Juliana Riccardi (she/her), Psychology ’23
Conference/Gathering Grant
Conference: Uncovering the Effects of SSRIs on State, Trait, and Sexual Boredom – APS & EPA Conferences
Description:
I had the wonderful opportunity to present two psychology research posters at both the Eastern Psychological Association conference in Boston and the Association for Psychological Science in D.C. It was my first time attending a conference, and I would never have been able to finance my trip to these conferences without the help of the The New School. I feel that these experiences will greatly improve my chances of finding work after graduating from university, as it shows my dedication to psychology research. I made tons of new connections and learned a lot from this experiences. I also became closer to lab colleagues, which I found to be a very valuable experience.
Outcomes: 2 poster publications.
Who was supporting you in your work? How did you work with them? Dr. Todman (professor) and Dr. Emily Weiss (graduate student) helped me to do this research. I worked closely with Emily Weiss and Sally McHugh, two graduate students at NSSR to complete my research projects. They taught me so much as to how a research project is completed, and what a psychology conference would be like. We practiced doing elevator pitches, they edited my posters, and helped me with statistical analysis.
How has this project been impactful or transformative — for you personally or for those this work has impacted:
Being able to attend these conferences has been transformative in crystallizing my passion for psychological research. It allowed me to see the field for the first time outside of the New School, and see what this field might have in store for me.
What would you do differently? How would you advise a student who is going to do something similar?
I would advise students to consider additional costs that you might not think of, such as gas, parking for hotels (very expensive), and food.
Short summary
I first attended EPA in Boston during the winter season. I was able to present my first poster “Uncovering the Effects of SSRIs on State, Trait, & Sexual Boredom,” alongside familiar and less familiar colleagues. By the end of the trip, we all became very good friends. I also learned a ton of information from them about the field, as they are more experienced and older than I am. In the summer, I attended APS in Washington D.C. to present on a proposal for a replication study, based on my previous work. It was a great experience, and there were other boredom researchers at the conference who I networked with. Overall, it was an enriching experience that I am incredibly grateful for. I think this experience will have noticeable effects for my burgeoning career.