SURP Fosters Collaborative Research Community

Over six weeks this summer, a dedicated group of psychology students participated in faculty-led research in labs, where they honed valuable data analysis, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. Every summer, the Office of Research and Creative Arts (ORCA) hosts the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), which provides students with a unique opportunity to work closely with a faculty research mentor to explore their scholarly interests and see real-world applications of classroom teachings while gaining insight into the research process. While research can often feel like a solitary and siloed process, SURP fosters a collaborative community among faculty, staff, and fellow students. Faculty mentors conduct workshops and seminars to equip SURP students with the tools necessary to conduct and present their research effectively.

"Research can be daunting for some students, so providing them with a research program where they work with LMU faculty, who they may already be familiar with, takes off some of the pressure," said Carina Flores, associate director of student research at ORCA. "The opportunity to engage with faculty and other students in a research setting is valuable for a student's sense of belonging. It also increases their knowledge, skills, and confidence to be able to do research beyond LMU and to apply for off-campus internships, graduate programs, and job opportunities."

Faculty in the Department of Psychological Science created additional weekly programming for their SURP students (and other students within their research labs) to enhance a sense of community. Every Wednesday, SURP students and their faculty mentors gathered together for a workshop series that included opportunities for students to brainstorm ideas, learn new skills, discover career and graduate school pathways, and present their research. The participating faculty included Máire Ford, David Hardy, Maria Pizzano, Alexandra Sturm, Chéla Willey, and Timothy Williamson. Participating students included Gigi Truong '26, Evan Wu '26, Brandon Dona-Velazquez '27, Sarah Omachi '25, Metasebiya Tefera '25, Charlie Jenkins '24, David Williams '25, Angelina Matar '25, Gabe Marotti '15, Kelsey Armstrong '25, and Isaiah Wright '24. Non-SURP students who were part of research labs in the department also joined in, including post-grads Rodrigo Bos '23, Adriana Griot '23, and Hannah Van Den Thillart '23, and current psychology major Emma Boyce '25.

At the program's conclusion, the students celebrated their accomplishments and shared the specific research projects they worked on during SURP.

Kelsey Armstrong '25, psychology major and health and society minor :
"Cognitive Impacts of Previous Infection of COVID-19"
Under the mentorship of Professor David Hardy, Kelsey Armstrong's research during SURP focused on the cognitive impacts of COVID-19, a topic of interest to many people. In a review of the research literature, she found COVID-19 cognitive dysfunctions were similar to those seen in multiple sclerosis, also noted structural changes in the brain, such as cortical thickness and volume reductions. Kelsey's research involved a survey of 59 COVID-positive subjects, 25 of whom reported experiencing 'brain fog' and administering tests of attention, memory, and executive function, and a measure of workload related to these cognitive functions. She discovered that the timing of the COVID-19 infection made a difference. For example, the more recent the period of infection, the greater the workload reported while performing these cognitive tests.

Sarah Omachi '25, psychology major and education minor; Brandon Dona '27, psychology major; and Metasebiya Tefera '25, psychology major and African American studies and statistics and data science minors:
"Picture Books as Social Justice: Reflections of Diversity in California Libraries"
Working under the guidance of assistant professor Timothy Williamson and his colleague Brita Bookser (Santa Clara University), Sarah Omachi, Brandon Dona-Velazquez, and Metasebiya Tefera conducted research that aims to create an index of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for California's public libraries, based on the extent to which their catalog of picture books includes DEI-focused titles from the 2022 California Department of Education (CDE) Recommended Literature List. This data science project, inspired by Rudine Sims Bishop's essay "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors," focused on how culturally relevant and affirming stories in children's literature can be important tools for children to increase awareness of social issues and develop a positive self-identity.

Sarah's research centered on the extent to which public libraries in California stock picture books that portray main characters with disabilities-such as "Woodpecker Girl" by Chingyen Liu and I-Tsun Chiang. Across the 73 sites in Los Angeles Public Library and the 89 sites in Los Angeles County Library, she identified the number of disability-focused picture books from the CDE list stocked within each library. She also reflected on how sensitive and accurate representations of disabled characters can help fight against stereotypes and stigmatization that many disabled children face.

