Summer Research Fellow Spotlight Alyssa Feldner
"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most frequently diagnosed disorder in school-aged children. The disorder is characterized by elevated symptoms of hyperactivity, disinhibition, and inattention. This project focuses on the impact of a 15-session afterschool ‘Narrative Structure’ (NS) intervention designed to improve narrative comprehension of children with elevated symptoms of ADHD. When planning this project, I took the role of deciding which two interventions would be compared regarding story comprehension and chose to focus on effects on recall performance. Being involved with the ADHD research lab at the University for three semesters has heightened my understanding and interest regarding the symptoms of ADHD and how they directly influence children’s ability to achieve in a school setting."
Q: How did you first get interested in undergraduate research at UK?
A: "I have always been interested in research, so I took it upon myself to look into the undergraduate research program at the UK, specifically through my major of psychology."
Q: How long have you been engaged in undergraduate research?
A: "I have been engaged in undergraduate research for 3 semesters."
Q: Describe what a typical day of remote summer research activity looks like for you. How does this differ from your pre-COVID research activity?
A: "A typical day of remote summer research involves me coding and entering data. My pre-COVID research during the semester was similar; however, I would also attend elementary schools in Fayette County to conduct in-person research."
Q: What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?
A: "The most exciting aspect of my research so far would be furthering my knowledge regarding my topic of interest, children with ADHD, and being able to observe connections between the in-person research I conducted during the school year(s) and the corresponding data."
Q: What advice would you give to other UK students thinking about doing research?
A: "To other UK students think about doing research, I would say to 100% try it out. Whether you continue research in the future or not, I believe it's a great opportunity for every undergraduate to participate in some sort of research at some point during their undergraduate career."
The UK Office of Undergraduate Research's Summer Research & Creativity Fellowship program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study in a wide variety of disciplines while doing intensive and self-directed research under the supervision of a faculty mentor.