Alyssa has recently completed data collection for her Masters thesis entitled, The Effects of Engaging in Fat Talk on Body Dissatisfaction, Self-Esteem, Mood, Eating Behavior, and Interpersonal Closeness. She has graciously agreed to share her experiences with us as a graduate student and researcher.

Read about her volunteer work with Loyola's Women in Sports Day!

Tell us a little bit about Loyola’s Women in Sports Day. How did you get involved?
I have volunteered at Loyola’s Women in Sports Day for the past four years. I am on the varsity women’s swimming and diving team here at Loyola, so I volunteer every year with my entire team and we have a blast with all of the young female athletes. Tons of girls come to Loyola and we get to give them a tour of the athletic locker rooms as well as get them pumped for the basketball game later that afternoon. In previous years, I have given tours and talked with the girls about what sports they play and how much fun it is to play a sport in college. This year I was able to work at a few different tables helping with poster making, face painting, tattoos, and hair ribbons. The girls get so excited to get a Loyola tattoo or sparkly green hair ribbon to wear to the game. Also, they decorate and create posters that say ‘Loyola’ or ‘Go Hounds!’ because they can bring these posters to hold up at the game. It is always a fun experience to talk with the young athletes and encourage them to keep it up.

One of our very own officers, Laurette McIlwee, is currently implementing an independent research project. We are exceedingly proud to have such an ambitious woman representing Scientista on our campus.  In this month’s Spotlight, we hope to motivate women scientists with Laurette’s exciting academic plans.

Anna Nguyen, a recent graduate of Loyola University Maryland and winner of a Fulbright Fellowship, won the amazing opportunity to conduct sarcoma research at the University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland for the next nine months. She took some time to talk to me about her upcoming year abroad.

We at Loyola University Maryland are delighted to have introduced Scientista to our campus in April.  Already, there is a great display of interest and involvement among students.  We are eager to further promote Scientista at Loyola, so we would like to begin by highlighting one of our very own women scientists.  Laura Loyola, a senior undergraduate student, recently had her research on romantic relationships published in the spring edition of the Modern Psychological Sciences journal.  I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about this amazing accomplishment.