Celebration of Excellence in Research – Comments by former URC student researcher
(Mankato, MN) – April 2, 2014
Samantha Tupy, graduate student in Clinical Psychology, made one of the speeches. She was a member of my undergraduate research team for several years. She received several URC grants and presented at several local and national conferences. Here is her presentation, “The Value of MSU’s Student Research Programs.”
My name is Samantha Tupy, I am a second-year student in the clinical psychology graduate program here at MSU. I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, with a minor in biology, at MSU as well. I originally came to MSU as a transfer student, who was transitioning from a nursing major to a psychology major, which I knew was the better fit. I remember meeting with Dr. Barry Ries in his office in Armstrong Hall to discuss an undergraduate’s focus to become the best candidate for a graduate program. Of course, Barry mentioned research projects. He then assigned Dr. Jeff Buchanan as my undergraduate academic advisor. Jeff made the same recommendations — the importance of research activity.
So, I looked at the URC web pages to see which faculty members were mentoring undergraduate research projects. And during my first year at MSU, I started to work with Dr. Elizabeth Sandell on a project I am still proud of today. With a team of undergraduate research assistants, I investigated the success of a course aimed at improving students’ multicultural competency based on a pre- and post-test using the Intercultural Development Inventory. We presented at National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Ithaca, New York and the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) here in Mankato. We published an article in the Undergraduate Journal of Research, Volume 11, which to me was a huge accomplishment. [BTW, we found no statistically significant differences in the pre- and post-instruction scores. Beth did not let our team panic, though. She was using the results as the basis for revising the teaching methods for the course.]
The following year, I continued to work with Beth’s research team. This time, the course had been revised based on the previous year’s research findings. On Beth’s team, we again reviewed students’ progress in the course; and this time, we did find statistically significant differences in the pre- and post-instruction scores. We presented our research results at NCUR in Ogden, Utah, as well as at the URS and the Minnesota Conference of Undergraduate Scholarly & Creativity Activity, which were both here on campus. During my two years on Beth’s research team, we received research and travel grants for each year from the MSU Foundation. We achieved a URS Best Presentation Award each year. Only oral presentations – without notecards — for us!
As an undergraduate, I also joined another research team with Barry. On Barry’s team, I was involved in collecting data for two graduate students’ thesis projects. This gave me great exposure to what research at the graduate level may look like. I also had the opportunity to become friends with several of the graduate students. I have remained close friends with one student in particular. I will be joining him in Idaho in the fall to complete my doctorate in clinical psychology.
These undergraduate experiences introduced me to research and also allowed me to continue my journey to become a licensed clinical psychologist. This research gave me the confidence in my capabilities as a student, as a researcher, as a writer, as a team member, and as a public speaker. If it were not for Barry, Jeff, and Beth, I would not be where I am at today. Dr. Sarah Sifers and Dr. Dan Houlihan also made significant impacts on my life as a graduate student and have worked to shape my research and writing skills to best prepare me for doctoral level education. Their guidance, as well as the support of the Undergraduate Research Center and now the College of Graduate Studies and Research, have shaped me into a “real” researcher today.
I remember struggling through the basics of the research process, especially the statistics, as I attempted to understand the why and the how. Now, I have completed multiple projects in my graduate program. Research is literally a part of my life every day. Research has become a piece of my identity, and I look forward to contributing to the science of psychology in the future.
Without the Undergraduate Research Center and its faculty mentors and the Symposium, I would not have learned the process of research and its importance in the world. The projects I completed during my undergraduate program were part of the conversation during my doctoral interview process. This further supported the importance the URC has on a student’s life in the long run. The URC was one of my very early steps toward my professional goals. It has prepared me for the educational journey I have decided to pursue. I want to thank the URC and the CGSR, Marilyn Hart, Dawn Albertson, Eric Sprankle, and Chip Panahon for their support and guidance in my research endeavors. Thank you so much.