Psych Scoop, 9/8/20
| September 8th, 2020 |
|
The Psych Scoop is sent to all Psychology Undergraduate students and alumni every Tuesday throughout the academic school year. Share your news with psyadvis@umn.edu! |
Psychology Advising AnnouncementsFeedback for the department? Check out our suggestion box. 1. Fall 2020 Welcome from Department Chair Jeff Simpson Welcome to the Fall 2020 semester! My name is Jeff Simpson and I am the Chair of the Department of Psychology. On behalf of the faculty, staff, and graduate students in the department, we are delighted to have you join us. I recognize that for many, the summer “break” was anything but that, and a return to classes at the University does not shelter us from the realities of the world around us. My hope is that this return to campus brings each of you new opportunities - for your education, your experiences, and to engage in our community. In a message to our May 2020 graduates, I encouraged them to do something to mark the milestone of their tremendous achievement - and to return to campus at some point to do so in-person. As we now start the semester remotely, I advise you to do the same: find a way to mark your official first day of classes while we wait to fully return on-campus. Consider taking a first day of school photo. If you do, please share it with our Psychology staff (#firstdaypsyumn and @psyadvis) and they will post it on our social media channels. Mine is already there. This past summer, in addition to having to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its multitude of impacts on our daily lives and well-being, we witnessed the devastating murder of George Floyd and subsequent civil unrest. We have heard how deeply these events have particularly impacted members of our student body who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. In June, I shared the following message: Toward that end, we have a full plate of important initiatives to tackle. In September, the faculty and staff will review our Department of Psychology Strategic Plan one last time prior to implementation. As you will see, one of our three strategic initiatives is to, “Better incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in our research, teaching, service, and operations.” There are some action steps under this initiative that we are already rolling out and two in particular that I want to highlight for our undergraduate students: 1) Our Health Disparities Colloquium Series has been rescheduled and will be held via Zoom. We highly encourage you to participate! More information on dates, times, and how to register will be forthcoming. 2) The Department will now provide funding for our student groups to host diversity, equity, and inclusion events and programming. More details will be shared with student groups on how to request funding. Additionally, several Town Hall meetings were held over the summer that allowed us to listen to and gather feedback and recommendations from graduate students, undergraduate students, staff, and faculty. Starting in September, the Diversity Committee will review and synthesize the information gathered, with the goal of drafting a document by December that articulates short-term and long-term actions steps we, as a department, can take to address the inequities and injustices that exist in our research, teaching, and service/community outreach. It is not the Diversity Committee’s responsibility to implement the recommended action steps. Rather, it will be the responsibility of a variety of leaders, groups, and committees across the Department to carry out that work. There will not be dramatic changes overnight. However, with focused attention, effort, and commitment, I am confident that, over time, the changes we enact will make our Department a far more equitable and inclusive place. No doubt that Fall 2020 will look different for all of us and our connections will primarily be online. On the teaching side, we are well-prepared after a full summer of learning about and implementing best practices for online teaching and learning. We are ready and excited to meet you where you are, ready to invite you back into our community, and ready to engage with you in new ways to make the best of the 2020-2021 academic year. -Jeff- 2. Psychology Undergraduate Student Advisory Council - Call for Applications Are you a psych major interested in helping the psych department at the U make progress? Do you want to improve your experience and other students’ experiences in the department? The Psychology Undergraduate Student Advisory Council (SAC) is the perfect way to do that! We are looking for passionate psych students to serve as members of the SAC. The SAC meets with the department leadership at least once a semester to voice their concerns as undergraduates. All meetings for fall will be held virtually. The position is for the entire academic year (2020-21) with the option of renewing membership for the next academic year. If you are interested in the position, please fill out the application by Friday, September 11th by 4:00 pm CST. 3. Virtual Drop-Ins Schedule During the first 2 weeks of Fall 2020, an advisor will be available for drop-in via Zoom advising at the following times (all are Central Standard Time) starting today, Tuesday, September 8th: |
