Psych Scoop, 12/2/25

Psychology Advising Announcements

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

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Alumni Spotlight: Haley Klein

Psych Advising loves to show what our amazing psychology alumni are up to through our monthly Alumni Spotlight! Our December spotlight, Haley Klein (Spring '20 - PSY BA) works as a School Psychologist at Schaumburg School District 54. Read more about her tips on finding a career path, getting the most out of your major, and more. Nominate someone who you think would be great to spotlight, including yourself!

Diversity & Donuts - Department of Psychology

• Date:  Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
• Time: 8:30 am - 10:00 am
• Cost: Free
• Location: Elliott Hall, Room N219 

Join members of the Department of Psychology Diversity Committee for donuts and a facilitated conversation regarding the changing landscape of and challenges to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). Share your feelings and concerns, and discuss resources and support that might be helpful to you and others during this time. This event is open to all Psychology students, faculty, and staff. 

Internships in Psychology Info Session

• Date:  Thursday, December 4th, 2025
• Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
• Cost: Free
• Location: Virtual - Zoom Only

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 2026. Please email [email protected] with questions or to request disability-related accommodations. 

Fall 2025 Psychology Capstone Poster Session

• Date:  Wednesday, December 10th, 2025
• Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
• Cost: Free
• Location: Elliott Hall, 1st Floor Lobby

Psychology Undergraduates completing their Capstone in Psychology this Fall 2025 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 2026 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. To learn more, visit our website. Latinos for Psychology, Counseling Psychology Club, and Chinese Psychology Student Association are not formally affiliated with the Department of Psychology, as they are independent Registered Student Organizations with an academic focus in the field of psychology.

Destress Study Night with PISA & MEDIC

• Date:  Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
• Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 
• Cost: Free
• Location: Elliott Hall, Room N119

Psychology International Student Association & Medical Engineering, Design, Innovation, and Care (MEDIC) invites you to our very first event: DeStress Study Night!
 We’ll have coloring sheets, and snacks to study or relax. And everyone is welcome for this event: you do not have to be an international student to join!

Chinese Psychology Student Association is Hiring Team Members

The Chinese Psychology Student Association (CPSA) is currently recruiting new members and potential leaders for the organization. Candidates from all years are welcomed! Members will be in charge of content creation (article compose/video editing), event planning and public relation management on social media. CPSA is an academic student association composed of Chinese students with a major in psychology at UMN. Our intention is to set a foundation to unite and provide a platform to communicate, share, and establish comprehensive information in the psychological field between alumni and students, including topics on academic discussions, research/graduate programs, career perspectives, etc. We are looking forward to having people who would love to learn and share psychology knowledge to join us. For more information, please email Yuwei Xia at [email protected].

Events

Long Night Against Procrastination

• Date:  Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
• Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm CST
• Cost: Free
• Location: Wilson Library Studio

Get ready for finals and the end of semester! Bring your homework and get stuff done with structured work time and study breaks. Don’t miss the pizza! M Food Co will be providing coffee and treats to get things started. Drop by anytime during the event. No registration necessary. All are welcome. Bring your friends and get stuff done!

End of Semester Planning

• Date:  Thursday, December 4th, 2025
• Time: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm CST
• Cost: Free
• Location: Blegen Hall, Room 120 

This workshop will equip you with tools and strategies to develop a concrete plan to tackle upcoming deadlines, assignments, and exams. Join us for a time to connect with fellow Gophers and enjoy snacks while you plan for your success! Leave this session feeling empowered and ready to conquer the final weeks of the semester! Visit the Tutoring & Academic Success Center website for more information about finals week events!

PAWS (Pet Away Worry and Stress) at Walter Library

• Date:  Thursday, December 4th, 2025
• Time: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm CST
• Cost: Free
• Location: Walter Library (East Bank)

Drop in at any time to meet registered therapy animal teams—including dogs, cats, chickens, and other therapy animals. Sessions are free and open to the University of Minnesota community. All are welcome! Boynton Health’s PAWS program provides Animal-Assisted Interactions (AAI) with registered therapy animals – including dogs, cats, and chickens – and a licensed clinical social worker staffs each session. While these sessions are not therapy, they are certainly therapeutic and part of the University’s initiative to support student mental health.

Mental Health First Aid Training through THRIVE Lifeline

• Date:  Saturday, December 6th, 2025
• Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST
• Cost: Sliding scale $75 - $170
• Location: Virtual, via Zoom

THRIVE Lifeline is offering the nationally-accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training on December 6. If interested, you must register online. It's a great certification to add to a resume, or learn more about mental health. MHFA teaches a 5-step action plan for responding to mental health or substance use challenges within the community, similar to physical First Aid. Questions about this training can be directed to Ash Parker at [email protected]. 

Research

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

*Credit* Mazzocco Math and Numeracy Lab - Institute of Child Development

The Math and Numeracy Lab focuses on the role of cognitive development and function in numerical and mathematical thinking. Our research includes studies focused on early childhood and adulthood. Our current projects concern individual differences in the cognitive skills underlying mathematical thinking; influences on children’s attention to numerosity; and the potential influence of numerical and ordinality skills on word-level language comprehension and concepts. Undergraduate students interested in pursuing research in the Math and Numeracy lab are also encouraged to contact Dr. Mazzocco at [email protected] or apply online. Opportunities include supervised research experiences for academic credit or potential honors thesis projects. 

