8th Undergraduate Symposium

The Department of Psychology and Sociology held the Lowell Overton 8th Undergraduate Symposium on April 21, 2017, on a balmy and sunny Southern California afternoon. This year's symposium was attended by many faculty in the department. Our colleagues and our benefactor, Mr. Lowell Overton, an alumnus of our department, served in different capacities as master of ceremony, moderators, mentors, and attendees.

This year's symposium fielded twenty-two speakers overall: eleven psychology students and eleven sociology students presented their talks over a three hour period. This year's symposium also saw twenty-two poster presenting authors. There were over one hundred audience members at the crowded but energized event!

Poster Presenters (in alphabetical order)

Livier Capristo, Danesha Coleman, Laura DaSilva, Rita Dilig, Natalie A. Drap, Princess Egbule, Amy Fujioka, Adam Gonzalez, Teresa
Hoang, Jennifer Lerch, Cindy Lucio, Tatiana Manriquez, Megan Nakamura, Nguyen Nguyen, Saige Perez, Michael Ramirez, Cheyenne Romero, Kimia Saadatian, Jessica Sklar, Victor Soriano, Kevon Williams

Our department chair, Dr. Horner, began the symposium by welcoming the attendees as well as introducing our important benefactor, Lowell Overton, President of RealMega.Com and Broker for Coldwell Banker. As a former graduate of Cal-Poly Pomona, Mr. Overton recounted his development at our university as well as his ability to harness the behavioral sciences to become a highly significant figure in the real estate industry. Mr. Overton's talk inspired our audience and the symposium presenters about the possibilities of empowerment through the social sciences. Certificates were then presented to our student participants, with the ceremony's conclusion signalling the beginning of the symposium in earnest. Mr. Overton's generosity in supporting our symposium was further enhanced by his attendance at our presenters' talks and poster presentations. We are very grateful that Mr. Overton has taken time from his busy schedule to attend our event as well as serve as a continuing benefactor for future symposia organized by our department. We are also grateful for the continued participation of the Office of Undergraduate Research's (OUR) Elisa Mitchell. She has returned again to serve as moderator for one of our symposium sessions. Moreover, she also gave a talk to our students about the OUR. Additionally, this year our university's MediaVision department sent two representatives to film the symposium for posterity.

A very special thank you goes to our department staff Leticia Keenan, Jeanette Huyler, and Diane Slusser. Their efforts have been invaluable in making this year's symposium flow smoothly. Without their dedicated assistance with the logistics of attending to food provisions, the printing of posters, managing the configuration of rooms, as well as ensuring whatever supplies that were needed were available, this year's symposium would not have succeed.

Finally, without the students' dedication to knowledge and its dissemination, along with their intellect, professionalism, and curiosity, this symposium would not have taken place. We are thoroughly impressed by their efforts and commitment to their disciplines. Additionally, the students that attended deserve commendations as well since their ability to be part of an inquisitive audience adds greatly to the dynamic of the event. Thank you to all of you. In the following pages, speech presenters' photographs will be displayed along with the titles of their talks. Photographs of our luncheon area where poster presenters were stationed are also included.

THE 8TH LOWELL OVERTON UNDERGRADUATE SYMPOSIUM: APRIL 21, 2017