Psychology STUdents Receive Top Awards at Annual Science Atlantic Conference

Sarah Kasprzak and Gavin Woodward earned recognition for their outstanding research and presentation skills at the 48th Annual Science Atlantic Psychology Undergraduate Student Research Conference— standing out among 120 presenters from 16 institutions across Atlantic Canada.  

 

The two-day event, hosted at STU, allowed psychology undergraduates to present their research, explore graduate programs and research opportunities, network with peers and faculty, and attend professional development workshops. 

 

Sarah Kasprzak: Science Atlantic Science Communication Award 

 

Kasprzak, BA '24, who recently completed her Honours in Psychology as a certificate post-degree, explored the experiences of feminist psychologists through Psychology's Feminist Voices, an online archive and research initiative. 

 

Receiving the Science Communication Award came as a welcome and unexpected honour. 

 

"I love presenting, so it was amazing to have that recognized by adjudicators who had never met me. It confirmed that I should keep doing what I love—and that kind of encouragement is priceless," said Kasprzak from Windsor, NS. 

 

Kasprzak is now working as a Mental Health Consultant with the Canadian Mental Health Association and sees her time at STU as deeply influential. 

 

"It's been amazing to see my critical mindset, research background, community engagement, passion for social justice, and belief in the power of connection with others—all fostered by the STU community— come to fruition in this next step of my career.” 

 

Gavin Woodward: Undergraduate Research Award (Oral Presentation) 

 

Woodward's honours research explored the auditory blanking effect, a perceptual phenomenon investigating how sound influences our ability to detect visual changes during eye movements. 

 

For Woodward, from Fredericton, NB, the Undergraduate Research Award (Oral Presentation) was a rewarding way to wrap up his final year at STU. 

 

"Being awarded for the presentation reinforced the idea that to communicate science effectively, we need to focus on the overarching story our data tells—not every last complexity,” he said.  

 

"My courses at STU have given me the essential background knowledge needed to understand and discuss the research presented. There's also something about hearing about research directly from the people who conducted it that makes it much more memorable than reading about it in a textbook.”