Student presenters included Fatmata Bah (mentored by William Schreiber); Gia Cullens, Olivia Guarino; Jessica Garcia-Bastida, Anna Grace Gilbert and Ella McGlynn (mentored by Sabrina Perkins); Kailey Stark and Soriah Rodriguez Smith (mentored by Ilyssa Salomon); and Clare Petznick and Natalie Peeples (mentored by Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler).

SEPA is the largest psychological organization in the southeastern United States, aiming to advance psychology as a science, a profession, and a means of promoting human welfare.

Students in attendance presented their research as posters or talks on a variety of topics ranging from operant conditioning in harvester ants to infant behavior. Their presentations reflect many of the core disciplines of psychology, including behavioral neuroscience and developmental psychology, as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning in psychology.

For many students, this was the first professional conference they had ever attended. Presenting their research at a professional conference is an important milestone and the culmination of years of hard work.

“Presenting at SEPA was a meaningful way to conclude my research experience at Elon,” said Kailey Stark ’26. “Through the Elon College Fellows program, I have had the opportunity to design and carry out a research project with the support of my mentor, Dr. Ilyssa Salomon. As my first professional conference, SEPA gave me the opportunity to present what I have been working on for the last two years, as well as the chance to learn from my peers across the field of psychology.”

Senior psychology students Clare Petznick ’26 (Odyssey Program) and Natalie Peeples ’26 (Honors and Lumen Scholar) and their mentor, Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, presented three related research studies in a symposium entitled “The Good Childhood: Exploring preschoolers’ perspectives through the Mosaic Method.” Each study explored how preschoolers conceptualize “a good childhood,” a Nordic construct emphasizing children’s rights and freedoms, through multiple modalities of expression including play, drawings, and photovoice. All three studies were conducted during Elon’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) in 2025 and 2026, and two explored cultural differences between the United States and Denmark. Psychology faculty member Sabrina Perkins served as a discussant, integrating her experience with human development in multiple cultural contexts with the team’s research findings.

“Presenting at the SEPA conference allowed me to visualize my research that I have worked so hard on during my undergraduate career,” said Petznick. “The SEPA conference was particularly enjoyable as I was surrounded by other psychology students who share the same passion for research and discovery as I do. Presenting at a professional conference helped me feel more confident and knowledgeable in my area of research and I was able to learn from the questions the audience asked me.”

Travel for Perkins was supported by a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant from the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences supported Vandermaas-Peeler’s travel. Student travel was supported by generous donors who contributed to the Psychology Department Gift Account, a group travel grant from the Undergraduate Research Program, and funding from the Honors Program, Elon College Fellows, and the Lumen Prize at 51±¬ÁĎÍř.

Readers who wish to further contribute to supporting Psychology students’ research opportunities and professional conference travel may contribute to the Psychology Department Gift Account: 

Student presenters included Ryan McKenna (mentored by Jordann Brandner), Sydney Lisak and Bryn Hall (mentored by CJ Fleming), Olivia Lancashire (mentored by Katrina Jongman-Sereno), Nicholas Dilley (mentored by Erika Lopina), Caroline Morrison, Sydney Abeshaus, and Rachel Schlanksy (mentored by Ilyssa Salomon), Jessica Hazan (mentored by William Schreiber), Kenan Carter (mentored by Sabrina Thurman) and Natalie Peeples (mentored by Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler).

SEPA is the largest psychological organization in the southeastern United States, and aims to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare. Students in attendance presented their research as posters or talks on a variety of topics ranging from workplace conflict to parental perceptions of preschool. Their presentations reflect many of the core disciplines of psychology: cognitive, developmental, social, industrial/organizational, evolutionary, clinical and neuroscience.

For many students, presenting their work at a professional conference is an important milestone and the culmination of much hard work.

“Presenting my research at SEPA was an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Sydney Lisak ’25, who presented research exploring help-seeking among individuals with severe mental illnesses. “It was fulfilling to see my hard work resonate with others, especially when asked thoughtful questions regarding my project.”

Attending SEPA also provides opportunities for networking and nurtures a sense of connection to the field.

“Presenting to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as distinguished faculty instilled a newfound confidence in me,” said Jessica Hazan ’25, who presented her work on activation in the amygdala and personality disorders. “This experience has also allowed me to better appreciate the value of other people’s perspectives and understand the importance of collaboration in research.”

For many students, the opportunity to present their work in a professional environment serves as an idyllic conclusion to their time at Elon.

“Although I was initially nervous, presenting left me feeling invigorated and proud,” said Kenan Carter ’25, who presented research on infant motor skill development. “This was all thanks to the guidance and support of my mentor, Dr. Sabrina Thurman. It was also so much fun being there with my fellow students and professors—getting to support each other, explore the conference together, and engage with their amazing research made the experience even more special.”