2024 APA Summer Undergrad Research Fellowship Recipients

August 07, 2024

Congratulations to Psychology undergraduate students Liam McCloskey and Taelor Lay on being awarded the 2024 APA Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship! 

This prestigious fellowship program aims to promote access and equity among psychology undergraduates by expanding opportunities and mentorship to those who have not had the opportunity to access research experiences. 

The 2024 SUPER fellows cohort represents 23 universities across the United States and Canada. Liam McCloskey and Taelor Lay are the only two fellows from a Canadian institution, with Simon Fraser University being the only institution to have more than one SUPER Fellow selected for 2024. 

Liam McCloskey

Liam McCloskey is a 4th year Psychology honours student at Simon Fraser University. This summer, he had the privilege of working under Dr. Joanna Peplak at the Grow to Care Lab.

Their study, titled "The Ripple Effects of Happiness: Sympathetic Joy and Mental Health in Adolescents", looks to understand the experience of sympathetic joy and the possible unique effects of sympathetic joy on the mental health of adolescents ages 14-18. Sympathetic joy is the delight one may feel when a friend or family member wins an award. They are fortunate to parter with local schools with the hopes that these findings can provide stakeholders additional information to improve adolescent mental health in the community. 

In his free time, he enjoys exploring new coffee shops, going to concerts and taking photos around Vancouver. 

Taelor Lay

Taelor Lay is a 3rd year Psychology student and undergraduate volunteer research assistant who is passionate about knowledge mobilization and better understanding the variety of factors that lead to social, psychological and physical well-being. She is honoured to be an APA SUPER fellow under the guidance and mentorship of Dr. Lara Aknin this year. 

Through this fellowship, Taelor is leading a project that seeks to understand whether land acknowledgements can promote prosociality. Dr. Aknin's research in the Helping and Happiness Lab aligns strongly with Taelor's interest in understanding the many components that contribute to subjective well-being. She hopes to mobilize this knowledge, communicating these findings to those who would benefit from it most over the course of her career. 

Outside of research and academics, Taelor enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, learning new languages, working as a community mental health worker and training for her next half-marathon.

Learn more about the APA SUPER Fellowship here.

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