SXU Senior Earns Outstanding Psychology Student Award
Recent Saint Xavier University (SXU) graduate Brandon Dixon '24 has earned the College of Liberal Arts and Education's Outstanding Psychology Student Award. Selected for his strong aptitude in psychology, high level of professionalism, and consistent engagement, Dixon was thrilled to be honored with the designation.
"The work I've done for my classes and research projects, along with my involvement in Psi Chi, has required a lot of my attention. It hasn't always been easy, and I've struggled a lot personally when it comes to balancing all my responsibilities. I set high standards for myself when it comes to coursework and can often doubt myself, but it feels great seeing my efforts over the past few years were noticed," said Dixon.
Dixon was initially drawn to psychology during high school and found many ways to immerse himself in the subject during his time at Saint Xavier.
Dixon finished his undergraduate career with a cumulative 4.0 and began working on his capstone project, "The Relationship Between Different Methods of Evaluating Empathy," his junior year. Working with mentor Gregory Degirolamo, Ph.D., Dixon was involved in every step of the research process, developing the hypothesis, collecting and analyzing the data, and presenting his findings.
His capstone project began with a literature search on theory of mind, the central topic of his study. He focused on its meaning, the tasks used to measure it, and the consensus held regarding theory of mind, which laid the foundation for his study and gave him experience in conducting a literature search relevant to the research process. His study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and he was present for the data collection of all 89 participants so he could record important information. After conducting his analysis of the data using SPSS, a statistical software, he presented his findings at SXU's Research Expo and the Midwestern Psychological Association conference.
"Developing and then presenting my own research project was one of my favorite memories I've made at SXU. In my second and third years of school, I began to get more interested in reading about and conducting research and realized I may want to pursue research in my future career. The experience allowed me to attend the MPA conference, where I got to connect with other students who had completed their own research, and I also networked with faculty from graduate programs in Chicago," said Dixon.
Dixon also participated in several internships during his time at SXU, both on and off campus. At Pathlights, a social services organization, he completed online applications for LIHEAP energy-saving kits, SNAP, and Medicaid for clients, who were typically 60 years or older, disabled, and of a lower socioeconomic status. He also worked with Saint Xavier's Office of Institutional Research, where he helped to develop a climate survey distributed to students. He promoted the survey in the SXU Diner and also worked on data collection for a separate study, which he assisted in coding. His internship with SXU's Counseling Center involved performing clerical work and assisting with event preparation.
Dixon served as the president of Psi Chi, SXU's chapter of the psychology honor society, an organization he was involved in re-establishing. His academic and extracurricular involvement have prepared him well for his future.
"Many of my courses focused on the research process and interpreting research findings, which helped me develop skills that I will likely use and further develop in graduate school. SXU offered psychology courses in various specialty areas, including developmental, forensic, clinical and counseling, allowing me to gain insight into which areas I wished to concentrate on for my career. Working on my senior capstone project helped me grow professionally," said Dixon.
In the fall, Dixon will begin work toward a Master of Science in clinical counseling at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He plans to pursue a career as a clinician and researcher with a focus on studying addiction-related decision-making. He also has an interest in working with children with disabilities, focusing on rehabilitation.