Metasebiya compared the availability of Spanish-language picture books in Imperial County (where 73% speak Spanish at home) and LA County (where 38% speak Spanish at home) . She hypothesized that more Spanish-language titles from the CDE list (including "Mis Dos Pueblos Fronterizos" by David Bowles) would be present in Imperial County than in Los Angeles County. However, she also posited that the Spanish-language titles in Imperial County would be more likely to be stocked as e-books rather than physical books, underscoring a complex accessibility issue.

Brandon focused on how picture books can operate as "mirrors" for Latinx children to see their lives and experiences reflected in culturally relevant and affirming stories, and how stories centered on Latinx characters can be "windows" for children of other backgrounds to learn more about a culture different from their own. He compared the number of picture books from the CDE list that portray a Latinx main character between public libraries in East Los Angeles and West Los Angeles, highlighting the different racial and ethnic composition of these communities within LA.

"Participating in SURP is a fantastic way for students-particularly those early in their undergraduate career-to jumpstart their involvement in research, forge a mentoring relationship with a faculty member, and lay the foundation for ideas they can develop further throughout their time at LMU. SURP is an intensive research experience that can be a launching pad for students to grapple with complex issues and gain skills that prepare them for graduate school and a wide variety of career pathways," said Williamson.

Angie Matar '25, psychology major and studio arts and statistics and data science minors:
"Self-Regulation and Self-Help Parent-Child Workshop Prep"
Angie Matar worked with Alex Sturm, associate professor of psychology, during SURP and made significant contributions to a workshop that will be led by Professors Alex Sturm, Maria Pizzano, and Diana Santacrose. The workshop is aimed at equipping parents with tools to assist their young children during the transition from preschool to kindergarten. Specifically, the workshop will focus on social-emotional skills and requesting help, which are research-proven developmental predictors of successful kindergarten transition. Angie's role involved collecting articles related to self-regulation and self-help, conducting a literature review to identify the most effective techniques, summarizing the information, and helping to design the presentation.

Isaiah Wright '24, psychology major and philosophy minor:
"Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology Assessment"
Isaiah Wright worked with David J. Hardy, professor of psychology, to investigate how cross-cultural factors impact neuropsychological assessment. Using a series of psychological tests, Wright gauged the cognitive abilities of subjects and assessed how acculturation to the United States affected rates of anxiety. Wright discussed the limitations of the study and the importance of looking into cross-cultural factors when discussing neuropsychological assessment methods.

Gabe Marotti '25, psychology major and English minor:
"Seizures in Infants with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex"
Working with Maria Pizzano, visiting assistant professor of psychology, Gabe Marotti investigated the pattern of seizures in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare genetic disease that results in benign tumor formation. Specifically, Marotti utilized a mixed methods secondary analysis to study seizure events recorded during a 3-month telehealth coaching program . Parents of infants with TSC met twice a week with a coach to learn evidence-based strategies to improve their child's communication. Mariotti found variability in frequency and severity of seizure and other medical events across participants. Moving forward, Marotti hopes to continue studying seizure patterns to coding identify potential connections to child behavior changes throughout the course of the intervention.

Charlie Jenkins '24, psychology and history double major:
"Neuromodulation of Vestibular Functioning"
Charlie Jenkins worked under Assistant Professor Chéla Willey to learn more about how the vestibular system affects a person's individual perception of what vertical is. Jenkins conducted a comprehensive literature review and trained research assistants. Additionally, he also helped prepare a research assistant training manual on a neurostimulation technique called galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) in which the vestibular nerve is stimulated through the skin behind the ears to induce the feeling of being pulled sideways. The research study is interested in understanding how vestibular feelings of tilt using GVS combine with visual biases of tilt to influence a person's sense of the direction of gravity.

David Williams '25, psychology major and bioethics minor:
"Transferability of Video Game Skills to Real Life"
Working with Assistant Professor Chéla Willey, David Williams conducted a thorough literature review to assess how video games can enhance reaction time and to investigate the cognitive benefits and potential negative effects of gaming. He found that while video games can enhance motor skills, playing games for too many hours can also have an adverse effect on mental health. Williams hopes to build on this research experience by looking into which game types most effectively enhance cognitive skills and how the reaction times of novice gamers differ from that of professional gamers.

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