To start off, say a little about yourself, your interests, undergraduate degree and what you are doing now. “My name is Narissa Byers, and I am a recent graduate from the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Fredericton, where I completed a BSc with an Honours in Psychology. In the fall, I am continuing my studies at UNB and pursuing a Masters/Ph.D. program in Experimental Psychology with Dr. Veronica Whitford as my supervisor. Outside of school, my interests are pretty mundane. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, and sometimes I make furniture for my house with my dad.”
What does research look like in your field? “One of the things that I love about Psychology is how varied the research process can look. I have worked in different labs throughout my undergraduate career, with various approaches in each. For instance, in one lab, I was mainly in charge of the recruitment process which entailed making flyers, social media posts, and ads to intrigue participants to complete a survey. In other labs, I have administered studies of varying kinds, both in-person and online due to COVID, ranging from standardized tests to auditory stimuli, to questionnaires. I am excited to see which direction and future opportunities I will have by continuing my research in Psychology where the possibilities seem almost endless.”
What would be your best experience during undergrad? “Academically, the best experience from my undergrad was joining a close-knit society (Undergraduate Psychology Society) and getting to know professors better. Both of these allowed me to make connections in the area that I was researching, which helped me with making academic decisions and having more fun in classes since I had familiar faces. My best personal experience during my undergrad was going out with the friends that I made, both through the program and outside of school, including attending the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival and the Balloon Fiesta, and many more fun evenings and weekends. I found that this helped to create a good school-life balance, which I believe is important.”
Was there any research being done on campus that really interested you? “At UNB, there is a lot of interesting research being done in many different disciplines. Specific to Psychology, the research being conducted by Dr. Whitford greatly intrigued me (which is partly why I am lucky to have her as a supervisor). Her research involved using EEGs (a brain imaging technique) and other methods to investigate cognitive functioning, specifically language, in individuals. For me, Dr. Whitford’s background on clinical populations (i.e., those with Schizophrenia, dyslexia, bipolar disorder) in this area was even more intriguing. Sadly, due to recent restrictions, I was unable to conduct research using the EEG this year, however, I’m excited to begin this in the upcoming years.”
If you could go back and change one thing about your education to this point, what would it be? “I can't really think of one thing that stands out as the most impactful, there was more a collection of tiny things that happened that I remember. One of the coolest things I wound up doing was travelling to Australia to do research for a few months, so that's definitely up there on the list of impactful things since it was my first experience with international research (plus Australia is a really neat country).”
What was your process for finding a supervisor that fit with your interests? “The best piece of advice I think I can give for finding a supervisor is to volunteer in as many different labs/areas as possible. You need to know what your area of interest for research is before finding a supervisor. Consequently, it is important to get experience to find what interests you and to investigate areas you may not have thought of. Volunteering in different areas will also allow you to have experience working with individuals with unique supervisory styles. Some will hold your hand, others want you to be totally independent, others are a mixture, so it is good to know what works for you as a learner. After finding out your area of interest and preferred supervisory style, it is much easier to find someone who is a good fit for you. You will be spending a lot of time with your supervisor, so it is not a decision to take lightly. Overall, you want someone working in your area of interest, who compliments your learning style well, and is someone you can talk to and confide in comfortably.”
Narissa can be reached at nbyers1@unb.ca for further questions.