Cal Poly Humboldt
Psychology Department
Scholars
Of
Academic
Research
Announcements
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Open Club Meetings
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Join SOAR's open club meetings, they're not just for psychology students!
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(Check email for next club meeting)
Watch the most recent Psych Talk!
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Beth Larson - "Psychological Implications of Traumatic Brain Injury"
Original Date: March 27th, 2024
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ABOUT
Scholars of
Academic Research
Scholars of Academic Research is a club that hopes to create and foster an environment that encourages student's interest in psychological research. The club consists of undergraduate psychology majors and Academic Research Master's students. This mix allows for different knowledge and understanding levels and for important mentorships to exist.
As a club, we organize Psych Talks, a colloquium that brings HSU faculty, community members, and professors from other universities to speak at HSU and discuss their research. The goal of this is to get all students engaged in psychological research and highlight the many different paths that students can take in psychology.
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In addition, through fundraising efforts, we plan to help fund students to attend academic conferences. Commonly, students attend Western Psychological Associaton (WPA). We plan to fund students who are serious about a career in research and are accepted to present at a conference. While WPA is the most commonly attended conference, we will also fund members to conferences that are specialized for their chosen field. Examples include Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Society for Neuroscience, and Society for Research on Child Development. We will also help students find conferences to attend, internships, and other academic opportunities.
We hope to encourage a love for research in all forms and help students find the path that works best for them!
Our
Officers
Francesca Messina
She/her/hers
President
Francesca is a second year graduate student at Cal Poly Humboldt. Having graduated from Humboldt State in 2020 with a BA in psychology, she is happy to be back at her alma mater pursuing a master's in academic research of developmental psychology. Her research interests include increasing cultural humility in mental health practices and developing effective methods for early detection of serious mental illness in diverse populations. Francesca maintains a positive outlook on ever-growing research practices and believes that even starting small can lead to unexpected heights, as evidenced by her 6ft celery plant.
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Nathan Boone
Vice President
Nathan is a second year psychology graduate student at Cal Poly Humboldt. Before coming to Humboldt, he received bachelor's degrees in psychology and music from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. His research interests include various topics within neuroscience, such as neuroendocrinology and neuropharmacology. His thesis will examine hormonal responses in men that are relevant to paternal care and motivation. Nathan also works as an intern for the Institutional Research, Analytics and Reporting department.
Secretary
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Whitney G. Messer
She/Her/Hers
Whitney is in her final few semesters of undergrad at Cal Poly Humboldt and plans to pursue the MA in Counseling Graduate Program. Interested in pursuing research in Health Psychology, other areas of interest include cognitive and developmental psychology, as well as neuroscience & consciousness, abuse/violence, how toxic stress affects brain development & memory. In a clinical capacity, Whitney hopes to assist trauma survivors in a supportive psychotherapy setting, offering advocacy for at-risk adolescents, offering support to low-income communities, advocating for marginalized peoples, and traveling throughout the Pacific Northwest to assist trafficking survivors/refugees. Whitney currently works at a local nonprofit Remi Vista, as a Rehabilitation Specialist, providing behavioral, mental health and school-based support to local middle school and high school students.
Trinity Plum
She/Her/Hers
Treasurer
​Trinity is in her third year of her psychology undergrad degree, she is set to graduate a year early in Spring 2024. Trinity plans on pursuing her MA in School Psychology after graduation with hopes of becoming a school psychologist. Her research interests include behavior analysis and neuroscience. Specifically, Trinity is interested in research about addiction, depression, and childhood trauma and how these types of factors can impact learning and motivation. Trinity works on campus as a student assistant for Facilities Management and is a TA in the psychology department.
Shermyn Swanson
They/them/theirs
Events Chair
Sherman is a third year transfer psychology undergraduate; this is their second semester here at Cal Poly Humboldt, and they are eager to become more involved in the campus community. They are hoping to attend the graduate school for counseling after completing their undergraduate program in spring of 2023. Sherman is specifically interested in how the program integrates a focus on research into the counseling curriculum. They spent 5 years studying reactivity in canines via their work as a dog trainer in the bay area both with private clients and shelters. Their areas of study interest include: LGBTQ+ topics, social identity, developmental trauma, animal assisted therapy, and reactance.
Sofía Gutiérrez Johnson
Public Relations Chair
Sofía Gutiérrez Johnson is a senior psychology major at Cal Poly with hopes to pursue a PhD in Human development or Prevention Science. Sofía holds a Child Development Associate (CDA,) an A.A in Criminal Justice and is a McNair Scholar. This past summer Sofía, conducted a research project highlighting the social and emotional impacts of Covid-19 on kindergarten students and presented her research at the National UCLA McNair conference. In addition to SOAR, Sofía is the Communications Chair for the Western Psychological Association student council. Sofïa is an avid mountain biker and a member of the Redwood Sports Car Club.
Alice Zhang
Alice is a second year graduate student in the academic research program at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her emphasis is in developmental psychology, with a focus on bilingualism and biculturalism. She is currently interested in how bilingual programs affect cultural identity development. Alice is also an intern working with the Institutional Research, Analytics, and Reporting (IRAR) at Cal Poly Humboldt, and the coordinator for the Athletics Study Hall. In her downtime, Alice enjoys playing video games, and running dungeons and dragons campaigns for her friends.
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