Psychology in Appalachia: Milligan stands out

By milliganstampede | April 20, 2012 at 10:29 am | One comment | COMMUNITY, STUDENT LIFE

By: Fitz Harris

Two Milligan students received second place and also received $100 cash prizes and certificates in the Appalachian Student Research Forum (ASRF) held on April 5 at the Center at Millennium Park in Johnson City.

The annual research forum was first held in 1985 by ETSU for the College of Medicine and was expanded in 2004 to include other institutions from the Appalachian region. Undergraduate, graduate, medical students, post-doctoral fellows and medical residents present their research in a formal setting with a poster and oral presentation.

Milligan junior psychology major Natalia Rivas-Lopez entered the category of “Society, Learning and Behavior” and presented her poster on reasons why late adolescents abstain from sexual behaviors and the influence that sex education programs had on late adolescents.

“The research allows me to get the experience that I need to conduct further research projects and to become a more competitive candidate for graduate school,” Rivas-Lopez said.

Second place winner for the category of “Society, Behavior and Learning,”Jessie Davis compared motivations for service between volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and the Appalachia Service Project.

“It was nerve racking but it played a vital role in getting accepted into graduate school,” Davis said.

Milligan students are entered into the ASRF to present their year-long research projects at a conference. Participating students networked with students from a different school and compared their academic preparation.

Associate Professor of Psychology, Dr. Joy Drinnon said the forum benefits Milligan by giving it recognition and preparing our students.

“It shows the other regional colleges that we are producing equally productive scholars in our psychology department,” Drinnon said.

In February 2012 Brittany Camp, Mandy Oaks and Bailey Buckner presented at the Southeastern Psychology Association in New Orleans. Camp won a Cash prize for her poster. Oaks and Drinnon were invited to the “Poster on the Hill” to be held in Washington, D.C. on Apr. 23, which is a “competitive and prestigious undergraduate research event” according to Drinnon.

Eron Cavanaugh and Ana Bracero also presented at the forum.