Psychology and Social Science. (Divisional Reports).

At the 66th Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, held in Biloxi, MS, the Division of Psychology and Social Science demonstrated sizable growth in papers and participation this year. We are proud to report a total of 18 scientific papers, from five Ph.D. scientists, three graduate students and eight undergraduate students. There were sixteen slide presentations and two posters featured in our division. Participants were from Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Monetary awards were given to the graduate and undergraduate students who presented the most outstanding scientific presentations. Chris Strawbridge, a graduate student in Chemistry at the University of Southern Mississippi was presented with the "Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award". His paper was entitled, " The opiate precursor Tetrahydropapaveroline as a possible causal agent of alcohol craving in male Sprague-Dawley rats". Chris' work was supervised by USM scientists, Dr. John McCoy and Dr. Kenneth McMurtrey. For the "Outstanding Undergraduate Student Paper Award, there was a tie for first place; thus, two awards were made. Kumari Hardy, a senior psychology major at Jackson State University, received the undergraduate award for a research paper she completed during a summer research experience at New York University. Kumari's paper examined the "Practices and perceptions of racial socialization among African American families." She was supervised by Dr. Diane Hughes at NYU and Dr. Pamela Banks at JS U. Johnathan Hayes, a senior biology major at Jackson State University, was the recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Paper Award. He was mentored by Dr. John Piletz from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His paper was entitled, "Imidazoline receptors: Improved antiserum-based blood test for depression? "Both Kumari and Johnathan are honors undergraduate research trainees in a training grant funded by the National Institute of Mental Health at Jackson State University. Congratulations to our emerging scientists! Special thanks is also to be given to the judges: Dr. Billy Barrios (University of Mississippi), Dr. Sheree Watson (JSU), Dr. Ann Marie Kinnell (USM), Heather Sullivan and Joan Elders (MS Museum of Natural Sciences).

At the Business meeting, USM Sociology Professor, Dr. Ann Marie Kinnell was elected Divisional Chair, with Dr. Billy Barrios from the University of Mississippi elected as the Alternate. Dr. Pamela Banks, who has been Chair for three or four years will now serve as Vice Chair. The Division is growing and our committment to the Academy is stronger than ever as was evident by the successful meeting we experienced at MAS 2002.