APA Summer Science Fellowship Program

The American Psychological Association Summer Science Fellowship Program is a 6-week, expenses-paid opportunity for high-achieving college students to get hands-on experience working in psychological research in the Washington, DC area. This is an amazing opportunity to get inspiration and valuable experience, particularly for those students who are considering academic or research-based careers or graduate programs in psychology. The application deadline is in early February. More information about the program, as well as the necessary application materials and instructions, can be found here.

Graduation Pictures From Fall, 2009

Laura Southwell won the Outstanding Student Awards in both Psychology and Sociology. Congratulations Laura!


Leslie Hill, Latisha Davis, and Jenea Gaston at the Graduation Breakfast.

Chuck Huffman Wins a Teaching Award

Chuck Huffman won the Teacher of the Year Award. Congratulations Chuck!

Mike Urda - We'll Miss You

Mike Urda, a retired professor of psychology, passed away on Sunday, December 6. He was a central figure in our department for over three decades. He will be missed.

An obituary with the funeral arrangements is available in the local paper.

Regents Test Dates

The deadline for signing up for the Regents' Tests is Monday, October 19. You sign up through RAIN, print out a confirmation ticket, and bring that along with your student ID with you when you go to take the test(s). Here is when the tests will be offered:

If you need the essay test only:
Tuesday, October 27 at 9:00 a.m. (check-in at 8:45)

If you need the reading test only:
Wednesday, October 28 at 3:00 p.m. (check-in at 2:45)

If you need both the essay and the reading tests:
Tuesday, October 27 at 2:00 p.m. (check-in at 1:45)
OR
Wednesday, October 28 at 9:00 a.m. (check-in at 8:45)

All testing will be held in the Intramural Gym in the Student Success Center.

If you will have earned 45 credits or more at the end of this semester and do not take or pass this exam, you will be required to take the appropriate remediation class(es) next semester.

Psychology/Sociology Club Meeting

The next meeting of the Psychology/Sociology Club will be on Tuesday, October 6, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 3 of the Psychology/Sociology Building.

School Psychology Information Session

The School Psychology graduate program at Georgia State University will be hosting an information session on October 13, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. in the GSU College of Education at 7:00 PM. The session will take place in the VIP Room, which is located on the 10th floor of the College of Education Building located at 30 Pryor Street in Atlanta. If you have any questions regarding the information session, school psychology in general, or the program offered at Georgia State University, please contact Matthew Vignieri at Mjvignie@gmail.com or (239) 209-1597.

Psychology/Sociology Club Meeting

The Psychology/Sociology Club will have its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 1 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 3 of the Psychology/Sociology Building. All students, whether or not they're Psych/Soci majors, are welcome. If you're interested but unable to come, please put your name on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board just inside the front door and we'll try to email you with news and a notice of the next meeting. We also have a group on Facebook.

Free books and more!

We've been doing some housecleaning. There are plenty of books, three-ring binders, and other tidbits that we're giving away. Please help out our clean-up efforts by taking a few old things off our hands.

Psy/Soc Department Photo

Here is the Psychology/Sociology Department for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Back row, from the left: Jamie MacLennan, LaVerne Worthy, Gary Fisk, Paul Shapiro, & Tom Johnson
Front row, from the left: Chuck Huffman, Andrea Miller, Ellen Cotter, & Linda Singleton

Bookstore information

The campus bookstore has sent out a request asking faculty and staff to tell their students to bring printouts of their class schedules with them when they come to the bookstore to buy books. The bookstore explains the rationale really well:

"This is the only way the Bookstore Staff can make absolutely sure the correct textbooks are selected. Some students think that telling us it is the red book with the stripe on it or it is the class that is taught by the tall man with the beard is enough for the Bookstore to help them find their book."

Another issue not mentioned is that there might be several sections of a class (e.g., PSYC 1101) taught by different instructors who use different books. If you don't know exactly which section you're in, you might buy the wrong book.

You see the problem here. Take your schedule to the bookstore.

