Category Archives: Undergrad

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fNIRS training in spring

Those that are interested in learning more about fNIRS (functional neuroimaging) have the chance to benefit from a course Vrinda is offering in the spring semester, which is open to all. There will be both an undergraduate and graduate component, so any of your graduate students or RAs could attend. The course will cover basics of cortical organization, hemodynamic response, and fNIRS (experimental design, data collection, and basics of data analysis). The meeting times are:

Undergraduate (PSY 375): WF 11:40 – 1:00; M 2:55 – 3:45 (Lab)

Graduate (PSY 620): M 1:15 – 2:55; M 2:55 – 3:45 (Lab)

Please direct any questions directly to Vrinda.

Quick tips for advising

Some random but useful notes from Jay, addressing common advising points:

  • If advising first year students – if they haven’t taken ENG111 – they should do so in the spring (do not wait for fall).
  • STA 261 covers both Miami Plan and CAS formal reasoning requirements.
  • Language requirement is through the 202 level of the given language – so for a person starting from scratch that is usually four semesters. This can be shortened by either AP scores or scores on the placement test (for those languages that have them). For example if a person took the Spanish placement test and placed into SPN201 – then they would take 201 and 202 and be done with the requirement.
  • PSY/Neuro (co-major/minor)/ Pre-med is a feasible (and popular) combination – particularly if the student is a first year.
  • PSY400 and PSY394 can count towards upper level requirements
  • The language is changed a little but the upper level requirement is still 2-300 and 2-400 (with one being the capstone) – we tried to build some flexibility into this (e.g., 3-300 level or multiple 400 level) – but deviations from the 2/2 will still need to be cleared by the CDA
  • For Miami Plan stuff follow this link; it has requirements for both of the current Miami Plans (2014 and before/ 2015 and beyond).
  • For CAS stuff follow this link; not as straightforward but can give you a general rundown of the key stuff.

Panel, Nov 1: Applying psychology to business and industry

Ginger Wickline has organized a career panel for students interested in marketing, human resources, and industry. This event will be held in Middletown but it will be simulcast in the CPI, 12:00 – 1:00, Wednesday, Nov 1. Students can “learn more about marketing, human resources, statistical analysis, industrial/organizational psychology, business leadership including how psychology classes can help you get there!”

If the technology is willing, students attending in the CPI will have the opportunity to ask questions as well. Speakers include:

Mr. Tim Beatty, President, Bullen Ultrasonic
Mr. Brian George, Personnel Technician, Miami University
Mr. Justin Gregg, Manager, Predictive Analytics, CareSource, Inc.

Thanks to Christina Fitzpatrick for the simulcast and again to Ginger for arranging this great event!

 

Students considering departmental honors

From Heather Claypool, departmental honors coordinator:

Current juniors wanting to apply for PSY honors must submit their applications online by Dec 4, 2017. If you have talented first-semester juniors in your lab right now who you think would be good candidates for PSY honors, please talk to them about the program and encourage them to apply. The application is very short and can be filled out online at this link.

The application will ask students to list their PSY and overall GPAs (which will be verified for accuracy), the name of their thesis supervisor (and I will follow-up with you to ensure you have indeed agreed to supervise the student), and a very brief (1-2 sentence) description of their topic area. Students will also be asked if they want to take PSY 400 in Spring 2018 (which is STRONGLY encouraged, but optional). FYI–PSY 400 will be offered on Tues, Thurs from 11:40 AM-1:00 PM (in case students ask).

As in years past, students must have a 3.25 PSY and 3.25 overall GPA to be eligible. I encourage you to ask students about their grades before you encourage them to apply. We’ve had an increasingly high number of students with GPAs well below these targets apply in the last few years.

For students who meet requirements and indicate on the application that they want to take PSY 400, they will be force added to the course. Enrollment in PSY 400 is by force add only and open only to accepted PSY honors students who are juniors.

