Psych Scoop, 1/14/26

Psychology Advising Announcements

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

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Department of Psychology ICE Response Protocol

The Department of Psychology has established a protocol for responding to visits from Federal Law Enforcement. Elliott Hall is a UCard access-controlled building. Do not tailgate or allow anyone to enter behind you without using their own card access. If approached by any federal agent, remember your rights: you may remain silent, you may ask for identification and the purpose of the visit, and you may tell them that you are not authorized to respond or act on behalf of the University (contact the Office of General Counsel, 612.624.4100). Printable "Know Your Rights" Red Cards are available on the ACLU website, and will be provided across study spaces and offices in Elliott Hall. Thank you for helping keep our community safe and informed.

Psychology Engagement Award - Spring Application 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 Undergraduate Engagement is 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 two awards of $500 will be offered for Spring 2026. The application deadline is February 4th at 12:00 PM (CST). For details about the awards and application materials, visit our webpage.

Graduation Planner Retirement

The University of Minnesota will be retiring the Graduation Planner tool at noon on January 30th, 2026. The University plans to replace Graduation Planner with another system, but are unsure when the new system will be ready for use. Make sure you save anything you want to keep to a new location before noon (12:00 pm) on January 30, 2026.

Events

Never-Ending Tales: Antisemitism, Jewish Creative Resistance, and a Literature of Hope

• Date:  Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
• Time: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm CT
• Cost: Free
• Location: Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis - 4330 Cedar Lake Road South Minneapolis, MN 55416

Jack Zipes, Professor Emeritus of German and Comparative Literature at the University of Minnesota, is a founding father of Fairy Tale Studies, seeing fairy tales as agents of socialization and as deeply revealing about the historical moment of their telling. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over 70 books. This lecture will demonstrate how Jewish folk narratives and fantasy writing between 1870 and the 1930s, a period in which Jewish and especially Yiddish literature blossomed, enable us to grasp the dilemmas of Jews who seek to identify themselves by themselves– yet also want to become fully assimilated under hostile conditions in various nation-states. Register for the event on the University of Minnesota Events Calendar.

Cozy Reading Party and Walter Library & Tutoring Open House

• Date:  Friday, January 23rd, 2026
• Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm CT
• Cost: Free
• Location: Walter Library Upson Room (1st Floor)

Spend a cozy afternoon relaxing and reading in the unique Upson room (102) in Walter Library. There will be hot chocolate and snacks to enjoy. Bring a book to read, select one from a pop-up library of fun books or try out the Libby app for ebooks and audiobooks. Explore Walter Library – the pretty, old library on campus to find your ideal study spot. Check out the Tutoring and Academic Success Center (room 204) and learn more about one of the largest peer tutoring centers on campus and the variety of free peer tutoring for students. Join us as we slow down and read. All are welcome including undergraduate and graduate students from all colleges. No registration required. Come solo or bring a friend!

International Student Career Fair Preparation Workshop

• Date:  Wednesday, January 28th, 2026
• Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm CT
• Cost: Free
• Location: Virtual via Zoom

Presenters from ISSS and Career Services will provide helpful tips and information on what to expect at a career fair, how to talk with employers, work authorization options, and tips for successful interactions and follow-up at a career fair. This session has been designed with the needs in mind of UMN international students who are attending fall career fairs, although anyone in the UMN community is welcome to attend. Register via Zoom to receive the link to join. Please email Jane at [email protected] if you have any questions about this event.

Research

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

*Credit or Volunteer* Machine Learning/AI in Bipolar Disorders Research Study

Dr. Snezana Urosevic, Assistant Professor at the UMN Dept. of Psychiatry and clinician investigator at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, seeks motivated and detail-oriented undergrads to contribute to a study identifying machine-learning/AI algorithms with phone app data predicting mood symptoms and functioning in adults with bipolar disorders. Credit and volunteer opportunities available. Position is 9/10-hrs/wk, 1-yr commitment. Responsibilities include recruitment, data collection/management, learning about digital phenotyping methods in psychopathology, and attending and presenting at lab meetings. Also, an opportunity to develop independent research questions based on available data. Past RAs authored poster presentations and manuscript submissions. Competitive applicants will have strong interest in pursuing graduate-level education and an excellent academic record. Must be a US citizen to apply. To apply, email Isaac Thao ([email protected]) with an unofficial transcript, cover letter, and resume.

