MC sends dozen students to ILLOWA psychology conference

Last weekend, 12 MC students attended the 39th Annual ILLOWA Undergraduate Psychology Conference, hosted by Eureka College.

One of oldest continuing undergraduate psychological research conventions in the U.S., ILLOWA was founded in 1973. That year, four psychology professors in western Illinois, including the late Dean Wright from Monmouth, established a mechanism by which local colleges and universities could enhance interaction with each other while providing an educational research experience for their students.

Giving oral presentations of their senior research were MC students Marcus Bailey of Knoxville, Samantha Bundy of Mahomet, John Cayton of Clarksville, Tenn., Lindsey Masscho of Fenton, Kelly Russell of Peoria and Emily Triebel of Peoria. Topics included the link between sexual orientation and self-harming behavior and the effectiveness of kissing as a stress reducer in romantically-involved couples. Cayton’s project was connected to his time spent with Moldovan orphans during a college-sponsored trip last spring.

Also attending the conference were Katherine Dunn of Springfield, Sarah Geraci of Naperville, Rachel Jacob of Sycamore, Jeffrey Kelleher of Oak Lawn, McCahl Murray of Byron and Camille San German of Peoria.

“Hearing these talks really made me understand how research projects go, based on all the work that has been done so far,” said one of the students. “This will really help me when I do my senior research project.”

Added another, “It was really enlightening to see all of the different types of research, and it was interesting to see the results of the projects.”

Original source here.