Psych Scoop 11/26/24

Psychology Advising Announcements

Current majors are expected to know the announcements in the advising announcement section.

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Psychology Undergraduate Advising Closed November 28th & 29th

The Psychology Advising office will be closed on Thursday, November 28th, and Friday, November 29th for an official University holiday. If you have any questions during that time, please be sure to email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible, starting Monday, December 2nd.

Psychology Undergrad Fall 2024 Town Hall - Meeting Minutes Available

The Psychology Student Advisory Council (SAC) met for the Fall 2024 semester on Friday, November 8th. Students met with Department faculty and administrative leadership in a Town Hall style event. Topics included data on the Psychology program and recently published SERU 2024 survey results, curriculum and instructional feedback, and opportunities to help audit Elliott Hall for inclusivity and accessibility. Student input is highly valued at these events. We invite those students who were unable to attend to review the meeting minutes. And, as always, the Department leadership welcomes feedback at any time - anonymous submissions are also accepted.

Apply for the PSY 5993 Enrichment Program

As part of the Building Pathways committee’s aim to increase engagement in research-related psychology careers among underrepresented students, we have created an enrichment program for students enrolled in PSY 5993, to support and enhance students’ research experiences. The program consists of weekly meetings with a cohort of 10-20 students to provide support for PSY 5993 research experiences, build research-related skills, learn about research-related career opportunities, and present their work. Participation in this program will also include up to $250 in tuition support. We would like to invite undergraduates who identify with groups underrepresented in psychology research careers to consider participating in this program by completing a brief application. Applications will be reviewed starting in early December, with acceptances communicated on a rolling basis throughout the Winter Break. The application should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Psychology Internships: Info Session

• Tuesday, December 3, 2024 | 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm | Zoom
• Cost: Free 
• Location: Zoom 

Join this session to learn more about the PSY 3896: Internship in Psychology class, earning credit for your work, and funding opportunities! Please RSVP to sign up for this event. In this session, you will learn about the PSY 3896: Internship in Psychology class. You will discover how internships can fit into your Psychology Major and/or overall enhance your undergraduate experience. Ideally, you will also leave this session with 2-3 ideas to explore for an Internship in Spring or Summer 2025. Please email [email protected] with questions or to request disability-related accommodations. Join us at any listed times!

Getting Started with Psychology Research: Info Session Workshop

• Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm | Zoom
• Cost: Free 
• Location: Zoom

Interested in getting started with Psychology Research? Are you in need of finding a research position for Capstone (3901W) enrollment? Sign up for an information session that will focus on sharing resources to get started with research that relates to the Psychology Major. You will learn how Psy 4/5993 research works in the department. You will discover how research can fit into your Psychology Major and/or overall enhance your undergraduate experience. You will leave this session with 2-3 ideas to explore for a research position. Sign up to attend a session! Any questions can be directed to [email protected]. 

Psychology Capstone Fall 2024 Poster Session

• Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
• Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm 
• Cost: Free
• Location: Elliott Hall 1st Floor Lobby

Psychology Undergraduates completing their Capstone in Psychology this Fall 2024 will be participating in the Capstone in Psychology Poster Session! Posters will change every 20 minutes. Psychology faculty, staff, and students are all encouraged to attend! This is a great opportunity for Spring or Summer 2025 Psychology Capstone students to see current project examples!

Psychology Student Group Announcements

All students interested in Psychology are welcome to participate in Psychology student organizations. No previous participation or membership is required. If you're interested, please attend! To learn more, visit the Organizations, Clubs, & Committees page on our website.

PISA - Leadership and Member Interest! 

Psychology International Student Association (PISA) is recruiting Officers and Members! It will be an excellent opportunity to meet amazing people (e.g., fellow psychology students, faculty members, university leaders, etc.), build leadership within the Psychology community, and improve your understanding of psychology. We welcome both domestic and international students to apply. Officers who showcase leadership and prove responsibility will also be considered for board members! Current or previous student organization experiences are not required. Apply online! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If you have questions, please email Psych Advising at [email protected] or Anna Picini at [email protected]. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Career Spotlight

Career Spotlight - Social Work

Majoring or minoring in Psychology can pave the way for careers across various industries. This week, we are highlighting a career in Social Work. A social worker is a trained professional who helps people improve the quality of their lives through counseling, advocacy, and reporting. They play a crucial role in a patient's care team. They work directly with patients and their families to help them cope with problems in their everyday lives. In addition, social workers are tasked with creating individualized treatment plans for their patients after they evaluate them based on their needs and limitations. They keep in close contact with the patient and their case manager while addressing the patient's concerns and goals. Social workers may also work with healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers, school counselors, and probation officers depending on the case. A variety of workplaces hire social workers, including government agencies, schools, hospitals, and private practices. A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Social Work is required for this position. Oftentimes, applicants also need to be licensed social workers (LICSW). To learn more about this career, visit our office for in-person career resources, or set up a meeting with us to discuss your post-grad plans and goals!

