Some 160 students from the University of Mary Washington gave research presentations at the Fourth Annual Research and Creativity Day on the Fredericksburg campus in April. Student researchers across 27 areas of study presented their findings through oral presentations, poster sessions and exhibits.
Among the varied oral sessions, Ryan Gallasch, a junior sociology major, presented his paper, “‘Benching’ at UMW: An Observational Culture on Campus Walk.” The project explored the culture of bench sitting on-campus at Mary Washington.
Through interviews, focus groups and observational studies, Gallasch found that ‘benching’ is unique to UMW.
“People are really proud of the fact that we have this culture of ‘benching’ at UMW,” Gallasch said.
“It’s a tradition that we like to hold up.”
Senior psychology major Megan Tisdelle was among three students who presented “The Face of Facebook: Facebook Use and the Recognition of Universal Facial Expressions.” The year-long project focused on this social networking technology and how it affects people, especially in today’s generation.
Through the research, the psychology students found students who spent more time on Facebook were faster to label faces in photographs as happy or scared than those who spent less time on the social networking site.
The research team also presented at UMW’s Psi Chi Symposium and has been invited to present their project later this year at the Virginia Psychological Association.
The poster sessions had a wide range of topics from soil erosion to genetics to “Is the Portrayal of Child Care in Sitcoms Truthful?”
Research and Creativity Day is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Its purpose is to showcase investigative and creative partnerships and to celebrate the scholarly endeavors of our academic community. View the abstract booklet and schedule of events online at: www.umw.edu/rcd. For more information, contact rcd@umw.edu.