Students Present Research at Neuroscience Conference in Chicago

Kristen deAlmeida and Randy Denis, students from the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, each presented their Divisional Honors theses at the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Conference in Chicago, October 17–21, 2009. Joining them was their faculty mentor, Jaime Tartar, Ph.D., assistant professor in the college’s Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

deAlmeida, a senior biology major and psychology minor, presented her thesis, titled “The Effects of Emotional Influences on Cognitive Processing: An Event Related Potentials (P300) Study.” Her research has found that emotional stimuli can alter attentional resource allocation.

Denis, a senior psychology major and counseling minor, presented his Honors thesis on “The Effect of Academic Stress on Memory Performance in Undergraduate Students.” Denis’ data show interesting gender differences in stress and memory responses to academic examination stress. Along with Tartar, Denis has collaborated with Jason Gershman, Ph.D., assistant professor in the college’s Division of Math, Science, and Technology, on the statistical analyses of his findings.

deAlmeida and Denis showcased their research alongside Ph.D.-level scholars at the 39th annual conference, which is considered the “world's largest forum for neuroscientists to debut research and network with colleagues from around the world,” according to SFN. Both students received funding and support from the Office of the Dean for their scholarship and subsequent travel to Chicago.

Completing a Divisional Honors thesis is the culmination of students’ active participation in the Divisional Honors Program, part of the college’s Undergraduate Honors Program. The program provides a value-added experience for highly motivated and high-achieving undergraduate students through curricular and co-curricular programs and activities.

Students work with their faculty adviser(s) throughout the process of researching and composing their theses, thus encouraging greater academic interaction between faculty and students through exploration of disciplinary inquiry and establishment of community—an underlying goal of the Undergraduate Honors Program. For more on the program, visit www.fcas.nova.edu/currentstudents/honors.