The conference was established to provide students with the experience of participating in the type of professional conference the psychology field relies upon, including the experience of preparing and submitting materials for review, having their work formally accepted and then presenting that work in oral or poster formats.
The Tri State Psychology Conference was started by Psi Chi students and Psychology faculty at Marshall University as a local event with 25 participants and six poster presentations by undergraduate students. Following that first year, student members of Psi Chi conducted fundraising annually to expand the conference, which grew into a regional event featuring speakers that include colleagues in higher education, authors, researchers, policy-makers and health care officials.
As many as 25 schools have attended the regional conference, which is now held in different locations. Other schools have left their own marks on the event over the years, such as the annual Jeopardy competition started by West Virginia University. Other schools that have hosted the conference include Marietta College, the University of Charleston, Concord University and Berea College.
The National Office of the Psi Chi Honor Society provides grant funding for the conference and there is no registration fee to attend.
For more information, contact Pamela Mulder, professor of psychology, at 304-696-2770 or mulder@marshall.edu.