Leeds Trinity University graduates receive Psychology award for research excellence

Two Leeds Trinity University graduates have received an award for academic excellence in their final year dissertations.

Psychology graduates Macy Iwediebo and Rebecca Rose were awarded the 2021 British Psychological Society (BPS) Undergraduate Citation for Excellence in Undergraduate Qualitative Research.

The award is part of the BPS’s Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section (QMiP) and recognises a wide range of qualitative theory, research and practice. QMiP welcomes nominations from undergraduate students who have completed an excellent dissertation in qualitative psychology, with no more than two nominations per course in any given year.

Macy and Rebecca were nominated by Dr Alison Torn, Senior Teaching Fellow in Psychology at Leeds Trinity. Macy’s research explored the influence of music genre on Black male identity and behaviour, while Rebecca investigated experiences of colourism for Black British females in the UK.  

Dr Torn said: “Both Macy and Rebecca worked throughout their degrees with a quiet determination, and it was a pleasure to supervise their final year projects. It’s fair to say I pushed both students hard, particularly during the data analysis stage, as I knew they were capable of outstanding work. They shared a focused, professional, and diligent approach to their work which resulted in these BPS awards and their First-Class degrees.”

She added: “It is to their credit that despite all the pressures of completing a degree during a pandemic, both students achieved a successful outcome in relation to their degree and the BPS award. As their supervisor and lecturer, I’m immensely proud of both Macy and Rebecca.”

Macy said: “I was so surprised to receive the BPS Citation for my dissertation and to make it even more special, my best friend received one too. We were both over the moon to receive First-Class degrees and it was like everything I had been dreaming of since I started at Leeds Trinity University three years ago had come true.”

She added: “It felt like all the sleepless nights and hours spent staring at textbooks and computer screens had paid off, and I am so grateful for all the support I received along the way. I was so lucky to have had such a great supervisor to support me whilst working on my dissertation. I was scared I wouldn’t get the grade I was hoping for but the fact I got a First and won this award is a dream come true. The hard work was worth it.”