CHSS Scholars Shine at the Annual Symposium of Student Scholars

KENNESAW, Ga. (Apr 17, 2020) — The 24^th annual Symposium of Student Scholars, hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research, highlighted the impactful research of College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) scholars, as well as those from other colleges. A faculty member, graduate students and undergraduate students from CHSS all received awards at this year’s Symposium.

Jennifer Willard, associate chair of the Department of Psychological Science and professor of psychology, was honored with the inaugural Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award. Since she joined the CHSS faculty in 2008, Willard has mentored more than 50 undergraduate researchers. She also has coordinated the annual Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology conference for the last nine years, which has grown tremendously under her leadership.

As three of Willard’s students wrote in the nominating application: “Whether it be by being a student in her class, her teaching assistant, or a research assistant in her lab, it is not a stretch to say that she has been the most influential mentor we have had during our entire education.”

Also in the Department of Psychological Science, graduate students Alex Goldstein and Amber Goden, undergraduate student Dana Bowen and research mentor Dr. Jennifer Willard received the award for second runner-up in the graduate category for their research entitled “Wrongful Convictions and False Confessions: An Analysis of Exoneration Cases.”

Cadi Martin’s project, “Exploring Cedar Songmaker's Native Identity in Louise Erdrich's Future Home of the Living God,” won the Undergraduate Research Award from the KSU Library System and the Office of Undergraduate Research, which is given annually to a student demonstrating effective research processes and successful use of library resources. She worked under the mentorship of Miriam Brown Spiers in the English and Interdisciplinary Studies Departments.

The 24^th annual Symposium of Student Scholars is held each year to give undergraduate and graduate researchers from all disciplines at Kennesaw State University the opportunity to present their work to a wider audience. This year, it was held virtually for the first time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that students would not miss out on valuable experiential learning opportunities.