*Credit or Volunteer* Research Volunteer For a Brain Training Project in Addiction - Psychiatry Department

This research is under the direction of Dr. Jazmin Camchong within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Volunteer responsibilities will include working with databases, verifying accuracy of study data collected, assisting in MRI data acquisition and administering brain training sessions involving transcranial direct current stimulation. Research participants in our studies are patients enrolled in a treatment program for alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder. Qualified candidates must be highly motivated, able to work independently, extremely detail-oriented, comfortable using basic computer programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and web applications (e.g. zoom) and willing to develop new skills as the need arises. Candidates must be pursuing a degree in Psychology or related field, and be willing to commit to 9-10 hours per week for a minimum of 12 months. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Clarista Berg, [email protected].

Courses of Interest

For more detailed information on psychology courses, refer to Schedule Builder.

Interested in youth work, social justice work, violence prevention, or social work?

Are you interested in youth work, social justice work, violence prevention, or social work? Take a 'YOST' or 'SW' class! Search for YOST and SW in ScheduleBuilder. Select courses also fit into the Youth Studies minor, Social Justice minor, and Family Violence Prevention minor. Reach out to Rae Dillon, academic advisor at [email protected] with questions.

ANTH 3301: Fundamentals of Anthropological Genetics

• Course Time and Location: Tuesdays & Thursdays - 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm -  Hubert H Humphrey School 60
• Instructor:  Maria Nieves Colón

This course examines how anthropologists apply genetic approaches to investigate human evolutionary history. Students will learn how the study of modern and ancient genomes has informed understanding of major anthropological questions related to hominid evolution, human adaptation, the peopling of the world, health in the past and present, ancestry testing and forensic identification. Students will also become familiar with basic concepts as well as major laboratory and analytical methods used in the fields of human evolutionary and population genetics, paleogenomics and forensics. Throughout the course students will engage with the ethical issues posed by genetic technologies, especially as pertains to research with underrepresented communities, discussions of race and identity, commercial genetic testing, and forensic genetic genealogy. This course does not count toward the Psychology major or minor. 

FRIT 1601: Migrants and Refugees in Mediterranean Cinema

• Course Time and Location: Tuesdays & Thursdays - 11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Folwell Hall 108
• Instructor:  Hakim Abderrezak

This course deals with films made in France, Spain, Italy, the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), sub-Saharan Africa and the Levant (mostly Syria). All of the films tackle migration and most of them deal with the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in particular. It focuses on how migrants, regular and clandestine migrations, as well as related themes, including globalization, hospitality and transnational modes of transportation have been filmed, discussed and written about in various types of discourses. This course does not count toward the Psychology major or minor. 

PSY 3896: Internship in Psychology

• Course Time and Location: Online - Asynchronous
• Instructor: Mike Houlahan

The purpose of this applied course is to integrate students' academic, personal, and career development in the context of an applied, community-based, concurrent internship. Students will explore their own interests and values, identify and build desired career readiness competencies, and synthesize their learning through the creation of a culminating internship "Final Reflection Project." While the field of psychology is broad in nature, the internship must be in the realm of psychology and directly related fields. In order to register for PSY 3896, you must be a declared or soon to be declared Psychology BA or BS major, and must receive instructor permission. Course is only offered for 3 credits - this requires online classwork in addition to your planned internship site work for 135 hours minimum (an average 8-9 hours per week at your internship site). Contact course instructor about late registration - students with an Internship position secured will be accepted into the class through Monday, February 2, 2026. A Handshake agreement with your Site is required to receive a Permission Number for registration.

PSY 3960: Undergraduate Seminar in Psychology - Work Motivation: Theory and Practice

• Course Time and Location: Tuesdays & Thursdays - 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm - Elliott Hall N639
• Instructor: Aaron Schmidt

Work Motivation: Theory and Practice Why do people put effort into their jobs, and what sustains (or undermines) that effort over time? This course will survey classic and contemporary theory and research on work motivation, its causes, and its consequences, as well as evidence-based interventions to bolster workplace motivation. We will discuss the What (defining motivation), Where (the factors that motivate), When (under what conditions motivation thrives or falters), Who (individual differences), and Why/How (the dynamic, reciprocal processes by which motivation and its outcomes unfold over time).

