SalveSuccess: Jane Greenip ’22

From presenting at the Biennial Conference of the Asian Association of Social Psychology, assisting at-risk teens in Portsmouth with how to handle topics like suicide prevention and awareness to late nights editing and organizing works of poetry. Jane Greenip ‘22 works diligently balancing her love of the arts and psychology when STEM and humanities do not often overlap.  

The Cohasset, Massachusetts native spends her time as president and editor-in-chief of the Willow Literary Magazine, completing a work-study in the Salve Regina Theatre Department, and fulfilling an internship off-campus. Greenip is currently pursuing a major in Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing. She hopes to someday work with children and assist them during pivotal developmental stages.

Greenip fell in love with developmental psychology taking classes with assistant professor and McAuley Scholar Dr. Balogun-Mwangi of the Psychology Department. 

“I’ve taken nearly every class with her,” Greenip said. “Dr. B’s classes are the main reason why I want to work with kids.”

Crossing cultures with television and psychology

During the course, PSY-290 Cross-Cultural Psychology with Dr. Balogun-Mwangi, Greenip wrote a research paper on the differences between a western and Asian interpretation of the same murder-mystery television show. She described the adaptations indicated cultural differences in collectivism, individualism and gender differences. Finally submitting her work in December of 2020, Greenip knew her work had been done on an untapped area of study. The then-junior thought she could take the research further – Dr. Balogun-Mwangi agreed. 

Delving more into her research throughout the spring and summer, Greenip rewatched both series in their entirety, refined her points, and met routinely with Dr. Balogun-Mwangi. Organizing exactly what she wanted to be on the poster, Greenip needed to condense her piece into a 2-minute presentation to meet the requirements of the Biennial Conference of the Asian Association of Social Psychology. She remembers feeling pressure to come across as professional and knowledgeable as possible presenting at the undergraduate level. 

“It’s the first time I have done something like this. It was stressful, because I wanted to make sure everything made sense, was very clear, and I was presenting to a very large audience of people about their culture.” She explained,  “I was very careful to make sure I was as culturally accurate as possible, too.”

Greenip’s presentation aired online for conference members to view on July 31, 2021. Reflecting on the opportunity, she explains that she is satisfied knowing she trusted her instinct to look into a not well-researched topic and recommends other students trust their work’s potential. 

“If your idea is worth it, you’re really passionate about it, and you really know that you can do something with it, then it’s worth doing. Don’t be scared to talk to your professors to help you get this research done or pick topics that people normally wouldn’t consider, it may be a concept that helps development in the future.”

A love of writing and providing support

Greenip balances the seemingly contrasting STEM field and humanities throughout her days on campus. You may find her in Room 220 in the Antone Academic Center leading Willow Literary Magazine meetings on Tuesday nights or on her way to her internship at a suicide prevention program in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. At her internship, Greenip assists teens in the area with tips for suicide prevention creates programs for them to become prepared for life after high school. Greenip provides the teens with an outlet through her own passion, creative writing, in addition to financial literacy and resume and interview strategies.

“The teens we work with really enjoy when we suggest creative writing to them. It’s a really good outlet that they can use to express themselves, get their feelings out while also still being private.” Greenip said, “It doesn’t have to be exactly what’s happening with them. It can be a fantasy story, or it’s a really good way to just escape from everything.”

Greenip hopes to continue using her passion for creative writing with her love of psychology. Her experience with the suicide prevention program has shown her beneficial results with her own eyes. Her experience at her internship has also strengthened her writing abilities. She explained that it motivates her to be a stronger writer and pushed her to continue her research project. 

The future as a woman in STEM

Greenip plans to apply to a master’s program following her departure from Salve Regina where she will explore the training necessary for clinical counseling. She hopes to someday work with children during their difficult developmental years, honing their social skills and hopefully integrating her creative side into her counseling. 

Greenip explained that she has not encountered the toxicity of STEM being male-dominated at Salve Regina but explains she expects to encounter some as she furthers into the field. Many are unaware that psychology is embedded in STEM, do not regard it as being male-dominated but she has found in her own research much of the published works are by men. 

She explained that she is inspired by women who have published their work and produced great works as she enters the increasingly more equal field. Greenip is already making strides making the field a more equal and inspiring place for other women interested in STEM. 

Edited: https://today.salve.edu/salve-success-jane-greenip-22-psychology-major-and-creative-writing-minor/