A Brief History of the Think Tank

The Think Tank, like all clubs, began small and has been growing aggressively since. Meetings of just a couple students have evolved into massive gatherings, and research output has grown by several factors as well.

Inception and Growth

The story of the Think Tank begins in the Fall of 2022, when Dr. Darren George and two of his students, Braden Hall and Toni Rebaldo, began meeting for research discussion. These meetings averaged just five members and happened only occasionally. Eventually, would formalize into our seven-meeting structure that we currently use. Research output during this time was quite low, due to few participating students.

Of course, this did not last for long, and soon the Think Tank began to expand rapidly. Certain incentives began being offered to all attending members, including our famed doughnuts courtesy of Krispy Kreme. Regular meetings in Gordon Palmer Hall became the norm, and we even began holding parties once a semester to encourage continued involvement. During this period, meeting attendance averages jumped up to almost 30 people, a significant improvement. Research output also increased accordingly, and the standard of two studies a semester was established.

Incorporation

Despite our growth, the Think Tank could only grow so much before becoming official. Thus, in November of 2024, The Psychology Research Think Tank registered as an official student organization of the University of Alabama. This allows us to administer a mySOURCE page like other clubs, as well as establish an official Constitution and Executive Board. Certain privileges for veteran members, such as graduation cords and official letters of recommendations, have since become an extension of our existence.

During this time, the Think Tank also developed a logo, which features on all of our produced merchandise and media. We sought to incorporate the ideals of the Think Tank with the imagery of the University of Alabama. After several applications and revisions, the logo was approved by the University and now has become a key identifier of who we are. Our mission statement, which has become a defining part of club, is merely an extension of who we are. Conceiving, conducting, analyzing, and publishing research is what we were created for, and we communicate this to all who listen.

Membership also increased slightly over the following semester, now averaging around 35 students.

Aggressive Expansion

Having incorporated, the Think Tank now aims to aggressively expand in all aspects of its existence: more students, more faculty, more visibility, and most importantly, more research output. The Think Tank has unique opportunities to offer to students, and it is only fair to offer those opportunities to as many students as possible. Unfortunately, despite incorporating as a UA club, the Think Tank had yet to become as visible as other clubs on campus. Therefore, the Think Tank has adopted a policy of aggressive outreach, spearheaded by our Social Media Chair, Jackson Alexander.

Our outreach campaign uses several effective tactics to spread information about who we are and what we do. First, we now maintain a broad reaching and active presence on the internet, using our newly created website and active social media accounts to this effect. The Think Tank now also operates an Ambassador program, which sends club representatives into psychology classes and club meetings across campus to recruit members who might otherwise go unnoticed. Lastly, the Think Tank participates in university-wide events, such as Get on Board Day, which help increase our presence among the general student body.

Many of these efforts have already yielded tangible results. Average attendance exploded from about 35 in Spring 2025 to almost 85 in Fall 2025. An additional faculty member, neuroscience expert Dr. Ryan Lange, has also gotten involved, and he brings with him the potential to not just increase our research output, but also to diversify the topics we study.

To disseminate all that we research, the Think Tank is committed to attending research conferences across the country. These include the Alabama Psychological Association annual convention, the University's own Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity conference, and the upcoming Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) conference in New Orleans. The Think Tank has also partnered with external organizations, including Upward Behavioral Health, a psychology clinic out of Birmingham. They send speakers to our meetings and offer shadowing experience and professional advice to our students.

Future

We have a saying at the Think Tank: the sky's the limit. There truly is no end to our mission or how many students we can get involved in research. Every student who gets on a study, every student who gets cited in top journals, and every student who even just attends our meetings is a success. Every conference attended, every guest speaker invited, and every flyer posted on the wall is a step towards getting as many students into their research dreams. Therefore, we encourage all students who even have the slightest interest in the Think Tank to get involved; what seems like a small step may change your life.