As CORE lab research coordinator Lauren Voso wraps up her co-op with the lab, we asked her about her experience working for the lab and being part of the research. 

What is your background and what brought you to this position?

I am a Behavioral Neuroscience major and Environmental and Sustainability Sciences minor, so this role offered a combination of my academic interests, as many of the projects in the lab involve a mix of psychology concepts and environmental science/biology. I have always loved research, especially in the psychology field, so with this co-op I was able to dig deep into how research is performed at all levels. The position was a perfect fit for me and I’m glad I was able to join the team!

What did you like most about the position?

As the research coordinator for the lab, I basically was the person at the center of the lab. I worked closely with team leaders and our collaborators but also was the point person for the undergraduate research assistants in the lab. I loved that I was able to form great connections with so many people and be highly involved in the lab’s work.

What kind of research were you involved in?

The great thing about the CORE lab is that we are engaging in interesting research topics across many different fields. I was involved in the lab’s environmental psychology projects the most, and greatly enjoyed working on the Environmental Thinking team which investigates how people think about their relationship to the natural world. I also had the opportunity to work on research involving anthropocentrism in biology education, which was interesting to me as I have a strong background in biology. More recently, I was able to contribute to history education projects in the lab, which was a new topic for me that I loved to explore deeper. Overall, I loved learning about all the areas of research occurring in the lab and am grateful that I was able to work closely with many teams.

What’s your biggest takeaway from your time here?

Being able to immerse myself in the research process was incredibly rewarding and is something I will take with me to future opportunities. Not only was I able to work on several research projects in the lab, I was also able to create my own research project which I will continue working on. I am very proud of the leadership and creative thinking skills I have developed in this position, and am enthusiastic about where this will take me next.

Any final thoughts on this experience?

I am very appreciative of all the people in the lab who supported me during this co-op! The CORE lab has a very inclusive environment that encourages curiosity and exploration, and I’m glad I was able to contribute to this atmosphere. I am excited to keep working with the lab and to see how our projects develop.