By Tiffany Whitfield

Representation in science matters to Lauren Butler who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from 麻豆国产AV in May 2022. Diversity and inclusion are the two factors that initially led Butler to 麻豆国产AV. As an African American woman who is pursuing a career in a field where minorities and women are underrepresented, she found her footing. At 麻豆国产AV she not only found a place of belonging but was introduced to a world full of new possibilities that has led her to a path of pursing research on a doctoral level thanks to a specially designed program.

Growing up in Richmond, she attended a predominantly white high school. 鈥淚 learned that 麻豆国产AV was聽a minority serving institution聽and that was something very聽important to me,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淭here's a lot of diverse people both聽racially and ethnically diverse, and that is what brought me to 麻豆国产AV.鈥澛

Butler not only settled in quickly at 麻豆国产AV but excelled academically. She intentionally chose to major in psychology because of what her childhood friend lived through.

鈥淢y best friend, at the time, was being abused by her father, and I was there for her during that very hard time,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淚 remember wanting to learn聽about why parents聽abuse their children,聽what happens once children are abused,聽and how that may impact their lives.鈥澛燭hat situation sparked a passion聽for Butler to want to learn more about childhood trauma. 鈥淚t got me thinking about how we聽can better help children that are聽experiencing this or better help parents聽learn discipline,鈥 said Butler.

During her sophomore year she was accepted into聽the Perry Honors program, and聽she became curious about how聽to get involved in research that related to childhood trauma. Getting involved in research in the lab of 麻豆国产AV鈥檚 Associate Professor Kristin Heron, Ph.D. would prove to be the pathway to unlocking new opportunities.

鈥淚 started doing research in Dr. Kristin Heron鈥檚 lab, and聽I was just barely doing research because聽I was still working a part time job,鈥 said Butler. Heron piqued Butler鈥檚 curiosity when she told her about the Monarchs Maximizing Access to Research Careers (M-MARC) program now called the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement聽(U-RISE).聽鈥淎t the time there was a pre-MARC program where聽sophomores could attend workshops聽and seminars,鈥 said Butler.聽She got involved in the pre-MARC program and met Chemistry Professor and M-MARC Co-Principal Investigator Alvin聽Holder, Ph.D. 鈥淚 met the other M-MARC students聽and started attending some of the workshops, and I was like, 鈥榦h yeah, I could聽definitely do this鈥 and still聽continue to do research and get more聽involved since I wouldn't have to work a job,鈥 said Butler.聽

She was accepted into the M-MARC program the summer before her junior year which coincided with the COVID-19 global pandemic. 鈥淚 took all of my classes remotely and I still can research聽remotely, which was very,聽very unique to psychology,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淏ut I really learned how to work remotely,聽which has really helped me, like even now,聽because my current job is hybrid.鈥 聽

Even though the COVID-19 global pandemic took a toll on learning, Butler and the other M-MARC students persevered. During her junior year, she went back home to Richmond and took all virtual classes at 麻豆国产AV. Each of the M-MARC cohorts continued to meet weekly online and stayed paired up with their research advisors. At the end of her junior year, Butler took part in a summer research experience in New York where only a handful of people were on campus.聽鈥淚 got to go to聽Stony Brook University to聽work with Dr. Kristin Bernard, and that was really nice because I聽got to do some research more聽geared towards my interest,鈥 said Butler. In working with Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology Bernard, Butler studied adverse childhood experiences more in-depth.

Stony Brook University Associate Professor Bernard said, 鈥淒uring her 10-week visit,聽Lauren聽demonstrated remarkable curiosity, sharp thinking, and enthusiasm for research. Since that time, she has been an incredibly productive scholar and sought advanced training opportunities to enhance her readiness for conducting research at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and prevention.聽Lauren聽is committed to conducting translational research in partnership with marginalized communities and aims to promote diversity in science through her engagement in mentorship, teaching, and service. At this early stage of her career, she is functioning at the level of an early-stage doctoral student.鈥

Butler enjoyed the ways M-MARC helped to professionally develop students. 鈥淭hey funded us to聽travel and attend conferences, but a lot of the conferences聽at that time were virtual,鈥 said Butler. 鈥淕oing to conferences was a really聽good opportunity as well,聽because I got to learn how聽to present my research for the first time, so that was a very unique experience.鈥 聽聽聽

As her senior year neared completion, Butler applied to several clinical psychology programs.聽鈥淚 got a couple of interviews,聽but unfortunately didn't get accepted,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淒uring that time, I started聽thinking about other options,聽whether that would be a聽master's degree or a post baccalaureate.鈥 A post baccalaureate is an opportunity where a recent college undergraduate could do more research and gain experience needed to get into a doctoral program. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have to pay for college again, so I started聽applying to post baccalaureate positions,鈥 said Butler. 鈥淚 completed an interview at聽my current position with the PI (principal investigator),聽now my advisor, and聽then also the current post bacs聽at the same time.鈥

Currently, Butler is doing a post baccalaureate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 鈥淚 am working on聽a longitudinal study that examines how聽early life experiences聽influence adolescent psychopathology,鈥 said Butler.聽She interviews a wide variety of adolescents and聽their parents about their experiences.聽鈥淭hose interviews cover聽a wide range of topics, from school performance all the way to like聽experiences of abuse and聽neglect and suicide ideation,鈥 said Butler.聽

Butler is more hands on with聽the participants about learning聽about their experiences. 鈥淚 am very excited about聽where I do research because I learned about聽community engagement and being聽very involved with communities聽within this field as well, especially how we can better聽help serve marginalized communities,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淲ith research and clinical聽and then also this community component this is the best option聽for me, and it is very flexible.鈥

With the experiences she鈥檚 had from 麻豆国产AV to UNC, Butler is prepared to continue her education at the doctoral level in clinical psychology. Being a black woman in STEM, I feel inspired by the current Black women聽already in the field of STEM and聽the amazing work that they're doing,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淚t can be challenging, at times,聽being the only person in the room.鈥 She is looking forward to working with populations聽that are historically underserved. 鈥淲ith my perspective of being a Black woman,聽I find it very important to also help serve聽communities that are underrepresented in science and in聽this field of research in general,鈥 said Butler. I am passionate about reducing structural factors that drive the experiences of violence and adversity among individuals within marginalized communities, such as structural inequality and disparities in mental health services.鈥 聽

Butler has been accepted into several doctoral programs, which she will start in the fall of 2024, but has yet to make a final decision. She credits 麻豆国产AV and the M-MARC program for her success.

鈥溌槎构鶤V is amazing, and it definitely offers聽a lot of opportunities for聽underrepresented students to get聽involved in different things, especially with the M-MARC program,聽specifically for underrepresented students,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淎 lot of times we don't get聽these experiences at other universities,聽especially an experience that聽offers a tuition waiver and a stipend.鈥 She would like to thank all of the leadership in the M-MARC program for their help and commitment to students.

鈥淚 would say M-MARC (now U-RISE) is such a great opportunity聽to not miss out on it,鈥 said Butler.聽鈥淵ou get to really be involved in research if that's something you're interested聽in.聽It's just a great opportunity聽for underrepresented students STEM.鈥

The opportunities afforded to Butler through the M-MARC program continue through its successor, U-RISE, currently serving eight underrepresented STEM juniors and seniors."