Congratulations to the new Psychology/Sociology Club officers for the 2009-2010 academic year:

President: Charles "Jeff" Bryant
Vice President: Emanuel Stratton
Secretary: Michelle Chaney
Treasurer: Kristin Hollis

Graduation for Spring, 2009

Congratulations to all of the Spring, 2009 graduates! We wish you the best of luck in your careers.


Christian Dane received the Outstanding Student Award in Psychology. From left: Gary Fisk, Christian Dane, and Chuck Huffman.


Another picture of Christian Dane with the Outstanding Student Award.


Carla Taylor graduated magna cum laude. From left: Gary Fisk, Carla Taylor, Tom Johnson, and Paul Shapiro.

Psychology/Sociology Club Meetings

Thanks to everyone who came out last week to watch the movie! Hopefully we can do it again next semester.

Don't forget that our next meeting is Wednesday, April 22 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 5. Brad Ray, director of the CASA program, will speak at that meeting. Also, nominations for next year's officer positions will be taken. If you want to run for an officer position for next year, please come to the meeting.

On Friday, April 24, we will go to visit the Sleep Disorders Clinic in Albany. We will plan to meet there at 9:00 a.m. We will discuss carpooling arrangements at the April 22 meeting, or you can contact Christian or me beforehand if you have any questions.

Our last meeting of the year will be Wednesday, April 29 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 5. Our speaker will be Stephanie Wynn, a social worker for the Davita Dialysis Clinic. We will also have elections at this meeting.

Psychology/Sociology Club events

The Psychology/Sociology Club will not have its regularly scheduled meeting this week because of a scheduling conflict with our speaker. However, we will have still have our movie night on Wednesday, April 15 at 5:00 p.m. in Room 3. We are still not sure what we are going to watch -- the possibilities are endless!

We will have a meeting on Wednesday, April 22 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 5. Brad Ray, director of the CASA program, will speak at that meeting. Also, nominations for next year's officer positions will be taken at this meeting.

On Friday, April 24, we will go to visit the Sleep Disorders Clinic in Albany. We will plan to meet there at 9:00 a.m. We will discuss carpooling arrangements at the April 22 meeting, or you can contact Christian or me beforehand if you have any questions.

Our last meeting of the year will be Wednesday, April 29 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 5. Our speaker will be Stephanie Wynn, a social worker for the Davita Dialysis Clinic. We will also have elections at this meeting.

Participation in the BPRB Colloquium

Five psychology majors attended the Banks-Pierro-Rutland-Bellamy Social and Behavioral Sciences Colloquium at Fort Valley State University. Above: Daphne Rachals presented a poster on the Implicit Association Test.


From left: Taniesha Blake, Emanuel Stratton, Charles Bryant, and Michelle Chaney attended a paper presentation at the colloquium.

Registration Information

Registration for Summer and Fall 2009 classes will begin on Monday, March 30. Only graduating seniors can register that day; everyone else's registration dates begin later. Please check your account on RAIN to see the first dates on which you can register. In general, though, the first day of registration is based on the number of credit hours you have completed (which does not include what you're taking this semester):

Students Graduating Summer or Fall 09 March 30
Seniors (90 hours or more) April 1
Juniors (60 hours or more) April 3
Sophomores (30 hours or more) April 7
Freshmen (fewer than 30 hours) April 9

As in previous semesters, you may register yourself if you have no holds on your record. Please check on RAIN to make sure you do not have any holds. If you have an "advisor hold", that means that you need to consult with me prior to registration. However, EVERYONE is encouraged to consult with their advisor prior to registration even if it's not required. Please look at the course schedules prior to meeting with your advisor; the schedules are posted on RAIN.

Psychology/Sociology Club Meeting

The Psychology/Sociology Club will meet on Wednesday, April 1, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 5 (note the location is different from usual). We will finalize our plans to go to Fort Valley State University on Friday for their conference. If you are going on this trip you MUST fill out a waiver form if you have not already done so. If you need a ride, please either come to the meeting or contact Christian.