Psychology Student Group AnnouncementsAll 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 our website. 4. Sign up to be apart of ABPS Newsletter! Sign up to be included in the ABPS newsletter—we plan on offering an array of resources, (research opportunities, mutual-aid funds, etc.) catered to psych students and related disciplines. |
Courses of Interest5. PSY 3896: Internship in Psychology -- Still open! Make an internship experience count toward your Major! PSY 3896 credits (1-4 credits) are based on the number of hours that you work with your internship during the Fall 2020 semester. The online course assignments are a complement to your learning in your internship setting. Example sites from the past include People Serving People, Sexual Violence Center, Tubman, and the Walk-In Counseling Center. Look for more opportunities in the Psych Scoop and on GoldPass. The registration deadline is Monday, September 21st by 12:00 pm CST. Steps to register for PSY 3896: PSY 3869 is online, asynchronous Instructor: Michael Houlahan (mhoulaha@umn.edu) Note: this course counts as elective credit for the Psychology majors. 6. EPSY 2601 – Understanding Differences, Disabilities, and the Career of Special Education - 4 credits - Fall 2020 In this course, you'll gain an understanding of the impact of disabilities on individuals and their families. You'll learn about support systems and ways to advocate for people with disabilities and how to use reflective practices when considering the concept of disability. This course has an embedded community-engaged practicum experience to allow students to learn more directly about what disability means in our community. Class meetings will be online at the specified class time unless notified in advance by the instructor. This class will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first four weeks. Starting the fifth week, students will meet for class on Thursdays and participate in a virtual practicum (times arranged with the organization). Students are required to complete 25 practicum hours for the semester. E{SY 2601 is Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:45 pm- 2:15 pm Online blended courses. Instructor: Jennifer McComas (jmccomas@umn.edu) Note: this course does not count in psychology majors or minors. 7. EPSY 5200-002: Programming Fundamentals for Social Scientists - 3 credits - Fall 2020 Learn the fundamental concepts and techniques of programming using the Python language—with an emphasis on techniques that are useful for social science research. This course takes an active learning approach to teach programming and computer-based skills that are increasingly important in modern social science research. Using Python 3, you'll learn software engineering topics such as writing robust code, testing, debugging, collaboration, version control, code repositories, and working with file systems. No prior programming experience necessary! EPSY 5201-002 is Wednesdays, 2:30 pm - 5:10 pm **Completely Online, synchronous and asynchronous Instructor: Jeff Bye (jbye@umn.edu) Note: this course does not count in psychology majors or minors. 8. EPSY 5401 - Counseling Procedures - 3 credits- Fall 2020 According to the American Counseling Association, counseling is the process of building relationships with individuals that empower them to accomplish mental health and wellness, education, and career goals. According to the Positive Psychology movement, counseling can help individuals and communities thrive, cultivating what is best within themselves, and enhancing their experiences of work, love, and play. In this course, you will learn a short-term model of counseling that is rooted in both client empowerment and positive psychology, aimed at helping clients, students, and others manage problems more effectively and develop opportunities more fully. The course relates to the COVID-19 pandemic in that students will learn skills to help others manage stress and isolation, overcome anxiety and fear, and make and implement personally-meaningful choices in their lives. This course is appropriate for individuals whose professional work includes counseling and interviewing and for those interested in advising, counseling and consulting. EPSY 5401 is Thursdays, 4:40 pm- 7:30 pm **Completely Online Instructor: Sherri Turner, Ph.D. (turne047@umn.edu) Note: this course does not count in psychology majors or minors. |
Events9. Save the Date: CLA Internship & Career Fair Thursday, October 1, 2020, 10:00 am- 2:00 pm CST The 2020 CLA Internship & Career Fair will be held as a virtual career fair. A virtual career fair is an event where employers host virtual booths with representatives from the organization available to talk with you either through 1:1 conversations or group sessions. The goal of the event is to build relationships (i.e. network) with employers so you can explore different career fields, discover position openings, and engage with employers about their organizations and what kind of skills they are seeking for their roles. Often you won’t leave a career fair with a job offer in hand, but you will leave with a better understanding of where you want to apply for positions, how to best represent yourself for those roles, and who to get in touch with to learn more or ask questions. Making a positive impression with employers in person can really help you to stand out in the job or internship application process! Learn more and RSVP through GoldPASS. |
