Mariana Solanilla
Fall 2023 SAFE Fund Recipient
Project: "Employee Preference on Sustainable Organizational Messaging According to Individual Differences"
Mariana Solanilla, a senior psychology major from Cornelius, received a Fall 2023 Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) grant to present a poster at the River Cities I-O (RCIO) Psychology Conference in Chattanooga, TN, from October 21-22, 2023.
For the study, Solanilla and her team gauged employee preferences for sustainable organizational messaging according to individual differences. The goal was to determine how individual differences and value identity align with an employee's likelihood to attend an organization's sustainable orientation sessions. To do this, the researchers administered a survey to 201 respondents via Prolific and measured the results with factor analysis and correlation and regression. According to Solanilla, the findings from this study inform business leaders of effective sustainable business practices that may increase orientation session attendance and contribute to an emerging body of research on the topic.
The study was advised by Department of Management assistant professor Dr. Jack Carson and co-authored by psychology undergraduate students Kaitlyn Miller and Mackenzie Law and industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management graduate student Ellise VanGilder.
The SAFE funding helped Solanilla cover travel, lodging, food and conference registration fees. According to Solanilla, the support alleviated stress about accessing professional development opportunities, such as academic conferences. Solanilla wrote about the SAFE Fund, "It allows students to explore their research passions and interests without the worry of money, especially for those in low-income families."
Solanilla, who will graduate from Appalachian this Friday, plans to move to Charlotte and leverage her background in industrial-organizational psychology and leadership studies to launch a career in human resources, particularly in talent development and organizational wellness.
To learn more about the project and view the poster, visit scholar.utc.edu/rcio/2023/posters/17.
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About the SAFE Fund
Initially endowed by Hughlene and Bill Frank, the College of Arts and Sciences Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund provides resources that can be used to support undergraduate, graduate and faculty experiences. The SAFE Fund provides funding for college priorities and opportunities that arise throughout the year. These unrestricted funds support student and faculty travel, publication support for faculty and student research opportunities. Learn more at cas.appstate.edu/students/student-and-faculty-excellence-safe-fund.
About the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology
Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology serves more than 1,400 undergraduate majors seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, as well as 90 graduate students across four graduate programs: experimental psychology (MA), industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management (MA), school psychology (MA/SSP) and clinical psychology (PsyD). Learn more at psych.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Gibbs
December 8, 2024
BOONE, N.C.
Mariana Solanilla is a senior psychology major from Cornelius. Photo submitted
Mariana Solanilla is a senior psychology major from Cornelius. Photo submitted