Kathryn Roderick is the 2024 Kent & Billie Anger Graduate Student Research Award Recipient
The Psychology Department is pleased to announce that Kathryn Roderick is the inaugural Kent
and Billie Anger Graduate Student Research Fund award recipient. This fund was established
with a gift in 2023 from Kent and Billie Anger. Kent earned his doctorate in experimental
psychology in 1974 from the University of Maine.
Kathryn Roderick is a 4th year PhD Candidate in Psychological Sciences at the University of
Maine. Growing up in Virginia, the supportive environment created by Kathryn’s family instilled
in her a love of learning, an inquisitive spirit, and a desire to give back to her community. Her
decision to pursue a doctoral degree stems from a desire to further her expertise and contribute to
the education and training of future psychology professionals. Kathryn’s research broadly
focuses on conflict resolution. In her current work she is focusing on how individuals confront
discrimination and prejudice, what makes such confrontations effective, and how individuals
from diverse backgrounds are perceived when they confront.
The Kent and Billie Anger Graduate Student Research Fund will play a crucial role in supporting
Kathryn’s dissertation research. Kathryn is passionate about representing, and understanding, the
unique perspectives of individuals from diverse backgrounds in her research. This funding will
enable her to compensate research participants and broaden the scope of her data collection
efforts. By facilitating a more diverse sample, this financial support will enhance the quality and
depth of Kathryn’s research findings, ultimately contributing to the advancement of knowledge
in the field of psychology. This funding is vital to a scholar like Kathryn who is passionate about
reducing conflict among individuals from diverse backgrounds.