Research10. *Credit or Volunteer* RA Opportunity in Research on Bipolar Disorders We are seeking three highly motivated, responsible, and detail-oriented undergraduates of sophomore or junior standing to contribute to projects on understanding neural and behavioral abnormalities in bipolar disorders (BD) at different stages of life span in the laboratory of Dr. Snezana Urosevic. Both credit and volunteer opportunities are available. RA duties may include project coordination of a neuroimaging pilot study examining neural function in older adults with BD; contributing to a study using smartphone apps to track symptom and functional changes in adults with BD; learning to preprocess and analyze electroencephalography (EEG) and/or MRI data for over 100 adolescents with BD and adolescents without psychopathology. Both credit and volunteer opportunities are available. Past RAs have authored poster presentations and contributed to manuscript submissions. Competitive applicants will have a strong interest in pursuing graduate-level education and an excellent academic record. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Snezana Urosevic by email at snezana.urosevic@va.gov and attach an unofficial transcript and a resume that includes information about your work and research experience, references, software skills, and knowledge. 11. *Credit or Volunteer* Research on Intergroup Contact with Nonbinary Folx through Board Games Looking for Nonbinary/Genderqueer research assistants and Cis ally research assistants for the Fall term to help with a dissertation study on prejudice toward nonbinary folx! This position will be completely online and will be around 4-8 hours a week. Primary duties will be to interact with participants online via Zoom and to reflect and debrief about your experiences with participants, but you will also have the opportunity to be involved in other aspects of the research process. Please see the flyers (flyer 1 and flyer 2) for more information. If interested, please email Yu-Chi Wang at wang6691@umn.edu. 12. *Credit or Volunteer* Dr. Deniz Ones' Personality Lab Dr. Deniz Ones’ Personality Research Lab is recruiting two motivated and detail-oriented undergraduate research assistants to work on a project examining the meta-analytic relationship between personality traits and sleep-wake variables. The responsibilities of the research assistants include conducting systematic literature searches, retrieving journal articles, and dissertations from databases, coding information from the articles, and attending weekly lab meetings for progress updates and discussion. The position can be taken for PSY 5993 credits or through volunteer. Preference will be given to students who have taken courses in the field of personality or workplace psychology. If you are interested, please contact Yilei Wang at wang6568@umn.edu with an unofficial transcript and resume/CV attached. |
Engagement13. K-12 Classroom Partner Would you like to support equity in K-12 education? Then consider taking GCC 3026, to become a peer leader, or volunteering for Classroom Partners, to lend a hand at a school that is strongly committed to helping every student succeed in a distance learning format. |
Scholarships14. Psychology Engagement Award Are you participating in an internship this Fall 2020 semester? Or engaging in a learning opportunity that takes you outside of the classroom for a unique experience? The Department of Psychology's Donor Awards for Psychology Undergraduate Engagement is available to support you! The purpose of these awards is to encourage and support psychology majors who engage in learning experiences beyond the University campus and classroom environments (i.e. unpaid internships, volunteer experiences, study abroad containing a psych-related internship or research component, etc.). Up to two awards of $500 will be offered for Fall 2020. For Fall 2020, remote experiences will count and if you are doing an in-person experience, please email us for further steps. The application deadline is September 21st (12:00 pm CST). For details about the awards and application materials, visit our webpage. 15. Sprout Health Group Healthcare Scholarship Sprout Health Group is offering a $1,000 scholarship to students studying a healthcare-related field, including psychology. Selection is based on a 500-word essay describing why the healthcare field inspires you and how you intend to use your degree. Winner(s) will be selected based on a personal story, need, and practical application of degree. Preference is given to applicants pursuing a career in addiction treatment and mental health. 