In case you haven't been keeping track of all the congratulations going around we are celebrating 13 new LUROP awards coming to lab this year! 5 Provosts, 3 Mulcahy's, 2 Johnson's, 2 Summer Research Mentorings, a 1 McNair.  Yeah!  Becky and I really appreciate all your hard work!

The CAN lab was out in force at the 2013 LUROP Research symposium. Callie Short gave a talk followed by Poster presentations by Ryan Brisson, Will Beishel, Laura Endris, Elise Gagnon, Matt Kmeiick, Nirav Patel, Izabelle Rymut, and Beccy Shukhman.  The lab also celebrated with Matt Kmeicik as he received the 2013 University Libraries Undergraduate Research Paper Award at the LUROP award ceremony.

Congratulations to sophomores Sarah Zaza and Hadeel Barrawi who both received Johnson Scholarships for the next two years for their research in the CAN lab.  Working with Dr. Morrison, Sarah will be using EEG to study verbal analogical reasoning in young women.  Hadeel will be working with graduate student Catherine Lee and Dr. Silton to study the neural correlates of coping.

And last but not least congratulations to Ryan Brisson, Makkiah Nuutein and Julie Flannery for receiving Mulcahy scholarships. Ryan will work with Dr. Morrison on a project studying the neural correlates of analogical reasoning, and Makkiah will work with graduate student Dane Wendall and Dr. Morrison to study how political engagement affects the types of reasoning people use to think. Julie will be working with graduate student Daniel Dickerson and Dr. Silton to explore the neural mechanisms of rumination in recently depressed individuals.

The day before the Sujack Award ceremony, Matt, Ryan, Krishna, Natalie and Beccy and I sat at a dark table in San Francisco illuminated by the bright smile of the Vietnamese woman cooking us lunch. A cockroach had been spotted but the food was savory and the coffee strong and sweet. Accomplishment was fresh as we celebrated new friends, future possibilities in graduate and medical school, and successful presentations at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society annual meeting.

Later in the day back at the Chinatown loft we were sharing, we met with a colleague from another university who was trying to find her career path. I reflected on my own improbable path: molecular biology; polymers and sculpture; a string of generous people willing to chance on a long shot; starting an education nonprofit; a post-doctoral fellowship at the last possible moment, followed by a tenure track job the year of the stock market crash; a bright young colleague willing to experiment with co-mentoring a research lab; and brilliant, motivated, students showing up on my door step. This was a winding path populated by so many blessings and occasionally by courage.

I looked at our divining colleague and my students ready to jump towards exciting futures.

Do what you love...the rest, will follow.

I know why I am here.

Thanks to the Sujack family, Anne Figert and the rest of the Sujack Awards committee, my supportive family, friends, mentors and colleagues. 

But most of all, thanks to my student collaborators in learning. Awards are great, but the true reward is being able to do what I love with all of you!

Bob

Thanks to the generosity of LUROP, the Mulcahy's Scholars Program, and the Loyola Department of Psychology, Krishna Bharani, Ryan Brisson, Natalie Mandel, Bob Morrison, and Beccy Shukhman attended the 20th Annual Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference in San Francisco to present some of our recent work on analogy, SuperAging, and memory monitoring.  As usual the poster sessions was rocking.  This year's conference featured many great presentations including ones from developmental cognitive neuroscientist Pat Kuhl and neurologist Bob Knight.  Our digs in a Chinatown loft were sweet...and savory with all of the good food in the neighborhood...can anyone say YUMMY...they miss us!

Congratulations to CANlabber Matt Kmiecik who has won the 2013 University Libraries Undergraduate Research Paper Award for his psychology honor's thesis, "Semantic Distance Modulates the N400 Event-Related Potential in Verbal Analogical Reasoning", which he will present this summer at the Cognitive Science Society Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany. Matt will receive his award at the LUROP award ceremony this coming Saturday.

Congratulations to Bianca Wells, who has been accepted into the McNair Scholars Program and will be doing a summer internship with Dr. Morrison to begin her time in the CAN lab.  She will join the aging research group.  Congratulations are once again in order to graduate student Dane Wendell who received a Research Mentoring Program fellowship to continue his work on the neural correlates of political ideology while mentoring undergraduate lab member Makiah Nuutinen. Jessica Tapia will also be joining the lab this summer as a part of the Research Mentoring Program to work with Val Flores on the language brokering and development of analogical reasoning projects. Its going to be an exciting summer!

CANlabber Ryan Brisson will be inducted into the  Maroon & Gold Society in recognition of his commitment to leadership, academic excellence, and service to others.  Members represent a cross-section of undergraduate communities and leadership paths at the university.Maroon & Gold Society members exemplify holistic development – the fusion of the academic, personal, spiritual, and character dimensions of student development.  Society members are living examples of an integrated Jesuit education for leadership.  As such, these rising seniors will act as a liaison between the student body and the President of the University.