Kaylee Phimmasene (left) presenting her thesis poster at NEEPS Conference
Author: Kaylee Phimmasene | Major: Psychology | Semester: Spring 2023
With help from the Honors College Travel Grant, I was able to present my thesis at the Northeastern Evolutionary Psychology Society (NEEPS) conference this past April in New York. My research project focusses on women’s domain-specific affiliative behaviors throughout different phases of their menstrual cycle. Currently, there has not been much research that has concentrated on this topic, so by presenting my research, it sparked meaningful conversations surrounding the issue, giving it potential to be more widely researched, and helps fill this empirical gap in knowledge. For various reasons, attending NEEPS was an experience that was so unique and meaningful to me.
Although I have been to conferences and presented posters in the past, the data that I presented was collected by my mentor prior to my attendance to the University of Arkansas. NEEPS was the first time that I was able to present research that I personally designed and lead to people outside of my lab. Being able to share my research felt much more different than my presentations in the past because I had a better understanding about the intricacies surrounding the topic and project itself. This made conversing with others much smoother and more dynamic. On a similar note, this conference provided me many opportunities to network and connect with those in the psychology community. Since I presented my research as a poster alongside many others, I was able to learn about various emerging research projects, share my own, and even discuss future directions for my project with experts and professors. They offered their own ideas, gave me suggestions on what to improve, and inspired me to develop new research questions that I can investigate in the future. While at this conference, other undergraduate members from my lab also attended and presented posters of their own. This gave me the chance to celebrate the research that they completed as well as help them share their work with a larger audience. It was exciting for us to be able to represent our lab and the university while discussing our research projects to peers from around the world.
Even after the conference ended, there are many things from my experience that I can translate to my future career. In the future, I plan to apply to a Ph.D. program in experimental psychology and pursue a career as a psychological researcher. NEEPS allowed me to expand my professional network and interact with other researchers that can potentially become future collaborators. From my interactions, I was also able to learn about a variety of research and statistical methods that may be useful for my own future projects. Furthermore, NEEPS jumpstarted my future career because it let me put my name out into the psychology scene as a young, up and coming researcher. This ultimately gives me an advantage for when I am ready to start conducting more projects because I will already have connections and people who know of me and my work. More importantly, though, NEEPS solidified my passion for research and reassured me that I am pursuing a career path in which I can truly become successful.
Overall, I would recommend attending a conference to others, especially undergraduates who are keen on gaining experience or curious about the real-life applications of their major. Conferences hold a surfeit of opportunities. They can help people establish connections, guide career paths, and even become a time to bond with peers. My piece of advice for those who are considering attending a conference is to go with an open-mind and confidence. Do not be afraid to introduce yourself and share your own ideas because you never know to what that may lead!