Psychology Faculty, Student Win Research Poster Award

An academic poster developed by two Rogers State University faculty and a student was recently awarded second place at the Southwest Psychological Association Conference.

Psychology faculty Dr. Johnny Mark Kirk and Dr. Kevin Woller, along with student Christopher Shook, entered the poster, “Assessing Self-Determining Attitudes and Behaviors in Drug Court Participants” at the conference held last month in Fort Worth, Texas. Shook is a social sciences/psychology senior from Bartlesville.

The RSU poster earned a second-place award out of the 60 entries in the Society for Applied Multivariate Research poster competition for the nine-state region.

The poster focused on the evaluation of service delivery systems related to participants in three drug court programs in northeastern Oklahoma. The study also utilized an assessment instrument known as the Self-Determining Attitudes of Court Mandated Clients (SDA/CMC), which was developed by the researchers.

“Our faculty continue to distinguish themselves with their original research,” said Dr. Abe Marrero, head of the RSU Department of Psychology, Sociology and Criminal Justice. “But equally as important, I am proud that they are mentoring their social science students and providing opportunities for undergraduates to actively contribute to original research.”

SWPA advances scientific, professional and educational activities within the nine-state region that includes Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. At its annual meeting, SWPA offers paper, poster, continuing education sessions, workshops, symposia and invited talks. For more information, visit www.swpsych.org.