16. CLA Internship Scholarship The CLA Internship Scholarship is designed to provide some financial assistance to undergraduate students participating in unpaid internships. The scholarships are offered by CLA three times per year and awarded during the term that the internship is completed. Read more information and find application instructions here. The deadline to apply is September 13th. 17. Culture Corps Gender Equity Award The Culture Corps Gender Equity Award is given annually to an international student in support of their work in bringing a global perspective on advancing gender equity to the University of Minnesota campus. A $500 award will be given to the recipient in support of their work on a project which brings a global perspective on advancing gender equity to the University of Minnesota. The recipient is recognized at the annual Celebrating Changemakers event hosted by the Women's Center. Find more information and application information. The deadline is September 21st at 4:30 CST. 18. Institute on the Environment Undergraduate Leaders Program and Scholarship Are you an undergraduate student interested in sustainability and looking to create tangible change? Apply for the 2020-21 Institute on the Environment Undergraduate Leaders Program. Undergraduate leaders will work in teams on pre-identified projects that relate to the Institute on the Environment’s Impact Goals surrounding clean water, sustainable land use, and building a carbon-neutral future. Teams will receive support and mentoring from individuals from the Institute on the Environment who work in these areas. Program participants may be eligible for a $1,500 Ecolab Experiential Education scholarship. Apply by September 15th for both the program and scholarship. View more about the application process on their website. This year’s program will be delivered 100% virtually, so students will not need to be on campus to access meetings or resources. Reach out to Fatima Tufail at tufai002@umn.edu with questions. 19. George Floyd Scholarship The George Floyd Scholarship is now accepting applications from all eligible students, including those with financial need and those who have been victims of police violence. To be eligible for the George Floyd Scholarship, you must be registered full-time in an undergraduate degree-seeking program at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. The scholarship application is available at the UMTC Undergraduate Scholarship Search site. Click ‘Let’s Begin’ and find the link for the George Floyd Scholarship. It will include detailed information about the scholarship program and the application process. The award amount is expected to be approximately $3,500-$4,000 for one UMTC student split evenly between the fall and spring semesters. To the maximum extent possible, preference will be given to students who will enhance the diversity of the student body as described by the University. In evaluating student body diversity, after the eligible pool of candidates is selected, additional consideration will be given to Black or African American students if they are underrepresented in the University. For the 2020-2021 awarding of this scholarship, Black or African American students are underrepresented at the University. The deadline for complete applications is 11:59 PM CST on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Direct questions to OUE Special Scholarships at ouespecialschol@umn.edu. |
Grad SchoolFind Diversity Weekend programs - includes Fall, Spring, and Summer programs. Updated frequently. 20. Prospective Ph.D. & RA Event in Psychology (PPREP) - Harvard Are you interested in applying to graduate programs or any research position in psychology? The Harvard Psychology Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee is thrilled to announce that on October 17th and 18th, we will be hosting a free, two-day info session and application workshop for individuals interested in applying to psychology research positions and Ph.D. programs. This is the first year we are offering this event. Similar events at other institutions have been a huge success in years past, and we are excited to join their ranks this year! The goal of this workshop is to help students from historically minoritized groups with their applications to graduate school, lab manager, or research assistant positions. We strongly encourage applicants from one or more underrepresented and/or historically minoritized groups, including but not limited to, non-cis-gendered individuals, members of the queer community, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), first-generation college students, and those from low-income / low-resource backgrounds. Interested applicants from any institution or organization are invited to apply! There is a short application due September 18th. Learn more and apply. If you have any questions, please contact the Harvard Psychology Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee at HarvardPsychRecruitment@gmail.com. 21. SRCD Black Caucus Virtual Grad School Panel for Black Undergrads and Postbacs Friday, September 25, 2020, 12:00 pm EST The Student and Early Career Council of the Society for Research in Child Development’s Black Caucus is hosting a panel on Friday, September 25th at 12:00 PM EST for Black undergraduate students and postbacs interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in a child development related field. Graduate student panelists in areas of psychology and human development will discuss the graduate school application process and their experiences as Black scholars in the academy, as well as answer attendee questions during a live Q&A. The panel will be geared toward those who plan to apply to Ph.D. programs within the next 2 years. Interested students should complete the registration form by September 18th in order to receive a link to the event. RSVP for the link. Please contact Janelle Billingsley at jtb2ma@virginia.edu if you have any questions about the event or application form. |