Please note this important information about the application deadline. If a student applies for PSY honors *after* PSY 400 has begun (i.e., on or after Jan 29, 2018), he or she may still be admitted to the program and be offered the opportunity to do a thesis, but he or she will have forfeited his/her opportunity to take PSY 400. Also, due to holiday travel, I will have very limited opportunity to process honors applications during winter break. Thus, if it is important to you or to the student that he/she takes PSY 400, please make sure he/she submits his/her application on time, by Dec 4, but absolutely no later than Dec 22.

If you have any questions, please stop by or email Heather.

SSC Campus training dates

There are several upcoming dates (below) for the hands-on advisor training (Module 3) for the new advising system, Student Success Collaborative – Campus (SSC Campus). Recall that this system should be used from this point forward, and that starting January 1 only advising activity logged in the system will be fully considered when evaluating faculty advising contributions (i.e., next year’s activities reports). To sign up for one of these sessions, use this link or visit the Advisor Training Canvas site.

October 23, 2017 – 3:30PM (116 Laws)
October 24, 2017 – 11:00AM (WEBEX)
October 26, 2017 – 2:00PM (116 Laws)
October 31, 2017 – 9:00AM (WEBEX)
November 3, 2017 – 1:00PM (WEBEX)
November 15, 2017 – 2:00PM (WEBEX)
November 20, 2017 – 12:30PM (116 Laws)
November 29, 2017 – 3:00PM (WEBEX)
December 4, 2017 – 10:00AM (WEBEX)
December 6, 2017 – 8:30AM (116 Laws)

 

FYRE open house and 18-19 course planning

Next Friday, October 20, 11:30 – 1:30 in King Library (AIS), the ORU is holding an open house for faculty who would like to consider offering a FYRE section for next academic year. FYRE involves a two-course sequence (UNV 171/172; 2 cr. ea.) that introduces students to the research process through authentic research experiences. The schedule for the event follows:

11:30    Complimentary lunch

11:45    Student/faculty panel

12:45    FYRE poster session

The department is able to support one faculty member to offer a section (each semester) next year as part of a regular teaching load, and I would really like to see PSY continue to be involved in this initiative. Project expenses are also covered (within reasonable limits), and there is the potential for partial GA support as well. Please let me know if you are interested in pursuing this further. Jenn Quinn, Robin Thomas, and I have all offered this “new version” of FYRE since its inception and can also provide feedback to faculty who might be interested.

Undergraduate Research Awards due Oct. 16

There are two rounds for the URA program, the first of which is upcoming next Monday, October 16 and intended for student research projects to be conducted during winter term or spring semester. Students are responsible for submitting the awards, but require faculty endorsement. Successful proposals involve the faculty member’s input throughout the process. Awards are typically around $300 – $500 but may range up to $1,000 for those involving multiple students and/or exceptional merit. A faculty member may sponsor up to 4 submissions per cycle.

Please read the guidelines here and contact Martha Weber in the ORU if you have any questions.

CUR undergrad travel awards

The Psychology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (ORU) has travel awards up to $200 for regional or national conferences for your students. Faculty must be the ones to submit for the awards, and the students submit a report after the meeting. The deadline is October 15 (for conferences thru February). Note there will be another call with a February 15 deadline for spring meetings.

Regional undergrad research conference

IUPUC is hosting the Conference on Undergraduate Research in Psychology in Columbus, IN, November 15, 2017. The submission deadline is October 15, 2017, and registration deadline Nov. 1. This might be a nice opportunity if anyone has students from the area, needs an excuse to visit Bloomington, or even for graduate recruiting.

By the way, our own OUPRC will be upcoming in Columbus, OH (Ohio Dominican; April 28).

Career development/internship workshop for students

From the Dean’s office, sponsoring an in-person career workshop specifically for liberal arts majors:

This October CAS is partnering with Vocatio to help students identify and hopefully land great internship or job opportunities. Vocatio’s Career Hacks program will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. for three weeks in October, culminating in a showcase to employers. Students will have an opportunity to find jobs that best fit them, increase their career-readiness, work one-on-one with potential employers, and land an internship or a job. This video can give you more of a feel for the program. Students who participated last year found it very helpful and many got internship/job offers, so please make your students award of this opportunity. The program is limited to 200 students. If they are interested they should sign up today or sooner than later.