CPSY 4303: Adolescent Psychology

• Course Time and Location: Tuesdays & Thursdays - 9:45 am - 11:00 am- 216 Pillsbury Drive
• Instructor: Henriette Warren

This course will describe the overview of development in the teenage years and second decade of life. This course will also review interactions of adolescents with family, school, and society. CPSY 4303 can count toward psychology elective for the psychology major. 

PSY 5960: Topics in Psychology - Using Psychology to Address Societal Challenges

• Course Time and Location: Fridays - 10:10 am – 12:40 pm - Elliott Hall S204
• Instructor: Iris Donga Vilares

This course will describe the potential and actual use of psychology to address societal challenges, such as climate change, addiction, and health epidemics. This class will be discussion-based and interdisciplinary, combining decision-making and game theory with Biology, Economics, and Social and Cognitive Psychology. This class will consist of lectures (including guest lectures), discussion, paper presentation, and group work. This is an advanced undergrad or graduate class. Completion of PSY 3001W is recommended but not mandatory.

Learning Abroad 

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

May-June 2026 Global Seminar: Informational Session

• Date:  Monday, January 26th, 2026
• Time: 2:30 pm
• Cost: Free
• Location: Online

Learn about the May Term Mental Health & Well-being in Spain study abroad program. This program is open to all majors and fulfills the Global Perspectives Liberal Education requirement. It also fulfills major electives for Psychology and Developmental Psychology majors. Freshmen through seniors are welcome to participate in this program. At this info session, students will learn more about the program, meet the leader (Professor Seth Christman), and learn about resources for planning study abroad experiences. Registering in advance is required in order to receive virtual event login details. 

May & Summer Study Abroad Expo

• Date:  Wednesday, January 28th, 2026
• Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm CT
• Cost: Free
• Location: Walter Library Room 101

Explore study abroad opportunities available over May and summer 2026. Program representatives will be available to answer questions. Pizza will be served at noon. Registration is not required for you to attend this event; you may just show up. If you do register, the Learning Abroad Center we will send you a calendar invite and a reminder for this event. Registering also lets them know you're interested, even if you're unable to attend.

Youth Development & Psychology in France

Beginning Spring 2026, a new English-taught psychology course, Clinical Psychology: From European Origins to Global Practice, is available in Montpellier. It is approved for CPSY and PSY majors and minors. Learn more about the program on the Learning Abroad Center website. 

Language & Culture in Southern France 

Students will study in Montpellier, with a centuries-old history of intellectual advances and social tolerance. They will choose from beginning through advanced French language courses as well as courses in humanities, engineering, sciences, and business. Psychology faculty member, Dr. Bonnie Klimes-Dougan will be teaching MONT 4303: Adolescent Psychology, which counts toward the Psychology major or minor! Application deadline for the Summer 2026 session is March 15th, 2026. 

Graduate School

Scholarship Opportunity for Counselor Education

Earn a Master of Arts in Counselor Education! Prepare for a rewarding career as a licensed school counselor or work toward a career as a licensed mental health counselor (LPC/LPCC). Support individuals and groups across the lifespan academically, socially, and emotionally. Tuition dollars are available for the 2026-2027 academic year! Applications are due January 15th, 2026! Visit the University of Minnesota’s Counselor Education program website to learn more!

Marcus Autism Center Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Opportunity

The Social Neuroscience Research Core at Marcus Autism Center, in collaboration with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, offers two-year predoctoral research fellowships in autism research. Aimed at college graduates, these fellowships provide intensive research opportunities with children with autism, mentorship from experienced faculty, and participation in various training seminars and meetings. Fellows are involved in clinical observation and research, funded to attend conferences, and are compensated with healthcare benefits. For inquiries, contact [email protected] or (404) 785-9554.

Resources 

Gender & Sexuality Center for Queer & Trans Life is Accepting Applications - Spring 2026 Queer Peer Mentoring Program

This program aims to create meaningful relationships between people who are invested in the uplift of LGBTQIA+ communities. In this program, you have the choice to be paired with a mentor or join the program as a mentor! This program is open to all members of the UMN community. Applications are due by January 26th, 2026, at 11:59 pm. For Disability Services, Access Requests, or any other information, contact our Student Leadership & Outreach Coordinator, Mia, at [email protected].

