Brett Robertson, a Henley lab assistant and sophomore Communication Studies major, just won Best Poster Presentation at the International Organization of Social Sciences and Behavioral Research conference, held earlier this week in Las Vegas.

His paper explored the debate surrounding health care reform and was entitled, “Public Distrust of Government: An Analysis of Government Transparency and Public Reaction.” The accomplishment is all the more remarkable in that he received this top honor at a conference attended primarily by faculty, with Robertson being one of only a handful of students to participate. This was Robertson’s first academic conference!

Robertson completed the research while working in the Henley lab where he collaborated with the lab’s director Dr. Ann Gordon. The pair plans to revise their conference presentation and send it to a scholarly journal for peer review.

“Traveling to Las Vegas for the conference was an incredible opportunity. For me, listening to scholars across various disciplines from around the world emphasized how important research is to the academic and professional community. Data is an empowering tool, and I feel honored to be a part of that learning experience,” said Robertson.