Author Archives: mcconnar

PSY seeking applications for VAP positions

The department is seeking applicants for Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor positions to teach full-load of undergraduate courses especially in Social Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and/or Research Methods and Statistics. Positions are for one year, with potential for renewal dependent upon performance and funding. Multiple positions may be available. Our department strongly values diversity and inclusivity and is committed to diversifying the representation of its faculty.

More details, including information for applying, is available on Miami’s jobs website.

Allie Farrell named APS Rising Star

Congratulations goes to our own Allie Farrell, who was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science. Allie was selected from a cohort of psychologists whose PhDs were awarded between 2015 and 2018. Rising Stars are selected from recently-minted PhDs who have demonstrated excellence in publications, demonstrated independence from mentors, and work with broad impact.

Five undergraduates receive Undergraduate Summer Scholars awards

Congratulations goes to the following five undergraduates who were awarded University Summer Scholar awards and to their faculty mentors: Kalia Fennell (Anna Radke), Jackson Heitt (Jeff Hunger), Brianna Masters (Anna Radke), Zoe Platow (Matt McMurray), and Catherine Wasylyshyn (Jenn Quinn). After having USS cancelled last year, it’s encouraging to see the program revived for the summer of 2021!

Sarah Dreyer-Oren receives NIAAA National Research Service Award

Congratulations goes to Sarah Dreyer-Oren, who was just awarded a prestigious NIAAA National Research Service Award for her project entitled, “Linking Alcohol Use Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder: The Role of Positive Emotions.”

Sarah is in her fifth year of the clinical doctoral program, with Elise Clerkin as her advisor. The fellowship will also provide Sarah with professional development support to help prepare her for a career as an independent clinical scientist. Congrats to Sarah, her mentor (Elise), and her Miami consultants (Josh Magee, Liz Kiel) for this well-deserved recognition! 

Psychology major receives MPA award for her research

Hannah Elias (Miami BA, ’20) received a Midwestern Psychological Association award for a top graduate student paper (MPA awards 6 total each year). Elias, now a PhD student in clinical psychology at West Virginia Univ., received the award based on research she conducted at Miami as part of her senior honors thesis project, supervised by Dr. Heather Claypool and her graduate student Alejandro Trujillo. Congrats to Hannah, Heather, and Alejandro for this excellent recognition!

Dr. Jim Prochaska visits Miami on March 4

On March 4, 2021, at 1 pm and 3 pm, Dr. Jim Prochaska, clinical health psychologist and founder of the Transtheoretical Model, will be giving two presentations to Miami. Prochaska is one of the top 5 most cited psychologists (>100k citations, $80M in federal funding), and his model is an internationally known model that has been applied to addictive and health promoting behaviors.

On March 4 at 1 p.m, he will present “Living healthier, happier, longer lives,” and at 3 p.m. he will present, “Interacting on creating high impact research. Each presentation is scheduled for one hour (i.e., 1-2, and 3-4).

Each presentation is available on zoom:
https://miamioh.zoom.us/j/89644533443

Four DUOS awards received in Psychology

Miami University’s Office of Research for Undergraduates recently announced recipients for DUOS (Doctoral Undergraduate Opportunity Scholarships) awards, and there were four awarded in the Department of Psychology. Below is a listing of those projects. Congratulations to our faculty members who oversee these active lab groups, our graduate students who provide mentorship experiences, and our undergraduates who drive these excellent projects!

Dr. Jeffrey Hunger, Faculty Advisor; Alejandro Trujillo, Graduate Student Mentor; Jackson Heitt, Undergraduate Student (PSY Major 2022); for the topic “Examining Intersectional Social Identity Threats”

Dr. Allen McConnell, Faculty Advisor; Tyler Jacobs, Graduate Student Mentor; Antonio Lim, Undergraduate Student (PSY Major 2022); for the topic “The Nature of Disaster: The Effects of Natural Disasters on Climate-Related Behavior Depends On Individuals’ Political Beliefs”

Dr. Jonathan Kunstman, Faculty Advisor; Brielle Johnson, Graduate Student Mentor; Nana OfosuHemaa, Undergraduate Student (PSY Major 2022); for the topic “Raced Based Differences in Confrontation Likelihood and Satisfaction”

Dr. Matt McMurray, Faculty Advisor; Danielle Tapp, Graduate Student Mentor; Zoe Platow, Undergraduate Student (BIO Major 2023), for the topic “Establishing How Dorsal Raphe Projections Modulate Reward Learning”

Liz Kiel co-PI on 5-year NIH grant to study parent-child anxiety

Late last year, Liz Kiel received word that her NIH grant, “Biological Systems As Mediators Of Transactional Influences On Anxiety Risk In The Mother-Child Dyad During Infancy,” submitted with a colleague from Texas A&M, was funded. The project will study how maternal and childhood anxiety influence each other across time, using a variety of psychological and physiological markers. The entire grant provides $2.8M in funding, with more than $1M allocated to Miami, through 2025. In addition to Liz serving as the project’s Co-PI, Robin Thomas and Elise Clerkin will serve as consultants on the project, and the award will support graduate lines in the department as well. Congratulations to Liz and her team!