Psychology students and faculty Present at the Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting

Eleven Elon students and five psychology faculty members attended the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) 2025 annual meeting in April in Atlanta, Georgia.

Student presenters included Ryan McKenna (mentored by Jordann Brandner), Sydney Lisak and Bryn Hall (mentored by CJ Fleming), Olivia Lancashire (mentored by Katrina Jongman-Sereno), Nicholas Dilley (mentored by Erika Lopina), Caroline Morrison, Sydney Abeshaus, and Rachel Schlanksy (mentored by Ilyssa Salomon), Jessica Hazan (mentored by William Schreiber), Kenan Carter (mentored by Sabrina Thurman) and Natalie Peeples (mentored by Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler).

SEPA is the largest psychological organization in the southeastern United States, and aims to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare. Students in attendance presented their research as posters or talks on a variety of topics ranging from workplace conflict to parental perceptions of preschool. Their presentations reflect many of the core disciplines of psychology: cognitive, developmental, social, industrial/organizational, evolutionary, clinical and neuroscience.

For many students, presenting their work at a professional conference is an important milestone and the culmination of much hard work.

“Presenting my research at SEPA was an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Sydney Lisak ’25, who presented research exploring help-seeking among individuals with severe mental illnesses. “It was fulfilling to see my hard work resonate with others, especially when asked thoughtful questions regarding my project.”

Attending SEPA also provides opportunities for networking and nurtures a sense of connection to the field.

“Presenting to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as distinguished faculty instilled a newfound confidence in me,” said Jessica Hazan ’25, who presented her work on activation in the amygdala and personality disorders. “This experience has also allowed me to better appreciate the value of other people’s perspectives and understand the importance of collaboration in research.”

For many students, the opportunity to present their work in a professional environment serves as an idyllic conclusion to their time at Elon.

“Although I was initially nervous, presenting left me feeling invigorated and proud,” said Kenan Carter ’25, who presented research on infant motor skill development. “This was all thanks to the guidance and support of my mentor, Dr. Sabrina Thurman. It was also so much fun being there with my fellow students and professors—getting to support each other, explore the conference together, and engage with their amazing research made the experience even more special.”