Psych Scoop 1/14/25

The Psych Scoop is sent to all Psychology Undergraduate students and alumni each week throughout the academic school year.

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Psychology Advising Announcements

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

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Spring 2025 Semester Starts Next Week! 

Psychology Undergraduate Advising is excited to welcome our students back to campus next week! We encourage scheduling an appointment with an advisor to discuss major course planning, engagement opportunities, post-graduate plans, and general questions! Please keep in mind we will have limited appointments for the first two weeks of the semester. 

Alumni Spotlight: Anne Bonanno

Psych Advising loves to show what our amazing psychology alumni are up to through our monthly Alumni Spotlight! Our January spotlight, Anne Bonanno (Spring '14 - PSY BA) works as the Assistant Director of Academic Advising at the Farmer School of Business at Miami University. Read more about her tips on finding a career path, getting the most out of your major, and moreNominate someone who you think would be great to spotlight, including yourself!

Psychology Engagement Award - Spring 2025 Application Now Open

Are you volunteering in your community this Spring? Or, participating in an unpaid internship here or abroad this semester? The Department of Psychology's Donor Awards for Psychology Undergraduate Engagement are available to support you! The purpose of these awards is to encourage and support psychology majors who engage in unpaid learning experiences beyond the University campus and classroom environments (i.e. unpaid internships, volunteer experiences, study abroad containing a psych-related internship, etc.). Up to three awards of $500 will be offered for Spring 2025. The application deadline is Wednesday, February 5th (12:00 pm CST). For details about the awards and application materials, visit our webpage.

Looking for Psychology Internships? Get Started with Our YouTube Tutorials!

Are you interested in finding an internship in psychology, but don’t know where to look? Psychology Undergraduate Advising is here to help! We’ve created two instructional videos to guide you through using Handshake and the MN Council of Nonprofits website to find your next internship. You can watch the Handshake video and the MN Council of Nonprofits video on our YouTube channel.

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.

Events

Spring 2025 Psych Connection Kickoff 

  • Date:  Tuesday, February 4, 2025
  • Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm CT
  • Cost: Free
  • Location: Elliott Hall, Room N219 

Psychology Undergraduate Advising is hosting a Psych Connection Kickoff event this Spring semester! Come meet other peers interested in psychology while enjoying psychology and Super Bowl-themed Kahoot and Jeopardy! It's also the perfect chance to connect with Psychology student groups and hear about their exciting plans for the Spring semester. Plus, enjoy Raising Cane's chicken and fries while supplies last. Please fill out this form by Friday, 1/31, to RSVP.

Podcasting "From Below"  A Conversation with Celisia Stanton and Chris Stedman

  • Date:  Thursday, January 23, 2025
  • Time: 7:00 pm CT
  • Cost: Free
  • Location: Plymouth Congregational Church / 1919 La Salle Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 

Join us for a conversation with Minneapolis podcast creators Celisia Stanton (Truer Crime) and Chris Stedman (Unread) on the power of storytelling to center justice and equity. Celebrate the launch of Truer Crime Season 2 and Good Judy Productions. The event includes audience Q&A, a pop-up bookstore by Black Garnet Books for donations to the Women’s Prison Book Project, and a Queermunity resource table. Refreshments and cupcakes from Sift will follow. Free and open to all! To view details on this event, please see the linked event flyer.

International Student Mental-Wellbeing Event

  • Date:  Tuesday, January 28, 2025
  • Time: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm CT
  • Cost: Free
  • Location: Elliott Hall, Room N219 

The President's Initiative for Student Mental Health (PRISMH) is inviting undergraduate international students to participate in an event for a research study focused on improving the mental well-being of international students. As part of this study, we have developed educational materials designed specifically to support international students' mental health, and we are seeking your feedback. There will be free food and compensation. RSVP Required! Reach out to Will Greenberg at [email protected]

Latinos For Psychology!

  • Date:  Thursday, January 30, 2025
  • Time: 5:00 pm CT
  • Cost: Free
  • Location: Elliott Hall, Room S160

Are you a Latino or Hispanic student interested in the subjects of mental health or psychology? Latinos for psychology is a new club starting up this spring! LFP aims to create a community for psychology majors in addition to starting larger conversations about mental health. All are welcome! Follow @latinosforpsych on Instagram for updates and email [email protected] with any questions.

Courses of Interest

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

PSY 3896: Internship in Psychology - Spring 2025

  • Location: PSY 3896 is completely online 
  • Instructor: Mike Houlahan

Make an internship experience count toward your PSY Major! PSY 3896 class credits (3 credits) are based partly on the number of hours you work at your internship during the Spring 2025 semester. Online course assignments are a complement to your learning at your internship site. Students apply to and secure a position on their own, but guidance is available. Example sites include ACR Homes, People Serving People, Sexual Violence Center, Tubman, and the Walk-In Counseling Center. Look for more opportunities in the Psych Scoop and even more on HandshakeRead more about what students have to say about PSY 3896! 

Steps to Register for PSY 3896:

1.) Student secures an internship or position with a site (paid or unpaid)

2.) Student submits the "Request an Experience" form on Handshake to receive approval.

3.) A Permission number to register for the course will then be emailed to you.

4.) Registration is available through the end of the 2nd Week of Classes!

Note: This course counts to fulfill 3 credits of psychology elective coursework for the Psychology BA or BS major. 