Graduating Seniors: Gowns Must Be Ordered By March 23

Graduating seniors who intend to participate in the graduation ceremony must order their caps and gowns by Monday, March 23. The graduation attire must be ordered online.

New Projection System In Room Five

A dedicated computer projection system is now installed in room five. This will make it much easier to show PowerPoint presentations and videos.

Psychology/Sociology Club meeting

The Psychology/Sociology Club will meet on Wednesday, March 18, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 3 of the Psychology/Sociology building. We will discuss plans for playing bingo at Magnolia Manor next week and going to the conference at Fort Valley State University in April. All are welcome.

Registration and the Regents Test

Registration for Summer and Fall classes will begin on Monday, March 30. Please check your record on RAIN to make sure that you don't have any holds prior to registration. If you see something called an "Advisor Hold", that means you have to meet with your advisor prior to registration. You will most likely have an Advisor Hold if you:

Have applied to graduate in spring 2009
Have between 85-105 overall earned hours
Have less than 30 overall earned hours

There may be other reasons too, but these are the most common ones.

The ONLY hold your advisor can take care of is the Advisor Hold. If you have a hold due to unpaid parking tickets, Health Center fees, missing vaccinations, or something else, you need to resolve that either through Public Safety, the Health Center, or the Cashier's Office.

Also, if you have not yet passed the Regents Test and need to sign up to take it this semester, you need to register to take it by March 11. You can register online through RAIN. If you click on the link in RAIN for viewing your academic transcript you can see which parts of the Regents Test you need to take.

The Board of Regents requires students to begin testing their first term at GSW, and they only get two attempts to pass the tests before the students are required to enroll in remedial skills classes. However, if the student misses the tests then that is considered an attempt. Please sign up for the Regents Test (and show up to take them!) as soon as possible to reduce your chances of having to take the remedial skills classes.

Psychology/Sociology Club Meeting

The Psychology/Sociology Club will meet on Wednesday, March 4, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 3. We will talk more about our plans to go to the colloquium at Fort Valley State University. We will also elect a new Treasurer. If you are interested in holding this office, please come to the meeting and be prepared to talk for a couple of minutes about why you're interested in this position and why you think you'd be good at it. If you have questions about what the Treasurer does, please let me know.

Also at this meeting, Dr. Laura DePaola, a clinical psychologist here in town, will be our guest speaker. She will be talking about graduate school preparation as well as giving some information about the life of a practicing clinical psychologist. Dr. DePaola's presentation will start at 11:30.

Club meeting

The Psychology/Sociology Club will meet on Wednesday, February 18 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 3 of the Psychology/Sociology Building. All are welcome to come.

We also have a Facebook page created by our secretary, Michelle Chaney. If you log into Facebook and search "gsw psychology" and click on the "Groups" tab, you will see a link to our group. Thank you Michelle for setting that up!

Writing Center

The following information comes from Dr. Brian Adler, Vice President for Academic Affairs:

The GSW Writing Center, located in Room 107 of the English Building, will be open this semester during the following hours:

Monday through Thursday 10 am - 7 pm
Friday 10 am - 2 pm

Beginning this semester, the Writing Center will be under the direction of Lydia Rogers, assistant professor of English. Tutors from various disciplines will be available to help students in any class. The emphasis of this tutorial work will fall on the writing process, with special attention to helping students get started with assignments, helping them imagine ways to develop content and structure for their writing, and with strategies for more effective editing and proofreading. Please remember that tutors do not "fix" student writing; instead, they provide support for writers as they move toward completion of a project. PLEASE NOTE: THE WRITING CENTER IS OPEN TO ALL GSW STUDENTS who are engaged in writing projects.

For more information, contact Lydia Rogers (phone: 2198; e-mail: lrogers@canes.gsw.edu).