*Credit* Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA)

The Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA) is seeking motivated undergraduate research assistants for the Spring 2026 semester, with the possibility of extending into the summer. The Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA), also known as the Parent Child Project, began in 1975 and is currently celebrating its 50th year. This study contributes to a better understanding of early caregiving, social support, and intervention strategies across the lifespan. Additionally, it reflects on how people think about their experiences, risk and protective factors, and issues of continuity and change. If you are interested in applying, complete the MLSRA URA Application online. 

*Credit* Undergraduate Research Opportunity at the Institute of Child Development

We are looking for responsible, enthusiastic, and detail-oriented students to work in Professor Glenn Roisman's Relationships Research Laboratory in the Spring of 2026 to help with the transcription of interviews about participants' childhood experiences with their primary caregivers. Prospective undergraduate research assistants must be prepared to sign up for 3 credits (approximately 9 hours of work per week, including a flexible schedule and 1-2 weekly, hour-long lab meetings). Please contact Professor Roisman by email at [email protected] if you are interested and indicate your availability for an informal, 15-minute interview via Zoom. Professor Roisman asks that you email in advance of your Zoom appointment your resume and a brief writing sample (no more than a 1-page excerpt) from a college paper.

Fall Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium

Do you have a research project to present? The Office of Undergraduate Research presents the Fall Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium on Friday December 12th. Registration opens on Monday November 3rd! Completed research or creative projects from UMN undergraduate students are welcome.

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 our annual publication, expected to be released in Spring 2026. URJP is an organization dedicated to informing the community of psychological findings through research run by undergraduates from all over the world. 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 December 5th at 11:59 PM. Multiple submissions from one author are welcome. More information regarding submission criteria and the types of articles accepted can be found on the URJP website. If you have any questions or concerns, contact [email protected] for further information. 

Courses of Interest

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

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).

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:  Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
• Time: 3:00 pm
• Cost: Free
• Location: In-Person at Heller Hall 230C | Register for Zoom link

The Department of Educational Psychology, in partnership with the Learning Abroad Center, is excited to welcome students for their Global Seminar May 17 - June 7, 2026. EPSY 3401: Mental Health and Well-being in Spain course is an approved elective for psychology majors and minors. It fulfills the liberal education global perspectives requirement. Highlights include guest lectures from local psychologists, tours of mental health clinics, excursions to Madrid and Segovia, flamenco lessons, and living and learning in a converted 16th century convent in the heart of this medieval walled city!

Graduate School

Scholarship Opportunity for Counselor Education

Earn a Masters 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!

MS in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care - University of Minnesota - Informational Session

• Date:  Tuesday, December 9th, 2025
• Time:  7:00 pm 
• Cost: Free 
• Location: Virtual

The Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota is now enrolling for the online MS in child life and pediatric psychosocial care, a program designed to prepare the next generation of professionals in child life and psychosocial care. Students get advanced training to provide ethical, evidence-based care for children, teens, and families dealing with health challenges, stress, or traumatic events. This 100% online graduate program prepares students to become a skilled Certified Child Life Specialist as well as a psychosocial leader in the field. Graduates will be ready to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families. Register to learn more about the program and child life careers at the upcoming info session.

Resources 

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.

Help With Food Assistance and Related Needs

Due to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will stop issuing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits starting on November 1. The federal government shutdown will also impact the Minnesota Family Investment Fund. To support students, employees, and their families who may be affected by the temporary suspension of SNAP benefits, OHR is sharing resources on community organizations that provide food assistance, plus financial resources and emotional support.

Transfer Student Navigator Appointment

The Transfer Student Experience program offers current transfer students the opportunity to meet with a Transfer Student Navigator to get support and connect with campus resources during their first year at the U of M. Schedule an appointment with a Transfer Student Navigator today!

Pre-Law 101 Module

Check out the Pre-Law 101 Module. This module is perfect for someone just starting to explore law school, and outlines how to explore, ways to gain experience, and a brief overview of the timeline and application process.

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!

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. 

CEHD America Reads

The CEHD America Reads program is now hiring undergraduate work-study students as literacy mentors to tutor/mentor K-8th grade youth in the Minneapolis/St. Paul community. We offer a supportive work environment where literacy mentors are encouraged to engage, grow, and learn. This is a wonderful opportunity for students interested in gaining work experience with young people in an educational setting. To apply, visit the UMN Employee Site, click on “students”, enter in JOb ID #369325. 

Undergraduate Student Administrative Teaching Assistant - Lifelong Learning Undergrad TA

The College of Continuing and Professional Studies is seeking a motivated and responsible undergraduate student to serve as an Administrative Teaching Assistant for Lifelong Learning programs in CCAPS. Specifically, this person will offer administrative support to those teaching for The Midlife Academy courses, which are noncredit courses targeting working adults who are exploring transitions to what’s next. The assistant will play a key role in supporting both instructors and participants throughout the Spring term. Additionally, the person will provide support to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which offers noncredit enrichment courses for those 50+. This position works most closely with the OLLI/Midlife Academy team, providing program support, customer service, and administrative support. Reports to the Program Manager of Lifelong Learning. To apply for this position, visit the University of Minnesota’s Employee Website and enter in Job ID #370828.

Support Staff

Support staff position located in New Brighton, MN for a sweet woman with Spina Bifida. Flexible scheduling, 22+ an hour, and bonus opportunities! Hiring multiple candidates. Apply now! Must have transportation, no back issues, non-smoking, comfortable with dogs. Review more about the position on Google Documents! If you are interested in this position, reach out to Andrea McKee at 651-274-3574.