Karen R. Konkoly

When I first came to Lehigh, I did not know what I wanted to major in, let alone what career I'd want to spend the rest of my life pursuing.The Eckardt Scholars program was my key to success at Lehigh University. Without distribution requirements, I was able to find my majors from taking by classes I find intrinsically interesting. My freshman Eckardt seminar exposed me to empirical dream research, and the opportunities I have gotten thereafter towards my Eckardt capstone project-- such as attending an 8-day Lucid Dreaming and Awakening retreat in Hawaii-- have inspired me to pursue sleep research in graduate school. The self-directed flexibility of the Eckardt scholars program allowed me to discover and pursue the area I am truly passionate about.

krk217@lehigh.edu

Honors Project: 

Lucid Dreaming for Personal Growth
Undergraduate
2017
Psychology and English

Internships
William C. Dement Fellow Laboratory Technician at Brown University- Trained in electrode application, circadian science, and delivering professional presentations. Helped implement an intensive 24-hour protocol in an experiment to determine the role of circadian misalignment in the obesity epidemic

Digital and Social Media Intern at the National Sleep Foundation- Made sleepfoundation.org more valuable and accessible to users through search engine optimization and assisted in the development of the narcolepsy microsite

Leadership Roles
Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter President
Founded campus chapter, gaining recognition status from Lehigh University and Habitat for Humanity International. Grew membership to more than 500 students. Managed seven club officers and led meetings and volunteer initiatives, including the first annual Cardboard City box house fundraiser event that raised $2,000

Technology, Research, and Communications (T.R.A.C.) Fellow- Works with an assigned Lehigh class each semester to help students improve research and writing skills by commenting on drafts and conferencing with students throughout the semester

Projects
Martindale Student Associate- Developing an original research paper about sustainable development in the Amazon rainforest for publication in Perspectives on Business and Economics in 2017

Columnist for the Brown and White- Created and authors biweekly Cura Personalis column to offer holistic perspectives on physical, mental, and emotional health

TEDx Talk- Presented a talk on lucid dreaming at Lehigh TEDx Symposium

Children and Narratives in Fall 2013, teaching assistant for Arguing and the Art of Peace in Fall 2016