While many students are surprised to discover they can participate in research during their undergraduate studies, Olivia Kopp went looking for a university where she could do just that.

“I chose the University of Iowa because I wanted to go to a research school,” says Kopp, who will graduate with a BS in psychology. “I like the idea of constantly finding out new things and learning more, so I wanted to go to a research school specifically.”

The first-generation student from Dubuque, Iowa, says the research opportunities at Iowa exceeded her expectations.

Kopp has been working in the Sleep and Behavioral Development Lab led by Mark Blumberg, professor and chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, assisting in the lab’s work to understand how twitches in infants and toddlers during sleep contribute to their development.

“Research has the ability to really open up your mind because you have to think about one question from all different angles,” Kopp says. “That has really helped me in general with my perspective on any sort of topic. I think that has been the most important skill I have gained working in this lab, even compared to all the technical skills I have learned.”

After graduation, Kopp plans to apply for postbaccalaureate programs or research assistant positions to gain more lab experience and narrow down her interests before applying to graduate schools.

“Getting the chance to work in a lab here on campus has been really exciting, and it’s helped me know for sure that this is something I would like to do in the future,” Kopp says.

What are some of your earliest memories on campus?

I think my earliest memories come from On Iowa!, including when all the new students got together on the Pentacrest. Participating in all the different activities and moving into the dorm for the first time was exciting.

What has surprised you most about your time at Iowa?

How many different people we have here. We have faculty who are very well known and are doing research in a lot of different areas. I also was really interested in seeing all the different perspectives on campus from people within those research fields.

What do you think you’ve gotten from your experience at Iowa that you wouldn’t have at another school?

I don’t think I would have gotten that sense of community I have with people — from classmates to having one-on-one relationships with people in the department. Iowa’s a great environment: It’s big enough I can meet a lot of different people, but it’s also small enough that I can get to know people a little bit more personally.

Who has been the most important mentor you have found here?

Kelly Danaher (assistant professor of instruction) helped me better understand how to prepare for graduate school and recommended opportunities I might want to look into while I was here, such as different clubs and things like that. She was really helpful in helping set me up for success.