8/19

The inside scoop on staying engaged and up-to-date with the Psychology major!

The psychology undergraduate newsletter provides a weekly update on the latest course information, upcoming events, and currently available job, internship, and research opportunities relating to your major! Find past issues here. If you would like to start receiving the Psych Scoop directly to your inbox, send a request to: psyadvis@umn.edu.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
PSYCHOLOGY ADVISING
1.Fall 2014 Drop-In Hours for Psychology Undergraduate Advising
RESEARCH
2.Undergraduate Research Assistants Needed - Conflict Mediation
3.Research Lab at the VA
4.Psychiatry Research Opportunity
COURSES
5.Courses in Gerontology
6.SASS Courses
7.Courses in Bioethics
JOB/INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
8.Work Study Positions
9.Fall Internship at Washburn
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PSYCHOLOGY ADVISING
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1.Fall 2014 Drop-In Hours for Psychology Undergraduate Advising
Psychology Undergraduate Advising has designated drop-in hours during the academic year. However, due to the high student demand the first two weeks of the term, we will have an advisor available from on drop-ins from 8:00am- 4:30pm. Drop-ins are a great time to have research contracts signed, and ask 5-10 minute questions; longer issues will be referred to schedule an appointment. Our normal drop-in hours will take effect Monday, September 15th. This semester's drop-in hours for the Psychology Advisors can be found on our website. While other units may have advisors available at all times, each advisor in our unit holds drop-in hours once a week and cannot address walk-in issues outside of these. While it may seem like a quick issue (such as signing a research contract), it often takes more time than expected and adds up when considering our large student population. To run efficiently and serve our students best, it is important that we recognize and respect these specified drop-in times.
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RESEARCH
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2.Undergraduate Research Assistants Needed - Conflict Mediation
The Conflict Mediation Lab is looking for undergraduate research assistants to start work during the Fall semester, earning research credit for PSY 5993. RAs will be assisting with coding participants' written responses from conflict mediation sessions and data analysis in a study examining the effect of verbal and non-verbal behaviors on conflict mediation outcomes. Responsibilities include coding mediation data as well as attending a weekly team lab meeting, which will be scheduled based on lab members' availability. The position runs during the Fall semester, with the opportunity to continue into the Spring. RAs will be expected to work approximately 9 hours per week (may vary across weeks). Strong candidates for this position will be conscientious, bright, motivated students interested in the research process. Preference will be given to students enrolled in the University Honors Program, to students willing commit to at least 2 semesters in the lab, and to those with previous research experience. If you would like to apply for an RA position, send an email with the subject line "Mediation Research Assistant Position" to Ally Williams (will3621@umn.edu) by 1pm on Tuesday, September 2nd, containing the following information: Name, Email, Class Year, Cumulative GPA, and Reason for applying (no more than one sentence, please). Only students who respond accordingly will be sent the full research assistant application and considered for this position.
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3.Research Lab at the VA
A laboratory at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System is conducting treatment outcome research to examine how individuals with schizophrenia change as a result of participating in computer-based skills training. There is an opportunity for 2 undergraduate students to become involved with this project as a Research Lab in Psychology experience. The students will learn about the assessment and treatment of schizophrenia, with emphasis on symptom severity, social functioning, cognition, and rehabilitation. Student will work as a part of a research team lead by a psychologist and will be involved primarily with scoring measures and entering data. As part of the research experience, students will attend a weekly lab meeting in which topics related to the project are discussed. In addition, students will write an APA-style paper on a related topic. All research activities are conducted at the VA Health Care System. Students must be able to commute to the VA. Student will be asked to register for research credit and to commit an average of 9 hours each week between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm. Availability on Tuesday and Thursday is preferred. For more information, please contact Tasha Nienow, Ph.D. at 612-467-1004 or send a resume to Tasha.Nienow@va.gov.
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4.Psychiatry Research Opportunity
Dr. Marilyn Carroll is looking for students to work in her research lab in the Department of Psychiatry. Students may work for credit, or on a volunteer basis. The time commitment is flexible. We are looking for students who can work at least this Fall semester. The hours per week would depend on the number of credits taken (approximately 3 hours/week per credit). If the student is a volunteer we would expect 5-10 hours per week. The lab would be of particular interest to students interested in behavioral psychology. Most of the studies we conduct are cocaine addiction studies. We conduct the research on rats, so the lab might be of particular interest to someone who wants to gain experience with laboratory animals. Students should expect to attend short, weekly meetings. They will need to work with laboratory rats in order to maintain their health and well-being. There will also be some data entry and data analysis. We have several studies going on at one time, but we typically have directed research students work with one study and complete a poster to present in the Undergraduate Research Symposium at the end of the semester. Interested students please email Heather Veglahn, vegla003@umn.edu with their availability for the Fall. The lab is open from 7:30am-3:30pm every day.
