The MPA conference includes a poster session for undergraduate students and a professional program for graduate students and psychology professionals. For the latter program, Renstrom said nearly 20 percent of submissions are rejected — but every Central student who submitted a project to the higher level program was accepted.
“This means our students’ research projects are high quality, with engaging hypotheses and interesting findings,” Renstrom said.
Shelby Messerschmitt ‘15, a psychology major from Winterset, will participate for the second time. Messerschmitt will present a poster in the undergraduate program, plus speak about two research projects in the professional program. Messerschmitt said her research investigates emotional intelligence and happiness. “I’ve found that people who score highly in emotional intelligence, like a social IQ, are happier in general,” she said. “I’ve been researching why exactly this is the case.”
Central has sent many psychology students to present at the Midwestern Psychological Association in recent years. In May 2014, these students were among 24 who attended from Central College. Pictured (left to right): Keith Jones, professor of psychology, Bridget Miller ’15, Mitchell Stearns ’14, Taylor Jansen ’15 and Tyler Lenox ’15. Miller, Stearns and Lenox will also present at the 2015 conference.
Renstrom said professional conferences help students expand knowledge of their fields, hear about latest research, present their own research and interact with other professionals. Renstrom said Central stands out because students have so many opportunities to conduct and present independent research as undergraduates. Typically, these projects are reserved for graduate students.
“I feel extremely honored and privileged to have been selected for both programs,” said Messerschmitt. “I’m attending Arizona State University for counseling psychology this fall, and I know this conference will help me prepare for higher-level education and keep conducting research that I know will influence many individuals in the future.”
