Dr. Michael B. Kitchens, professor of psychology, co-authored Cognitively accessible words associated with God as effective lexical primes in the Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion, 8(2), 78–101 with four current and former student researchers: Isabella Lang ’23, M’25 (clinical mental health counseling 3+2), Sydney Petrasic ’21 (neuroscience), Brian Remper ’16 (criminal justice and psychology), and Brittany Wilson ’16 (psychology). Kitchens also presented his paper, What do people think about God? Investigating a mental representation of God as effective priming stimuli, at the 2022 Annual Meeting for the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion/Religious Research Association in November.  

Dr. Jenna Marx, assistant professor of psychology, presented “Mindfulness and Meditation Information Online: A Content Analysis,” with Alyssa Miller ’20 (psychology and neuroscience) at the 2022 Eastern Psychological Association Conference in New York City during spring break. Dr. Marx and Miller presented research conducted with Emily Frazier ’21 (biology), Jasmine Locke ’21 (psychology), and Jacob Beard ’21 (business administration). Among other revelations, their student-faculty research found that “Online information about mindfulness and meditation varies in adherence to information literacy guidelines.” 

Sydney Petrasic ’21 (neuroscience) presented “Intellectual Humility: Connections to Reasoning, Cognitive Attitudes, and Irrational Beliefs” at the 2022 Eastern Psychological Association Conference in New York City. Petrasic’s presentation was the result of student-faculty research with Dr. Lou Manza, chair and professor of psychology, and psychology majors Margaret Mailey ’24, Jordan Stum ’23, Molly Faron ’23 (psychology and sociology), Sydney Fitzgerald, and Ashley Dotey ’21. The researchers found that “Conspirational beliefs were correlated with being overconfident in one’s intellectual skills—but not with logical reasoning ability.”

Dr. Erica Unger, associate professor of biology and director of neuroscience, co-authored “Iron-deficiency and dopaminergic treatment effects on RLS-Like behaviors of an animal model with the brain iron deficiency pattern of the restless legs syndrome” and “Developing a behavioral model of Restless Legs Syndrome utilizing mice with natural variances in ventral midbrain iron,” which were published on ScienceDirect. Unger and her colleagues concluded that BXD strain 40 mice provide a useful tool to model RLS and that the severity of brain iron deficiency is linked to restless legs syndrome symptoms.

Dr. Stephanie Blanda, assistant professor of mathematical sciences, Dr. Ashley McFalls, assistant professor of neuroscience, Dr. Liz Sterner, assistant professor of chemistry, and Dr. Jenna Marx, assistant professor of psychology, attended an event at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion to honor Women in STEM Oct. 17. The event was sponsored by the STEM-UP Network, whose goal is to “deliver strategies, relationships, and a strong community to women so they can flourish, prosper, and advance personally and in their STEM careers.”

Rileigh Jo Evitts ’19, a neuroscience major and psychology minor, was named United Soccer Coaches Division III Women’s National Player of the Week after scoring five goals in the women’s 9–1 win over Marywood University Sept. 7. Evitts performance made several national outlets, including that of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, and equaled the program’s single-game records for goals (5) and total points (10). It was the first such honor in LVC women’s soccer history.

Dr. Michelle Niculescu, associate professor of psychology and director of neuroscience, and Templin Chenail ’18, a neuroscience major and chemistry minor, presented their research at the Research Society of Alcoholism meeting in Denver, Colo., in June. The research for their presentation, The Influence of Personality and Genetic Factors on Peer Pressure Susceptibility, was partially supported by an Edward H. Arnold and Jeanne Donlevy Arnold Program for Experiential Education grant, and focuses on the marijuana receptor and its role in peer pressure susceptibility.