This is Mr. Randy P. Blott of the Southern Port Area (garret).  He predicts that he will win the URCAD selfie contest.

"I believe in myself," noted Blott, who works in a factory and enjoys crashing sleds into trees in his spare time. "I read some magazines and half a book and I think I have a handle on who I am, what I can do, the power of ME. So, I feel like I'll win."

Think you can beat Mr. Randy P. Blott?

Upload your original photos to FaceBook and/or Twitter using  #umbcURCAD for a chance to win one of four gift cards to the UMBC Bookstore!

Categories:

• Best overall selfie: Take a photo with a UMBC celebrity (President Hrabowski, Provost Rous, Dean Cole…) or get creative!
• Best with mentor
• Best with family member
• Best with student presentation/poster

The contest starts on the evening of April 24 and will continue until the 27th at 6:00 p.m. To be eligible to win the contest, you must follow the steps outlined below including uploading your original photo to FaceBook, Instagram or Twitter using #umbcURCAD.

This is Ms. Constance (Connie) Throneberry of the Deep Suburban Western Area.  She predicts that she will quite easily win the URCAD selfie contest.

"I have hundreds of nearly-perfect selfies," averred Throneberry, who was interviewed while riding her bike on a treacherous mountain path. "I know that people like pictures of cats and pandas and all that, but my selfies are much more interesting."

Think you can beat Ms. Connie Throneberry?

Upload your original photos to FaceBook and/or Twitter using  #umbcURCAD for a chance to win one of four gift cards to the UMBC Bookstore!

Categories:

• Best overall selfie: Take a photo with a UMBC celebrity (President Hrabowski, Provost Rous, Dean Cole…) or get creative!
• Best with mentor
• Best with family member
• Best with student presentation/poster

The contest starts on the evening of April 24 and will continue until the 27th at 6:00 p.m. To be eligible to win the contest, you must follow the steps outlined below including uploading your original photo to FaceBook, Instagram or Twitter using #umbcURCAD.

Major: Psychology, Biology Minor; Biopsychology concentration (December '18)

Title of Research Project:  Impact of Internet Pornography and Gay Dating Apps on the Mental Health of Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM)

Describe your project:  This research is less of a research project conducted in a lab and more of an extensive literature review that's looking to examine how exactly use of pornography and dating apps impact rates of mental health in gay and bisexual college students. Various articles focusing on LGBT student health, on the connection between sexual activity in LGBT populations and mental health, how factors of race and drug use play a role in mental health rates, and overall perceptions by the general public of LGBT populations will be reviewed as I go through my research. 

Who is your mentor(s) for your project? Dr. Shuyan Sun, UMBC Department of Psychology. I found my mentor through an advertisement posted outside of her office door in the psychology department of obtaining quantitative research experience while I was looking for research experience for my major. I initially was intrigued by Dr. Sun's focus on utilizing SPSS in data collection and analysis, and the exposure to more quantitative based analysis that her lab would provide, as I was a stats minor at the time when I joined her lab in Fall 2017. She also advertised that she required all of her students to present at URCAD, and you had to be at the very least interested in presenting at URCAD in order to join her lab. 

How did you become interested in this project? After speaking more with Dr. Sun about what was required to be in her lab, I found that I could choose any research topic that I was interested in and conduct research on it, as long as it involved secondary data analysis, which basically means that I would be looking at research articles with data in them and interpreting their results and presenting them. I was inspired to conduct research on this particular topic for I wanted to investigate issues pertaining to this population, understand from a more objective viewpoint some of the negative perceptions that I held and better understand issues that I faced while exploring my sexual identity. 

What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher? The hardest part has been the time that this has taken for me to get through this, as well as actually committing to finishing the research. My data is essentially (and will be) almost 100 pages worth of text that I have to go through, sort into variables, pull quantitative data from based on trends presented in the data, and see how they match with my hypothesis. I didn't realize how extensive this would be, as well as how much I really didn't know about conducting independent research. I didn't realize how much I would learn about myself and about the topic that I was researching while going through this. 

What has been the most rewarding part? A better understanding of myself as a researcher, as well as my identity. Despite all the gloom about LGBT mental health that I found in my research that seemed to reinforce the already negative perceptions about my own sexual identity, I found that there was a lot of research going into this population to better understand these issues and create integrative solutions to solve problems with LGBT mental health, addressing increased rates of HIV, and creating a more supportive online atmosphere for LGBT individuals. 

How will you disseminate your research? A poster presentation at URCAD- this Wednesday, 10-11:30am in the UC Ballroom. 

What is your advice to other students involved in research? This may sound cliche, but for the love that all that is holy, don't procrastinate on getting your research done, especially if you are presenting at URCAD. You will find yourself rushing to get your research done, and may not have the most integrative experience in your research. Conducting research is a commitment that can be an amazing experience, though it can become a huge burden if you allow it to to slip out from underneath of you. Find a topic that you find incredibly interesting, and develop a strong working relationship with your research adviser. Not only will it make your research that much more engaging, but it will also make the process of getting your research completed and presented that much more seamless. 

What are your career goals? After graduation, I'll be heading into the workforce, though I'm most likely going into the Navy and becoming an officer. My eventual career goals would be to go to grad school to obtain a Ph.D. in psychology and either go into clinical work or conduct research.  

This is Ms. Flora P. Hanebrink of the Suburban Shopping Arena Town Complex 26 (rear).  She predicts that she will quite easily win the URCAD selfie contest.

"I have a very steady hand, very good camera control," averred Hanebrink, who was interviewed while standing on industrial carpeting featuring a rather vague design. "I'm able to get my camera out of my pocket quite speedily so that I never miss a good shot. Yep, the selfie is right in my wheelhouse."

Think you can beat Ms. Flora P. Hanebrink?

Upload your original photos to FaceBook and/or Twitter using  #umbcURCAD for a chance to win one of four gift cards to the UMBC Bookstore!

Categories:

• Best overall selfie: Take a photo with a UMBC celebrity (President Hrabowski, Provost Rous, Dean Cole…) or get creative!
• Best with mentor
• Best with family member
• Best with student presentation/poster

The contest starts on the evening of April 24 and will continue until the 27th at 6:00 p.m. To be eligible to win the contest, you must follow the steps outlined below including uploading your original photo to FaceBook, Instagram or Twitter using #umbcURCAD.

UMBC's 22nd Annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day is this Wednesday, 
April 25, 2018

URCAD.umbc.edu