PSY 5960: Topics in Psychology: Psychology, Pandemics and Climate Change

  • When: Fridays from 9:05 am – 11:35 am
  • Location: Elliott Hall, Room N639 
  • Instructor: Iris Donga Vilares

In this class, they will discuss some of the biggest challenges the world is facing nowadays (Climate change; and pandemics) and what psychology can do to help. We will address underlying reasons why people behave the way they do and discuss ways of constructing environments and incentives such as to promote behavior that addresses the common good. They will also discuss how psychology, climate change, and the pandemic influence and are influenced by each other. This class will be interdisciplinary and combine decision-making and game theory with Biology, Economics, and Social and Cognitive Psychology. At the end of the class, students should be able to understand the crucial role of psychology in addressing major world challenges and be equipped with scientifically principled tools to help solve them. Read more about course details on Schedule Builder

Prerequisites: Junior, Senior, or Grad Student

Note: This course may count to fulfill a psychology elective requirement for the Psychology BA or BS major. If you are pursuing a minor in psychology and are interested in taking this course, email [email protected]

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

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.

*Credit or Volunteer* CPSY 4994 Gunnar Lab seeking RA fluent in Cantonese

The Gunnar Lab at the Institute of Child Development is looking for research assistants to start as soon as possible. Our research focus is on stress and the effects of early life experiences in children, teens, and young adults. We have a research project seeking RAs to assist with transcribing parent-child interactions from videos. RAs must be bilingual in English and Cantonese. Students can earn 1-3 credits for CPSY 4994. The position can be remote. To learn more about this position, please send your CV/resume and a short introduction to Bao Moua at [email protected] to be considered.

*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, and 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.

*Credit or Volunteer* Psychomotor Ability Lab

Are you interested in Psychology research? Have you ever wondered how certain physical abilities might make some individuals fit better into particular jobs? The Ones Lab in the IO Psychology Department is seeking conscientious and motivated students to volunteer for our project on psycho-physical abilities. We are researching abilities regarding physical body motor movements (e.g., movement of fingers), fine motor skills (e.g. finger dexterity), coordination, and/or strength. These abilities are important to assess performance with jobs in these domains: sports, healthcare, safety/security, and crafts/trades. Students will participate in identifying, retrieving, and organizing studies, as well as coding relevant research for a quantitative synthesis. Interested students should complete and submit the Google form. Students who have taken courses in I/O psych, quantitative methods, and individual differences are preferred. Credit for 5993 will be provided for those interested. Questions about this opportunity may be directed to Sarah Nakamoto at [email protected].

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.

Learning Abroad

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

Learning Abroad Research Opportunity - University of Limerick

Are you interested in a unique learning abroad research experience next summer? The Honors program and Learning Abroad Center are launching an opportunity for 8 weeks of mentored research at the University of Limerick in June and July 2025, working with a University of Limerick faculty member. The course is open to all UMN students. For interested psychology students, find out more about this opportunity through the Google Document which outlines details of the experience.

Resources 

Free Grad School Resource: The Portable Mentor, expert advice for psychology careers 

A doctorate in psychology is a remarkably versatile degree, but challenges lurk at every step of the career path, from landing a rewarding position to presenting and publishing your research, getting grants, working with the media, and managing work-life balance. In a new edition of The Portable Mentor—now a free, open-access resource thanks to a donor’s generosity—dozens of psychological scientists and other experts offer diverse insights on the most critical personal and professional issues facing young scholars today.  

National Student Exchange (NSE) Info Sessions

Apply Now to do NSE during 2025-2026! National Student Exchange (NSE) offers study away to colleges and universities throughout the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for a summer, semester, or year. NSE offers 170+ campuses to choose from. Meet new people, see new places, take new classes, and expand your horizons! NSE is affordable and we will make sure your credits transfer back to the U of M. Learn more at an NSE Info Session. Start your NSE application today! Questions about NSE can be directed to David Holliday at [email protected]

Engagement Opportunities

U of M Women's Health Research Conference

The U of M Women's Health Research Conference, which will be held on February 13, is now accepting poster abstract submissions for completed research, policy projects, and preliminary research or works-in-progress with relevance to women's health, gender health, and/or sex-differences research. The submission deadline for award consideration is January 20, 2025.

2025 Summer Internship Program with Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health

The Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health represents a network of faculty and programs focused on research and capacity building around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the number of mental health professionals falls far from meeting the needs of communities. The eight-week Summer Internship Program allows intellectually curious undergraduate students to participate in a range of didactic seminars, network with professionals working in health fields assist Columbia staff and faculty with innovative research projects, and build meaningful relationships with other students. Internship positions are selected on a competitive basis and open to rising senior undergraduate students interested in global mental health. In the past, the Undergraduate Summer Internship Program has attracted applicants with a wide range of academic interests (e.g. policy, gender studies, medicine). We are open to all majors. The 2025 Summer Internship Program application is now open and can be accessed on their website. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2025, at 5 pm EST. Any questions can be directed to [email protected].

Become an Orientation Leader! 

Summer 2025 OL applications are now open! Orientation Leaders create an inclusive environment for 6,900 first-year and 1,200 transfer students during New Student Orientation and Welcome Week, easing transitions for students and families while developing leadership skills and shaping the University of Minnesota’s incoming class. To apply to become an Orientation Leader, please apply through the application!

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.

Undergraduate Research Assistant 

The Child Language Disorders Across Diverse Contexts Lab in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences is actively recruiting undergraduate research assistants who are fluent in Spanish or Vietnamese for an NIH-funded study on cognitive skills in children with developmental language disorder. RAs will be trained to administer language and cognitive tasks to 5-7-year-old children and to communicate about the study with parents. If you might be interested, please read the lab information for interested students and complete a lab interest form. We'll start reviewing interest forms & following up on January 24th. If you have questions about this announcement, contact Dr. Kerry Ebert at [email protected]

Peer Psychology Subject Tutor- Lindahl Academic Center

Psychology peer tutors are needed for recurring weekly small group sessions. Paid positions with flexible availability are open to both graduate and undergraduate students. Those interested can find more information and apply on our website. Please direct any questions to Adam Demchak at [email protected].

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