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COURSES
IMPORTANT: Courses listed below are not offered by the Department of Psychology, and you will need to meet with your college advisor to find out how they will fit into your academic program.
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5.Courses in Gerontology
The Gerontology Department is offering several great courses this Fall, including: GERO 5105: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Aging; GERO: 5115 Introduction to Geriatrics; GERO 5125: Gerontology Service Learning, and GERO 8023: Aging Policy Seminar. If you are interested in working in geriatrics, gerontology, or public health, you may want to check these courses out.
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6.SASS Courses
Student Academic Success Services (SASS) at UCCS is currently offering two different courses for Fall Semester, 2014 to assist student with their academic efforts. LASk 1102 is designed for students: on academic probation; returning from an academic suspension; or having significant academic issues. Students completing this 2 credit course speak highly of the experience - please keep it in mind for students you think would benefit from more focused, individualized assistance. To register: Student should call the SASS/UCCS front desk at 612-624-3323 to get registration paperwork, or email UCCS@umn.edu for the same. After submitting their paperwork to UCCS@umn.edu, students will receive a permission number to complete their registration process. LASK 1001: Mastering Skills for College Success, is a perfect 2-credit course for any student looking to hone their academic skills. It focuses on five factors for academic success: Active Learning, Self-Awareness, Study Skills, Life Balance and Campus Enlargement. While freshmen and sophomores benefit greatly from this class, juniors and seniors will also learn vital information that they can use throughout their academic and professional career. Consider recommending this course to any student who would like to learn skills for working smarter and more effectively! For more information, visit us at: www.sass.umn.edu.
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7.Courses in Bioethics
The Center for Bioethics is offering some courses this fall that psychology students may be interested in. A few courses of interest may be: BTHX 5010: Bioethics Proseminar; BTHX 5210: Ethics of Human Subjects Research; BTHX 5400: Introduction to Bioethics in Health Policy, and BTHX 5610: Research & Publication. These courses cover a range of topics including ethics and policy issues in research on human subjects, the analysis of policy history and changes. For more information and a completely listing of courses, visit the Bioethics website. If you have any questions or would like to request a permission number for registration, contact Margie O'Neill through e-mail at bthxed@umn.edu or by calling 612-626-4817.
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JOB/INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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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.
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8.Work Study Positions
TRIO Upward Bound is a federally funded college prep program focused on equipping low income, first generation and urban Minneapolis high school students with the skills and information needed to achieve their collegiate dreams. TRIO UB is currently accepting applications for the following work-study student positions: Tutor (work study only) (req#193047); Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (work study) (req #192994); Student Office Assistant (Req#193069). Tutors and Teaching Assistants require weekly availability during the hours of our after-school services which run M-Th from 3-6pm in Appleby Hall. Office Assistants should have daytime availability between 9-5pm M-Th. To apply go to employment.umn.edu and search the position using the requisition numbers listed above. All positions require an updated resume, cover letter, and references and college transcripts; final candidates must pass a criminal background check. Interviews will take place at the end of August, early September; Staff will start no later than 9/20 (training). TRIO UB academic year after-school services are held at Appleby Hall and will start on 9/29. Questions about the Tutoring & Teaching Assistant positions should go to Tricia Wilkinson @ wilk0109@umn.edu or 612-625-3369. Inquiries regarding the Office Assistant position should go to Elizabeth Nelson at echa0001@umn.edu or 612-624-0865.
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9.Fall Internship at Washburn
There are currently unpaid internship positions open at Washburn Center for Children in our Family Focused program this fall. The Family Focused Program serves families needing an intensive combination of periodic parent groups, in-home and center-based therapy and a therapeutic preschool for children. It is designed to decrease the potential for harm to children and to help parents provide a safer, more nurturing environment for their children. In Family Focused, preschool aged children come to the center for milieu therapy four half days a week, all year round. They are in small groups of about 7 to 9 children each. There are three to four adults (which include the interns) with a group so interns have a lot of direct involvement with the children. During the fall interns in Family Focused volunteer 2 half days a week. The schedules that are available include: Monday/Wednesday mornings, Monday/Wednesday afternoons, Tuesday/Thursday mornings and Tuesday/Thursday afternoons. For mornings the hours would be 8:45am-12:30pm and for afternoons the hours would be 12:45pm-4:30pm. Our fall internship placements run from the end of August until the middle of December. Applications are available on our website at: www.washburn.org. For more information, contact: Colleen Hegy, Intern Coordinator, at 612-872-3341 or email internships@washburn.org.
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