Events

UMN Psychology Colloquium Series - Drs. Alex Rothman and Jeff Simpson: Conceptualizing the Determinants of Health Behavior Change Within Interpersonal Contexts

• Date:  Thursday, December 5, 2024
• Time: 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm CT
• Cost: Free
• Location: Elliott Hall, Room N219 & Zoom

As part of the Building the Future: Areas of Excellence Within UMN Psychology Colloquium Series, Drs. Alex Rothman and Jeff Simpson present “Conceptualizing the Determinants of Health Behavior Change Within Interpersonal Contexts”. Relationship partners can affect each other’s health in impactful ways, but how this occurs is not well understood. In an attempt to fill this gap, we first discuss initial empirical and theoretical work that examined the impact of relationship partners within social cognitive models designed to predict health behaviors. This early work highlighted the need to integrate and better understand the role that intrapersonal (within-person) and interpersonal (between-person) processes assume in changing a partner’s health behaviors. We next overview the Dyadic Health Influence Model (DHIM), which identifies three routes through which an individual (the agent of influence) might influence the health beliefs and behavior of their partner (the target of influence). A central premise of the DHIM is that agents act based on their beliefs about their partner’s health as well as their relationship. Agents’ actions, therefore, have consequences not only for the targets’ health behavior but also for their relationship. We conclude by summarizing research that provides initial support for portions of the DHIM and discuss important questions and promising directions for future research. To RSVP for this event, please visit the Zoom registration page. 

Courses of Interest

For more detailed information on each of these courses, refer to Schedule Builder.

PSY 4861 - Measurement: Quantifying Individual Differences for Research and Applications

• When: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 11:15 am – 12:30 pm (150 minutes)
• Location: Online 
• Instructor: David Weiss

“Garbage in—Garbage out” is a long-standing maxim of those who develop psychological measuring instruments, as well as some data analysts who are aware of the role of measurement in the data analysis enterprise. This maxim means that if you have poor measurements—the numbers that are used in all statistical procedures—your resulting statistical analyses will also be of poor quality. No amount of manipulation of poor numbers will enable useful findings to result from bad measurements. The purpose of this course is to sensitize you to the issues involved in creating good psychological measurements, which then allow the use of basic and advanced statistical methods to extract meaning from numerical data. To accomplish this objective, we begin with a discussion of why we measure (answer: because people differ on every psychological characteristic) and the role of measurement in science. This will lead us to consider how, in the framework of the scientific method, psychological observations are converted into numbers so they can be used in both research and applications of psychology in clinics, schools, businesses, industry, and elsewhere. Read more about course details on Schedule Builder. The course is offered online at scheduled times (11:15-12:30, T, Th). However, all classes will be recorded within Zoom and the recordings will be available later the same day. Therefore, if you have another class at the same time, you can enroll in this course with special permission and view the lectures at any time.

Prerequisites: Psy 3001W/3001V, Psy 3801/3801H, or equivalent 

Note: This course does count within the Psychology major or minor program requirements. This course may count to fulfill a distribution C or psychology elective requirement.

PSY 5022 - The Human Experience of Sensory Loss: Seeking Equitable and Effective Solutions

• When: Thursdays from 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm (150 minutes)
• Location: Elliott Hall, Room N639 
• Instructor(s): Gordon Legge, Peggy Nelson, & Andrew Oxenham

This course focuses on the visual, auditory, and other sensory pathways that convey information about the world to the mind and brain. Millions of people worldwide experience deficits in sensory function that affect their quality of life. We will focus on the characteristics of healthy sensory functioning as well as how sensory disorders can affect personal identity, impede information processing, and alter brain structure and function. The course will address the demographics and risk factors for sensory disabilities, the implications of these disabilities for activities of daily living, the history of society's response to sensory disability, as well as societal, ethical, and personal attitudes toward sensory disabilities. The course will also explore translational and applied approaches for addressing sensory disabilities, incorporating the principles of community-engaged participatory research and open science. Each class session will be co-taught by a pair of instructors, representing multiple scientific and social perspectives. A major goal of the course is to view sensory function and impairment from multiple perspectives cognitive science, neuroscience, medicine, engineering, society, consumers, ethics, and social justice. The course will combine lectures, discussions, and student-led presentations of research papers. The course will include hands-on demonstrations of assistive technology and panel discussions with people with visual and hearing disabilities. During the semester, each student (or pairs of students) will develop a mini-research proposal to address a real-world issue related to sensory impairment. 

