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The Department of Psychology is delighted to celebrate some of our exceptional students who were selected to participate in the esteemed Summer Programme for Undergraduate Research (SPUR). SPUR is a highly competitive initiative that offers undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research, and to foster their academic and professional growth. Students will work closely with academic mentors on research projects, gaining exposure to a myriad of learning and research opportunities, thereby enhancing students’ confidence and discipline-specific knowledge.
Three undergraduate Psychology students, Caoimhe Fleming, Isolina Busto Gilligan, and Jaime Ní Chinsealach, will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with Prof. Seán Commins, Dr. Sadhbh Byrne, and Dr. Katriona O'Sullivan on exciting research projects hosted by the Department of Psychology. You can read more about these fantastic students below:
Student Name: Caoimhe Fleming
Course: BSc Psychology, Third Year
Project Title: Examining the role of sleep duration and sleep quality on spatial navigation and memory.
Project Department: Psychology
Mentor: Prof. Seán Commins
Student Name: Isolina Busto Gilligan
Course: BA Psychology, second year
Project Title: Provision of Informal Support for Mental health (PRISM)
Project Department: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Sadhbh Byrne
Student Name: Jaime Ní Chinsealach
Course: BA Psychology (International), second year
Project Title: PROMOTE: Interdisciplinary research project exploring career progression of early career female researchers in Higher Education in Ireland
Project Departments: Department of Psychology, School of Business, ALL Institute
Mentors: Dr Katriona O’Sullivan and Dr Marian Crowley-Henry
Three more of our fantastic undergraduate students are also participating in SPUR projects hosted by other Departments across the University: Cal De Nicolas Audoin, a first year BSc Psychology student, is participating in a project hosted by the Hamilton Institute, mentored by Dr. Lorna Lopez; Kate Wright, a second year Psychological Studies student, is participating via a project in the Department of History, mentored by Dr. Michael Potterton; and one of our second year BSc students, Sara Higgins, is participating in a SPUR project hosted in the Department of Applied Social Studies, mentored by Dr. Niamh Flanagan.
Jamie Howell, a PhD student in the Department supervised by Dr. Rebecca Maguire, is also volunteering as a SPUR Supporter. Jamie told us, “I signed up to be a SPUR Supporter because I have enjoyed working with students as a teaching assistant and writing support tutor. I am excited about the opportunity to support students as they conduct their own research projects and am looking forward to hearing about the wide variety of research projects being carried out.”
We are very proud of our students! Congratulations on being selected to participate in SPUR, and we wish you all the best as you embark on this exciting new experience!
To learn more about the Summer Programme for Undergrade Research (SPUR), see here. You can view the 2024 SPUR Student Cohort here.