Three Psychology and Neuroscience undergraduates have received honorable mentions for the J. Steven Reznick Diversity and Psychological Research Grant. Congratulations to Megan Brickner, Ronald Harris, and Jarred Lobo!
The J. Steven Reznick Diversity and Psychological Research Grant honors Dr. Reznick, a close friend and colleague in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from UNC Chapel Hill, M.A. from Wake Forest University, and Ph.D. from University of Colorado. He was a proud alumnus of UNC Chapel Hill and served on our faculty from 1998 until his death in 2016. Dr. Reznick made many contributions to enriching diversity in student experiences at UNC Chapel Hill and we thank him for his lifelong commitment to education, research, and Carolina. The Reznick Research Fund honors Dr. Reznick and encourages undergraduate students who conduct exemplary research on topics of concern to diverse populations as well as undergraduates from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in psychological research.
Megan Brickner is a third year student working in both Dr. Kate Reissner’s lab and Dr. Mitch Prinstein’s lab. Here research interests are centered on the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on the prevalence and pattern of substance use behaviors among adolescent sexual minority groups. She is interested in how prevention and intervention efforts related to substance use could be improved for sexual minority youth with a better understanding of the ways SES may play a role.
Ronald Harris is a fourth year student working in Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s lab. He is interested in positive psychology and how it can be applied to develop simple and cost-effective interventions that can be widely disseminated to promote flourishing. He is currently examining two positive psychology exercises to test their impact on the academic performance and mental health of first year students, with the long-term goal of identifying ways to build resilience and foster thriving academically and personally.
Jarred Lobo is a third year student who recently started working in a lab at the School of Medicine. He is broadly interested in the intersection of neuroscience, medicine, and public policy. In particular, he is interested in studying how chronic pain is experienced differently by individuals with a focus on gender and underrepresented groups, examining biological mechanisms that underlie pain for diverse groups, and developing an alternative to opioid medication for chronic pain.