Prerequisites: [PSY 3001W AND jr OR sr] OR grad student OR instructor consent

Note: This course does count within the Psychology major or minor program requirements. This course may count to fulfill a distribution A or psychology elective requirement.

PSY 3960 - Undergraduate Seminar in Psychology: Psychology Research Preparation Course - Key part of the Department of Psychology's Pathways Program

• When: (Second Half of Term class) Mondays from 4:00 pm - 5:40 pm 
• Location: Elliott Hall N639 
• Instructor: Maya Rogers ([email protected]) and Emily Saks ([email protected])

Joining a research lab can be a fun way to enhance undergraduate education in psychology. However, getting involved is not always straightforward. This course is designed to help first- through third-year students with all levels of experience learn more about research and develop skills that will support success in future research placements, such as a PSY 5993 course. We will cover a broad range of topics including different career paths in research, preparation of 5993 application materials, how to look for scientific articles, and different expectations that labs may have. Throughout these topics, we will emphasize issues of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in science. We hope to provide opportunities for students from all backgrounds to explore how personal identity can play a meaningful role in the research experience. A permission number is required to enroll; please contact [email protected] for information.

Note: PSY 3960 may be used as 1 Elective Credit in the Psychology Major.

Research

To register for PSY 4993 or 5993 credit, view the registration requirements on the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Website.

*PSY 5993 Credit* Research Opportunity - Dr. Whitney Ringwald

Our lab is conducting research at the intersection of personality and clinical psychology and is seeking PSY5993 students. We aim to understand patterns of behavior that account for how people differ from each other and why some people have better or worse mental health. To answer these questions, we use methods that involve having people report their experiences using smartphones as they go about their everyday lives and by collecting data from smartphone sensors (e.g., GPS, calls). More information about our research can be found on Whitney Ringwald’s Google Scholar page. Students will learn about conducting research in weekly meetings, participate in study design/data collection, perform literature reviews, and complete an original study as a group. Ideal applicants are interested in pursuing a research career. Please apply through this Google Form. Applications must be submitted by January 6th, 2025  and select candidates will be contacted for interviews the week of January 13th.  Email Whitney Ringwald at [email protected] with questions.

*CPSY 4994 Credit* Firearm Violence Study in the Child Wellbeing Lab

Dr. Canan Karatekin's Child Wellbeing Lab is looking for highly motivated undergraduate students to assist with an exciting new research project! Firearm violence is the leading cause of death of American children, but research is only beginning to emerge on how it affects children's mental health, and what strategies are most effective for prevention and intervention. We are planning to conduct a scoping review on the state of child firearm violence and prevention research to understand where research efforts are being directed, the impact this research has, and what recommendations are being offered. As a member of this study team, you will gain experience learning how to systematically analyze research articles by developing and applying coding schemes, conducting data analysis, and integrating results into a research manuscript. If interested, please send your CV/ resume, unofficial transcript, and a short introduction to Rachel Kritzik at [email protected]. Thank you!

*Volunteer* RA Position in Substance-Use Disorder and Neuroimaging Lab

Dr. Zilverstand in the Department of Psychiatry is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented volunteer student to support an ongoing project investigating mechanisms underlying mental health risks, substance use initiation, and the development of psychiatric disorders in adolescents. Responsibilities include conducting literature searches and reviews for an upcoming manuscript and gaining experience with phenotypic subtyping methods in psychopathology research. This role offers hands-on research experience in a collaborative lab environment, participation in lab meetings, journal clubs, and opportunities to contribute to poster presentations and authorship on published manuscripts. Ideal candidates will have a strong academic record, a passion for research, and an interest in pursuing graduate-level education. Contact Leyla Brucar at [email protected] and attach a CV/resume, an unofficial transcript, and a cover letter/short introduction.

