Congratulations to Curtis Smith IV and Natalie Hussein, recipients of J. Steven Reznick Diversity and Psychological Research Grants for Spring 2020.
The Reznick Diversity and Psychological Research Grant supports students from underrepresented backgrounds or those who are interested in conducting research with, or applicable to, populations traditionally underrepresented in research. The students receiving this $2,000 award may use the funds to offset the need for other part-time work, to cover the costs of carrying out research, and/or to attend a professional conference.
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.
Curtis Smith IV is a junior Psychology major who is also majoring in Sociology. He has previously worked in Dr. Eric Youngstrom and Dr. David Penn’s labs. During the Spring semester, he plans to use the support of the Reznick grant funds to explore how psychosocial dynamics such as emotion regulation, peer 
groups, and personality, can facilitate an adolescent’s re-engagement in criminal behavior, utilizing a publicly-available dataset from a longitudinal study of adolescent offenders. He will pursue this work under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Harrison.
Natalie Hussein is a sophomore Psychology major with a second major in Human Development and Family Studies. Natalie is interested in the associations between ethnic identity, acculturation stress, and family relationships and their impact on mental health among Middle Eastern and North African Americans.
Congratulations to Curtis and Natalie on receiving this prestigious grant!