SUPIR Lab member Rachel Maunder has been awarded the Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement for her meta-analysis on the effectiveness of intergroup contact interventions for reducing stigma against people with mental illness. This is a highly competitive award, with only one recipient selected in the School of Psychology each year. Well done, Rachel!
Rachel awarded the SASP Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award and Margaret Foddy Travel Award
This year, the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP) annual conference, to be hosted in Auckland, New Zealand, was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, disappointing Ruth Kuntzman and Rachel Maunder who were scheduled to present their research.
Rachel had been selected for the prestigious Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award session as one of only four candidates. In lieu of what would have been excellent presentations, the SASP OPRA committee elected to choose the winner and runner up from the applications submitted for the session.
The judges unanimously decided to award Rachel first place, an award that comes with a $500 prize.
Rachel was also separately awarded the Margaret Foddy Travel Award, $300, as sponsorship to attend the conference. This is the third time Rachel has been chosen for this award.
Congratulations, Rachel!
Fiona attends the State of the Science Meeting in Washington DC
Earlier this month, our lab director Professor Fiona White attended the State of the Science Meeting on “Improving intergroup attitudes and interactions among youth”. Fiona received a special invitation by the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) to contribute to this landmark meeting in Washington DC.

Back Row (L to R): Colin Tredoux, Linda Juang, Christina Rucinski, Deborah Rivas-Drake, Melanie Killen, Fiona White
Elise presents at AusPATH
Recently, Elise Boccanfuso presented their research using E-contact to reduce transgender prejudice at the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH) Conference in Perth. Well done, Elise!


SUPIR Lab Members recognised at the School of Psychology Prize Night
Check out these photos from the School of Psychology Prize Night.
SUPIR Lab honours student Peta O’Flynn was awarded the Dick Thompson Prize for the best Social Psychology Honours Empirical Thesis of 2018. As well, SUPIR Lab member Yucheng Zeng received an award for achieving the best marks in PSYC2012: Statistics and Research Methods.
Congratulations Peta and Yucheng!
Advances in Intergroup Contact Research: Showcasing, Consolidating, Deconstructing and Innovating the Science of Social Integration
This time last week, Professor Fiona White, along with Rachel Maunder and Elise Boccanfuso, were presenting their research in Newcastle at the joint SASP-SPSSI group meeting entitled “Advances in Intergroup Contact Research: Showcasing, Consolidating, Deconstructing and Innovating the Science of Social Integration”.
The group meeting was attended by international experts on intergroup contact, including big names like Linda Tropp (pictured) and Miles Hewstone, as well as a cohort of up-and-coming early career researchers, and even a pod of dolphins. Together, we discussed current trends and issues in research, directions for the future, and how our expertise can be used to shape policy and create lasting social change across the globe.
The SUPIR Lab attends SASP 2019
SUPIR Lab members Rachel Maunder, Ruth Kuntzman, Lauren Harvey,
Peta O’Flynn and Elise Boccanfuso, alongside lab director Professor Fiona White presented their recent research at the annual conference of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists last week at UNSW.
Our presentations spanned across the entire three day conference, and were featured in two symposiums, generating substantial discussion in the audience. Fiona was also granted the honor of introducing the keynote speaker, Professor Kerry Kawakami.
Elise and Peta graduate with a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Psychology!
Yesterday, SUPIR Lab members Peta O’Flynn and Elise Boccanfuso graduated with a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Psychology. Peta was also the recipient of the Dick Thompson Prize for the best empirical thesis in social psychology.
Congratulations Elise and Peta!
Fiona White presents her work on E-Contact at UWA
SUPIR Lab director Fiona White recently traveled to the University of Western Australia to presented on E-contact as a tool for reducing intergroup bias to the School of Psychological Science.
Society of Australasian Social Psychologists Conference: Sydney, 2019
This year’s Society of Australasian Social Psychologists‘ annual conference was held in Sydney, Australia. SUPIR Lab Manager Professor Fiona White will be presenting her research at the conference, along with SUPIR Lab members Stefano Verrelli, Ruth Kuntzman, and Rachel Maunder.
The SASP annual conference will be followed by a joint SASP-SPSSI small group meeting on intergroup contact, which will be held in Newcastle, Australia.