Summer & Fall 2025 UROP Deadline 

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) provides University of Minnesota undergraduates from every college, major, and discipline, the opportunity to partner with a faculty member on research or creative projects. The next deadline to apply for an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) award is March 17, 2025, for Summer & Fall 2025 projects. Research experience is important no matter what your discipline! The OUR staff is happy to help you get started. Not sure where to start? Go to peer drop-in hours to demystify the research process. They can help you figure out how to get started with research, go over the next steps, and answer general questions.

Call For Undergraduate Research Papers!

Have you completed a research paper in a psychology-related field (i.e. psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, linguistics)? Are you looking for a platform to publish your work? If so, The Undergraduate Research Journal of Psychology at UCLA (URJP) wants you to submit your papers for their annual publication, expected to be released in Spring 2025. URJP is an organization dedicated to informing the community of psychological findings through research run by undergraduates from all over the world. Last year, they received submissions from both local and international universities. URJP is one of the few established psychology journals that publishes undergraduate psychological research. Submitted papers must be original work completed by undergraduates (Includes senior honors theses, independent research, reviews, theoretical papers, and other scholarly writing)and have never before been published. The deadline to submit papers is Friday, November 29, 2024, at 11:59 P.M. PST. Multiple submissions from one author are welcome. More information regarding submission criteria and the types of articles accepted can be found on their website. To view prior publications, please visit the website! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [email protected].

Learning Abroad

For additional information about learning abroad opportunities, refer to the Learning Abroad Center’s website.

Mental Health & Well-being in Spain Study Abroad Info Session

• Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
• Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CT
• Cost: Free
• Location: Elliott Hall N227 or Virtual

Interested in studying abroad? You can explore mental health, well-being, and helping professions in a global context while living in Toledo, Spain this May with the Mental Health & Well-being in Spain program led by Seth Christman Ph.D., L.P. While in Spain, you will participate in activities and excursions that will introduce you to issues, concepts, challenges/strengths, and interventions related to mental health and health care. This program will help you deepen your understanding and abilities to apply cross-cultural competencies in mental health research, practice, and advocacy. Plus you will have the opportunity to work with experts in psychology and related fields to identify mental health trends, current issues, and care systems from Spain and the United States. Limited space is available on this program, so apply soon! The priority application deadline for this program is February 1st and the final application deadline is March 1st. Students interested in the program can join the LAC and Professor Christman for an information session. For more information about the program, planning for study abroad, financial aid resources, and scholarship information, please reach out to Anna DeWitt ([email protected]). 

New Learning Abroad Center Scholarship

The Learning Abroad Center has a new scholarship for first-generation college students. This award for first-generation undergraduate students covers airfare and $1,000 toward the cost of a student's program. The award is an early planning award, so recipients can use the award for a program offered any term starting the fall semester after they receive the award. Applications are now live and due February 12, 2025. Learn more about the award on the Learning Abroad Center website. 

Graduate School

Find Diversity Weekend programs - includes Fall, Spring, and Summer programs. Updated frequently. 

Rawls Lab at the University of North Carolina Wilmington Accepting Applications

The Rawls Lab, at the University of North Carolina Wilmington on a sunny beach in North Carolina, is accepting a master's student (neuroscience MS) next year! We use EEG to study how the human brain enables us to control our actions, and how these mechanisms can go wrong and contribute to mental health disorders. Our application deadline is in December, so if you are graduating and want to get a master's degree, please apply online. We pay a full-time (20 hours/week) salary of ~$20,000 in a relatively low COL area, plus tuition and benefits. Questions about the program can be directed to Eric Rawls at [email protected].

Counseling & Art Therapy Program at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University Accepting Applications

The Counseling & Art Therapy program at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University will offer three more webinars in 2024 and an Open House in January 2025. Additionally, the Early Decision Deadline is on December 15th for individuals applying for fall 2025 entry. Early Decision is intended for applicants who are prepared and seeking ODU Counseling & Art Therapy as their first choice for graduate study.  Application for Early Decision does not guarantee an interview, however, it does give the applicant an advantage of being reviewed by the Admissions Screening Committee before the February 15th Regular Decision deadline. Visit their website to register for the Open House and to explore program details. 

Resources

Boynton Health’s Nutritious U Food Pantry

• Date:  December 3rd & 4th
• Time: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm CT
• Cost: Free
• Location: 1st floor of Memorial Union, Room 103A

Boynton Health’s Nutritious U Food Pantry provides free groceries to any University of Minnesota student. Students can visit the pantry one time per event during open hours (1-2 total visits per month). Please bring your U Card. Review the Food Insecurity Resources for UMN-TC Students Document to learn more about ways to gain access to food items. 

