Megan Suomela (’22)

Megan is a senior majoring in Psychology and with a minor in Rehabilitation and Human Services. Throughout her undergraduate years, Megan has not only excelled in academic endeavors but has also been continuously involved in research.

Megan’s primary research interests include identifying and understanding biopsychosocial factors associated with the development and trajectory of mental health disorders and how these factors may mediate or moderate health-related quality of life outcomes. Desiring lab experience to further develop these research interests, she found Dr. Eiden’s Development, Risk, and Resilience Lab. Working under Dr. Eiden has provided her with a wide range of diverse research skills and experiences.

Megan advocates for the accessibility, inclusivity, and equity of mental health services. She is particularly interested in how sociocultural factors may serve as barriers or facilitators to these services, and what long-term impact that might have on the individual. For her senior thesis, she is conducting an independent research study investigating how an early or late diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be related to quality of life and functioning outcomes in adulthood, and how these outcomes may differ between men and women. Megan hopes her thesis project will allow her to gain first-hand experience about the process of developing and producing quality research on a topic about which she is passionate. She plans to disseminate her findings at research conferences in the future. After graduation, Megan plans to gain further research and clinical experience before applying to graduate programs for clinical psychology. She would like to continue building upon her research interests and eventually provide evidence-based treatment and assessment services to adult clients, with a specialty in ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Outside of research, Megan works at the Penn State IT Service Desk, allowing her to gain a unique background in technology. She is also a member of multiple honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Lambda Delta, and Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.

The CSC wishes Megan all the best in her future academic pursuits!