by Courtney Durst ’19
Central College’s psychology program is ambitious — and it shows. This spring, an impressive cohort of 29 Central students presented their research at the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) conference in Chicago. Outstanding undergraduate research is just one of many ways Central’s psychology program outperforms the competition, says Keith Jones, psychology professor and Mark & Kay DeCook Endowed Chair in Character and Leadership.
“Our work helps students develop into scholars, researchers and thinkers,” he says.
The program nurtures group and public communication skills through peer review sessions as well as opportunities to present work at regional conferences.
Corinn Uitermarkt ’16 of Pella won the Psi Chi award for her work presented at the Midwest Psychological Association conference in Chicago.
“Students often don’t realize at first what they can do — that they can accomplish real work,” Jones says. For example, Corinn Uitermarkt ’16 of Pella took this year’s MPA Psi Chi award, chosen out of hundreds of undergraduate researchers for her Chicago presentation, “Spread Too Thin? Perceptions of Women vs. Men with Multiple Roles.”
Throughout the program, professors work to cultivate independence within student researchers. Junior Hannah Thompson of Cedar Rapids says she appreciates psychology professors’ help identifying her strengths and weaknesses through rigorous coursework and faculty advising. “Central’s psychology program has given me an edge that I can use later after I graduate,” she says.
Not to mention, Thompson has already begun her own research. Like many Central students, she’s developed the skills needed to conduct professional empirical studies worthy of merit to graduate schools and conference boards. “Most people don’t do this kind of work until graduate school,” Thompson says, “and it is a huge advantage.”
Central students’ impressive 29 psychology students traveled together to present original research at the Midwestern Psychological Association conference in Chicago.
In contrast to other Midwest college students, the Central researchers who attended the April conference spoke on their own behalf to present their research. It’s all part of the department’s strategy for guiding students into the world of professional psychological work with confidence, independence and character, Jones says.
By the end of their Central journey, students can say they’ve done amazing things with their education — and that they are well-prepared for what comes after graduation. This summer, Thompson and other students will travel to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with psychology and sociology professors. “It’s a great opportunity for me to use the tools that we have learned in class out in the real world,” says Thompson.
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