Engagement Opportunities 

NIMH Intramural Research Program Training Opportunities

Do you have questions about the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Intramural Research Program (IRP)? Join the NIMH Office of Fellowship Training for the final virtual information session of 2024! This information session is open to undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and anyone else interested in learning more about opportunities with the NIMH Intramural Research Program. The session will provide information about a variety of National Institutes of Health (NIH) training programs, and exciting research being done in NIMH IRP laboratories, and give attendees a chance to chat with current NIMH staff and trainees. This event is free but registration is required. Questions can be directed to Alycia Boutte at [email protected].

Service to Science Scholars Research Program

During this 10-week Service to Science Scholars Research Program, students will gain real-world experience conducting cutting-edge Veteran-focused research at a major VA medical facility. Our nationally and internationally recognized award-winning VA faculty are studying a range of questions relevant to Veteran populations, from PTSD, suicide risk and prevention, traumatic brain injury, cognitive aging, severe mental illness, addiction, sensor technologies/mHealth assessments, clinical trials, to risk and resilience. In addition to hands-on research experience, the program includes faculty-led weekly seminars on research professional development, mentoring (grad students only), statistics, and other relevant research methodologies and topics. All students present a flash talk at the Annual Service to Science Scholars Research Program Symposium, and many past participants have elected to present their projects at national and international scientific conferences. The application deadline is December 15, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact either Dr. Melissa Polusny at [email protected] or Dr. Snezana Urosevic at [email protected].

Jobs/Internship Opportunities

IMPORTANT: Organizations listed below are not necessarily affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Psychology or Psychology Undergraduate Advising. Please exercise the same discretion you would in viewing any other source.

Summer 2025 Psychology Internship - Northwestern University

The summer psychology internship at Northwestern University is now accepting applications! The 2025 internship will run as a partnership with the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) at Northwestern from June 16th to August 8th. Applications are being accepted until February 10th, 2025 through SROP. Two Faculty Recommendations are needed, so planning in advance is important! To be considered for acceptance into SROP, you must be a current sophomore or junior, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and have an interest in pursuing a doctoral degree at Northwestern University. Those interested in pursuing an MBA, JD, or MD are not eligible. Those belonging to groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education (e.g., certain racial and ethnic minorities, women in STEM, first-generation college students, etc.) are encouraged to apply.

Research Assistant

The Mood and Behavior Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School is looking to hire 1 full-time research assistant (RA). The RA will assist with NIMH-funded studies aimed at improving short-term risk prediction for suicidal behavior in youth. We are particularly seeking candidates who demonstrate the character, integrity, and work ethic to excel in a collaborative work environment with a clinically sensitive population. The RA will work under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Liu and Dr. Taylor Burke at Massachusetts General Hospital. This position is particularly well suited for individuals seeking to gain research and clinical experience before graduating or medical school. RAs who demonstrate potential and excel in this position often have opportunities to receive mentorship on conducting independent research projects and grant writing. Application information: The start date is the summer of 2025. Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and CV through the application form. Any questions may be directed to Devika Goel at [email protected].

Mental Health Practitioner

Central Care Service Inc. is hiring a Mental Health Practitioner! This is a great opportunity for those with majors/minors in Developmental Psychology or related fields to get first-hand experience working under a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. This position is In-home services, which means going into clients’ homes. No previous experience or training is required, as you will be trained after hire. Mental Health Practitioners work one-on-one with children on the autism spectrum and related disorders, using the ABA modality, to help clients reach their individual goals. Goals include skills such as social communication, motor skills, etc. Starting pay is $ 20-22/hour, and preference is given to those who can work about 40 hours per week. Hours of operation are from 9:00 am - 9:00 pm on weekdays, and 11:00 am-6:00 pm on weekends. Please reach out to [email protected] with a copy of your resume if interested!

Rawls Lab at University of North Carolina Wilmington Hiring for Research Assistants 

The Rawls lab, at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is hiring for lab assistants or managers! Positions will be part-time 20-30 hours/week at ~$16/hour which is the median for the area. This position is funded for a minimum of 2 years with potential for extension based on funding. If you want to get research experience and work in a dynamic human neuroscience lab using EEG to study the brain basis of cognition and mental health, and if you want to relocate to the sunny NC beach, this is a great opportunity! Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions or would like more information.