Class of 2009

Psychology major

Biology minor

The LUROP fellowship provided me an opportunity to conduct an independent research study, under the supervision of Dr. Anthony Burrow, for my senior honors thesis. My study aimed at identifying protective factors associated with healthy child development. Results from my study revealed that outside of immediate factors within a child’s home environment, teachers played the single most influential role in a child's emotional and social development. This finding inspired me to pursue teaching following graduation; I joined Teach for America and taught sixth grade science to hundreds of wonderful students in North Carolina for three years.

Through the LUROP fellowship, I learned how to conduct an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member. More specifically, I learned how to design an IRB research protocol, perform data analyses, draft a written thesis, and present and discuss my findings to members of the scientific community. Many of the skills I use today were first developed through the LUROP fellowship program.

The LUROP fellowship was my first opportunity to conduct research. Following teaching for three years, I decided to pursue a research career. I worked at the National Institute of Mental Health for a couple of years exploring ways to improve human cognition. I then enrolled in a graduate program for clinical psychology and am a doctoral student at the University of Louisville. Much of my research stems from my initial work during my LUROP fellowship, and I now investigate how children's emotions affect their social functioning. I am very thankful for the opportunity to be a LUROP fellow while an undergrad at LUC.