Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference (WPUPC)

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51st Annual Undergraduate Psychology Conference Logo
Mission Statement

The Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference (WPUPC) is dedicated to providing students with opportunities to present research in a supportive, academic environment.  This conference allows students to grow as individuals, students, and psychologists while regional institutions maintain strong academic relations.

2024 WPUPC Information

The 51st annual conference will be held at Mercyhurst University on Saturday, April 13, 2024. The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude no later than 2:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend, however, there will be no on-site registration. The call for submissions and registration for attendance are linked below. The deadline to register for the conference is Monday, April 1, 2024.

Finally, we are excited to announce that this year’s Keynote Address will be given by Dr. David R. Maguire, Ph.D.

Dr. Maguire earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Then, he earned a Ph.D. in Psychology, with a focus on the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and Behavioral Pharmacology, from the University of Florida. After completing doctoral training, Dr. Maguire moved to Texas to complete postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and a member of the Addiction Research, Treatment, and Training Center of Excellence.

Dr. Maguire’s primary academic focus is to address problems of substance misuse and abuse through behavioral pharmacology. His grant-funded research evaluates novel pharmacotherapies for relapse to drug use and drug overdose, characterizes abuse- and overdose-related effects of novel drugs and drug mixtures, and examines the impact of repeated exposure to drugs of abuse on choice, decision-making, and impulsivity. Dr. Maguire has published nearly 50 original research papers, reviews, and book chapters.

Dr. Maguire's keynote address entitled, “From the beach to biomedical research: One behavioral pharmacologist’s journey," will describe his path from a psychology undergraduate in Wilmington to a scientist at an academic health sciences institution in San Antonio with aspirations of conducting highly impactful and innovative research. In addition to describing some important and interesting research findings, Dr. Maguire will highlight a few tips and tricks that have proven useful on this journey, emphasizing the importance of persistence, networking, and good luck.

Brief History

The first Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychological Conference (WPUPC) was held at Alliance College in 1973 and was comprised of six institutions. Since that first meeting, we have grown to include 12 member institutions. More importantly, thousands of students have presented at WPUPC before graduating and making an impact on their chosen field.

Sustaining Success: 40 Years of the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference

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