{"id":33624,"date":"2025-12-01T21:07:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T21:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/psychology\/?page_id=33624"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:47:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:47:51","slug":"mupc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/psychology\/mupc\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Minnesota Undergraduate Research Conference (MUPC)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Augsburg University Welcomes you to the\u00a060th Annual Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology CONFERENCE (MUPC)<\/span><\/h2>\n

Featured Speakers<\/h3>\n

The question is no longer if<\/i> AI will impact psychological science and related career pathways, but how<\/i> it already is shaping research, practice, and students’ futures. As digital tools, AI-based assessments, and autonomous agents move from labs into everyday life, psychologists face new questions about evidence, ethics, and fairness when integrating AI into their work. For this year’s conference, our keynote panel (10:45am – 12:15pm, Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center) will feature short presentations from three experts whose work spans autonomous agents and robotics, computational models of perception and decision making, and AI in hiring and assessment, followed by a moderated panel discussion and Q&A on the implications of AI for psychological science, mental health, and the future of work.<\/p>\n

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Maria Gini<\/strong> is a distinguished professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Minnesota whose work explores how AI-powered agents and robots make decisions in complex, real-world settings, from coordinating swarms of robots to guiding conversational assistants through human environments. She is also widely recognized for her mentoring of students in computing; in 2025, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from President Joe Biden, one of the highest national honors for STEM mentors.<\/p>\n

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Richard Landers<\/strong> is a professor of industrial\u2013organizational psychology at the University of Minnesota who examines how new technologies change the way people are hired, trained, and evaluated at work. He studies tools like game-based assessments, social media, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to understand both their benefits and their risks. He also serves on an American Psychological Association advisory group on generative AI chatbots, helping the field think carefully about how AI should\u2014and should not\u2014be used to support people\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n

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Paul Schrater<\/strong> is an associate professor in psychology and computer science at the University of Minnesota who studies how minds and machines make sense of the world. His work uses computational models to understand perception, decision making, and learning, asking questions like how people interpret uncertain information and how AI systems can do something similar. By comparing humans and algorithms, his research sheds light on both how we think and how intelligent systems should be designed.<\/p>\n

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Registration<\/h3>\n

Please complete the form that best describes your role at this event. All applications have now closed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The final conference schedule will be posted here Tuesday, April 21st<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Due to the volume of applicants, we will not respond to individual requests for a status update on your presentation time, but will do our best to accommodate you based on the times you provided during registration.<\/p>\n

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Conference Schedule<\/h3>\n

(NOTE: DRAFT SCHEDULE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE)<\/p>\n