Resume and Cover Letter Reviews (e-Doc Reviews)

College of Liberal Arts Career Services offers resume and cover letter review! Submit your resume and/or cover letter and get customized feedback within 24-72 business hours.

Discover Dental School (DDS) Program Application Open

Applications are now open for the 2026–27 Discover Dental School (DDS) Program, a free, yearlong hybrid program designed to help students explore dentistry, build foundational skills, and gain confidence in pursuing a dental career. Running from June 2026 to May 2027, the program includes monthly virtual sessions, self-paced online learning, and a three-day in-person immersion at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. DDS is committed to expanding access to dentistry and strongly encourages applications from students from historically underrepresented, rural, first-generation, and lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Priority applications are due January 30, 2026, and final applications are due February 16, 2026.

Let’s Talk: Free Drop-in Consultations

Your mental health matters. Boynton Health’s Let’s Talk program is here to connect U with the support you need. Offering free, informal drop-in consultations, Let’s Talk counselors are available to meet with students Monday-Friday.

Job, Internship, & Engagement 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. Looking for Psychology Internships? Get Started with Our YouTube Tutorials!

Paid Summer Research Experience - University of Pittsburgh

The mission of the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) at the University of Pittsburgh is to advance the science of learning by bringing together leading researchers in the cognitive, social, computer, and educational sciences. Selected REU students will work on leading edge learning science research. During the program, students will work alongside faculty, research staff, graduate students, and postdocs to create research questions they will explore during the program. LRDC faculty have primary appointments in the Department of Psychology, and the Schools of Education, Law, and Computing and Information. This application is due February 8, 2026. In addition, have two individuals submit a letter of reference on your behalf to [email protected] no later than February 8, 2026. One letter should be from a faculty member or instructor. The second letter can be from someone you know from school, work, or community.

Orientation and Welcome Week Leaders Needed - Orientation & Transition Experiences

Orientation Leaders are responsible for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for approximately 6,900 new first-year students and 1,200 new transfer students during New Student Orientation and Welcome Week. Both programs focus on providing a quality transitional experience for new students and their families. Welcome Week Leaders are responsible for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment during Welcome Week. Welcome Week Leaders will be responsible for preparing and staffing events during Welcome Week with significant responsibility for supporting program logistics and ensuring new students have a smooth and successful Welcome Week experience. Applications for Orientation and Welcome Week positions are due by February 2nd. Apply on the Office of Undergraduate Education website.

Looking for a Summer Job? Housing and Residential Life is hiring!

Want to stay in the Twin Cities this summer? Housing & Residential Life is currently accepting applicants for our Conference & Event Services Hospitality Specialist and Hospitality Business Specialist positions for Summer 2026! Apply by Monday, February 2nd. 

Summer Internship with Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health

Students participating in the Summer Internship Program will participate in a variety of didactic, career, and professional development seminars and will receive mentorship from 1-3 faculty members engaged in varied global mental health research and training initiatives. Students will gain exposure to networking within the healthcare research environment and develop the skills to apply an equity-informed lens into global mental health research and implementation. The summer internship typically starts in June and runs for 8 weeks, with students attending daily seminar sessions and working on their assigned projects from Monday through Thursday. Visit their website to download the full internship description for the 2026 Summer Internship cycle. Applications for the 2026 Undergraduate Summer Internship are now open and must be submitted by 5:00 PM EST on January 31, 2026 for consideration.

Yale Fellowship in Developmental Psychopathology and Social Neuroscience

Successful applicants will be involved in a 2-year training program involving clinical research experience in a developmental research lab. The primary training experience will be in daily activities related to behavioral, psychophysiological, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging (fMRI) studies involving infants and young children with and without autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. With research mentorship, the selected applicants will be expected to lead a research project to present at an international conference. Completed applications including cover page, CV, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and personal statements are due no later than January 23rd, 2026. Additional information about the fellowship opportunity and our lab can be found online. Questions regarding the Yale Fellowship in Developmental Psychopathology and Social Neuroscience may be directed to [email protected].