Psy/Soc Department Picture

From left: Jamie MacLennan, Chuck Huffman, Ellen Cotter, Paul Shapiro, LaVerne Worthy, Tom Johnson, Linda Singleton and Gary Fisk

Psi Chi honor cords

Following up on the previous post, if you are a member of Psi Chi and would like to order an honor cord to wear at graduation, please bring me your money no later than March 23 as well. The cords cost $14 including shipping. If you pay by check, please make the check out to Psi Chi (not to me!). You can see the Psi Chi honor cords here. If you wish to order something else, that's fine, but please add $2 per item to cover shipping costs.

Gowns for Graduating Seniors

Graduating seniors: If you intend to participate in the spring graduation ceremony you must order your cap and gown soon. From the bookstore:

All orders for caps and gowns, graduation announcements, and accessories must be placed online by March 23, 2009.

No orders will be taken directly from students in the Bookstore.

Place your order for Official Custom Graduation Announcements, Accessories and Cap & Gowns online at:

www.herffjones.com/college/graduation

Summer Research at Clemson

Clemson University is offering research internship positions this summer. From the announcement:

10 Paid Summer Undergraduate Research Internships
NSF Summer Program in Applied Psychology:
Human Factors, Health, I/O Psychology

This internship experience would NOT be eligible for the internship credit because it is a paid position.

More information about this position is available on their web site.

Psychology/Sociology Club

The Psychology/Sociology Club will have its next meeting on Wednesday, January 28, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 3 of the Psychology/Sociology Building. All are welcome to come. We will discuss our plans for this semester, including any field trips, guest speakers, fundraisers, or other activities anyone can suggest. Also, the T-shirts are here! If you ordered a T-shirt last semester, you can pick one up at the meeting, and if you can't make the meeting Dr. Cotter has them in her office. If you did not order a shirt last semester, we will probably have some extra ones to sell.

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is hosting its annual Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop in San Diego from April 13-15, 2009. According to their website:

"This workshop is designed to build the talent pool of undergraduate students who plan to pursue doctorate degrees in education research or in disciplines and fields that examine education issues. Applicants are sought who have potential and interest in pursuing careers as education researchers, faculty members, or other professionals who contribute to the research field."

AERA offers fellowships for qualified students. These fellowships cover the registration costs as well as two nights of lodging. Transportation costs to and from the meeting are not covered. Forms and instructions for the fellowship applications can be found at the above website. The application deadline is February 20.

Upcoming Student Conferences

There are two student conferences in our area this spring. These conferences will provide a great opportunity for presenting the results from independent study projects.

The Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology (GURP) is being held on March 21, 2009 at Kennesaw State University. The deadline for submissions is March 1. Additional information is available on the GURP website.

The Banks-Pierro-Rutland-Bellamy Colloquium in the Social and Behavioral Sciences is being held on April 2 & 3 at Fort Valley State University. The submission deadline for proposals is March 2, with completed papers due on March 20. Please contact Dr. Fisk for the registration forms and guidelines.

Chat for students interested in forensic or counseling psychology graduate programs

Once again, the nice folks at Marymount University in Virginia are hosting an online chat session to provide information about their graduate programs in Forensic and Counseling Psychology. The chat will be on Thursday, January 22, from 7-8 p.m. There is no charge, and all you need is a computer with an internet connection. To join the chat, go to the following website:

www.marymount.edu/admissions/grad/chat.html

Psychology/Sociology Club Meeting

The Psychology/Sociology Club will have its first meeting of the semester on Wednesday, January 14 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 3 of the Psychology/Sociology Building. Everyone is welcome to come.

Psychology and Law

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln has a really cool program for undergraduate students interested in psychology and law. Students accepted in this program will spend a year at UNL participating in research and taking classes; this experience will make you extremely attractive to possible graduate programs and possible employers, especially if you are seeking employment or graduate training in this field. The classes you take would most likely transfer back to GSW (this would need to be worked out with the Registrar's Office in advance). There is also a stipend and other financial compensation for participants.

If you're interested, the link to the program's website can be found here. They will start reviewing applications on February 1, so you still have some time to get your materials in if you're interested in applying!