Psychology junior Grant Burton wins Beinecke Scholarship

April 1, 2018

Grant Burton, an Honors College junior majoring in psychology in the College of Social Science, has been selected as one of 18 students across the country to receive the Beinecke Scholarship.

The scholarship pays for graduate school for students studying the fields of art, humanities or social science.

Burton, who plans to pursue a doctorate in psychology and who is researching conflict and interventions that lead to compromise, is the fourth Beinecke Scholar from MSU since 2011, when the university was invited to be a nominating institution.

“I would like to thank my research mentors: John Waller, Jason Moser and Amanda Flaim,” Burton said. “Without their enthusiastic assistance throughout my college career, I could not have achieved the great honor of becoming a Beinecke Scholar. I would also like to thank Kristin Janka for facilitating the application process and providing invaluable feedback on my application materials. Finally, I could not have made it to college in the first place without the love and support of my parents.”

Burton is from Midland and graduated from Chippewa Hills High School.

For more than two years, he has worked as a research assistant for Moser’s MSU Clinical Psychophysiology Lab in the Department of Psychology and previously worked as a research assistant in the MSU Expertise Lab.

“I could not think of a worthier recipient,” said Moser, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program. “Grant stood out on day one of his work in my lab. It was obvious he had the passion and perseverance to perform at the highest level as an undergraduate and was preparing himself for graduate studies in psychology. I am convinced Grant will become one of the leaders in our field in the not too distant future.”

Burton is also a lead research investigator for the Social Science Scholars Program and previously presented research about the brain and how it processes emotions at the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum.

“On behalf of the Honors College, I’d like to congratulate Grant on earning the Beinecke Scholarship,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the Honors College. “His enthusiasm for psychology and research will no doubt be an asset going forward.”

This story was first posted by MSUToday.