As a sophomore, Meredith Serrano has already built an impressive research resume. Through College of Letters & Science programs like Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) and Letters & Science Summer of Excellence in Research (LASER), she has had the opportunity to work in multiple labs and professionally present her findings. URS opened the door for Serrano, who is double majoring in psychology and neurobiology. She started in a psychology lab researching the benefits of sensory, motor and cognitive environmental enrichment with Allyson Bennett, a professor of psychology. Then, as part of the LASER program, she moved on to study evolutionary cognitive processes through a lab with Stephen Ferrigno, an assistant professor of psychology. When the summer of research ended, she continued her work at the lab investigating perceptual fluency and confidence judgements in early childhood and the development of the approximate number system. She has also joined the McNair Scholars Program where she is gaining more research experience in preparation for graduate school.Â
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Meredith Serrano presents her research at the LASER Symposium.
What was the LASER program like for you?
The LASER program brings together a group of students with different majors, backgrounds and passions. There was beauty in the unity of my cohort brought together by an interest in research. It was a privilege to discover a new way of connecting with others through this program both within my cohort and my lab. I made some beautiful memories and friendships, and I would do it all over again if I could. This experience has helped me feel confident in stepping outside of my typical introverted nature to make those connections that I now cherish. I have learned that in research, just like most things in life, you get what you put in and you’re never alone. The skills I developed while completing my summer research project, which was on perceptual fluency and confidence judgments in early childhood, will continue to aid my success as I continue research within my lab and other future endeavors.
What’s your current research about?
In the Cognitive Origins Lab, we study the evolutionary origins of human cognition by comparing human abilities with those of children, adults from different cultures and non-human animals. A lot of my current focus is on the development of the approximate number system, with the hope of finding ways and interventions to potentially help children in mathematics and learning of that nature.
As part of the LASER program, students present their research.
What’s it like working in a lab?
I always enjoy my time in lab, especially because of my amazing lab mates. We have weekly lab meetings, where we get to present different updates on each of our research projects and share reviews about the recent papers that are related to any of the research that we’re doing. We also do participant testing, but it really depends on the week. It’s always something different, and we’re always learning something new.
What have been some of the milestones in your research journey?
When I joined the lab, I knew nothing about cognitive psychology. I had been looking more at psychopathology, and I still find that very interesting. Exposure to this field and learning more about it, in addition to the metacognition project, was a milestone. We were able to make a poster by the end of the LASER program, where we all presented at the symposium. And I really got to dive deep into the project and get a full understanding of our data, which was very exciting. I was able to learn more about something that I initially knew nothing about. I definitely wouldn’t have reached these milestones if it weren’t for these research programs, my mentors and my lab manager Gracie Zeller.
How have your research experiences prepared you for your future?
It’s confirmed my passion for supporting others’ wellbeing, which is why I want to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. Working as a research assistant and peer wellness coach has shown me the value of interpersonal work, and I hope to continue as a clinical psychologist in the future. Time at the Cognitive Origins Lab has also solidified my interest in working with kids.
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About the Researcher
Meredith Serrano is a sophomore at UW–Madison majoring in psychology and neurobiology while also pursuing a certificate in Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies. In addition to her studies, Serrano also serves as a peer wellness coach and dances in a Grupo Folklorico, a traditional Mexican dance group on campus.
