Author Archives: mcconnar

Climate change talks on February 11 and 12, 2021

Miami’s Institute for the Environment and Sustainability is hosting Dr. Jonathan Overpeck, the Dean of the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability. who will be presenting a talk entitled, “Climate Change: The Challenge and the Opportunity” on Thursday, February 11, 2021, at 6 pm. The talk will be presented on zoom.

In addition, Dr. Overpeck will present a talk on Friday, February 12, at 12 Noon entitled, “Climate Change, Hydroclimate and the Aridification of North America,” which will also be available on zoom.

His talks are part of the Drs. Gene & Carol Willeke Frontiers in Environmental Science Distinguished Lecture speakers series. Additional information is also available on Miami’s IES website.

Congrats to Cricket Meehan and her team on $6M grant from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund

Congrats to Cricket Meehan and her team in the Center for School-Based Mental Health (including Debora Robison) and their colleagues in Miami’s Departments of Educational Psychology and Family Science and Social work for officially receiving word about their School Wellness Initiative grant to aid mental health and substance use for Ohio’s K-12 students and staff.

This $6 million from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund will support this project for 21 months throughout 2021 and 2022. The project seeks to address mental health issues that have grown worse during COVID, including establishing a Student Assistance Program, strengthening intervention efforts, and promoting mental well-being among school administrators and staff. The funding will support new personnel to help oversee the project and provide more than $1M in indirect costs for the university.

Congrats to Cricket, Debora, and the entire team for overseeing this important project! You can listen to an interview with Cricket that aired on WVXU/WMUB public radio on Jan 19.

Congrats to Paul Flaspohler for parenting grant

Dr. Paul Flasohler has been awarded a grant to support the project entitled, “Evaluation Of The Character Effect.” This $40K grant will support Flaspholer’s Miami University School and Community Research and Action Team (MUSCRAT), who will partner with the Beech Acres Parenting Center to develop and implement strategies to evaluate The Character Effect Program. Congrats Paul!

Congrats to Vaishali Raval for higher education grant involving US-India collaborations

Dr. Vaishali Raval and Global Initiatives’s Karla Guinigundo were recently awarded $100K from the US Mission India Public Diplomacy Grants Program to support their project entitled, “Using Best Practices to Promote Internationalization of Higher Education in India in Collaboration with US Partnerships.” The project is designed to develop models for higher education in India. The program will run throughout the calendar year of 2021 to encourage institutional partnerships between universities in the United States and in India. Congrats Vaishali!

Elizabeth Sneddon-Yepez receives F99/K00 D-SPAN award

Congratulations goes to Elizabeth Sneddon-Yepez, who was just awarded a prestigious F99/K00 NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke!

Elizabeth is now in her fourth year of the BCD doctoral program, with Anna Radke as her advisor. Her research explores the brain systems that control behavior and how substance abuse can alter these brain systems and the neural networks associated with behavior. In particular, she is interested in the neuroplasticity of alcohol addiction.

This two-phase award facilitates completion of the doctoral dissertation (F99; up to two years of support) and the transition of talented graduate students to strong neuroscience research postdoctoral positions (K00; up to four years of support), providing career development opportunities relevant to their long-term career goal of becoming independent neuroscience researchers.

Elizabeth’s F99 will provide her with support for the next two years to complete her dissertation work here at Miami. Congrats to Elizabeth and to her mentor Anna Radke for this well-deserved recognition!

Elizabeth Sneddon-Yepez and Max Teaford recognized with graduate student awards

Elizabeth Sneddon-Yepez was named a recipient of the Smith Promise Award. Her faculty advisor is Dr. Anna Radke. The Smith Promise Award is awarded to an exceptional graduate student studying behavioral neuroscience. Elizabeth’s exceptional scholarship modeling gender and alcohol addiction coupled with her commitment to mentorship (e.g., DUOS award winner), service to her discipline (e.g., President of the Ohio Miami Valley Brain Bee), and support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in the department (e.g., grad representative for Diversifying Psychology Day) make her an deserving recipient of this honor. Congrats Elizabeth!

Also, Max Teaford was named the recipient of the Dorothy Jean Smith Award. His faculty mentor is Dr. Jay Smart. The Dorothy Jean Smith award recognizes a graduate student studying spatial memory. Max’s research examining physiological factors in spatial localization and his successes as an instructor (e.g., Psi Chi Graduate Student of the Year) make him an deserving recipient of this honor. Congrats Max!

Cynthia Wang receives 2020 Patten Prize

The Department of Psychology Awards Committee is pleased to announce that Cynthia Wang is the recipient of this year’s Patten Prize, which is awarded annually to a top senior in the Department of Psychology. Her faculty advisor is Dr. Chris Wolfe. She has been deeply involved with research in the Psychology of Medical Decision Making lab on text comprehension (related to both medicine and the law). Congratulations Cynthia!

Department of Psychology promotional videos available

Throughout the semester, Miami has produced several promotional videos to introduce prospective students to our department (e.g., what does the major entail, what opportunities does the neuroscience co-major provide, what is it like to be an undergraduate involved in research in the department). Feel free to share these videos in your classes if you believe they can be useful. Special thanks to Anna and Maddie for representing our department so well!

Introduction to the psychology department by Allen McConnell (2:31)

Overview of the psychology major by Anna Radke (3:46)

Overview of the neuroscience co-major by Anna Radke (2:59)

Undergraduate research experience by senior Maddie Hannapel (3:33)

CCES Career Center Grants call

To increase real-world projects in the classroom as well as career exploration and student professional development, Miami’s Center for Career Exploration & Success has a restricted account designated for Career Grants available for faculty and staff on the Oxford campus.

Proposals for Spring 2021 opened on September 14, 2020, with priority being given to those that apply by October 30, 2020. For Fall 2020, CCES awarded more than $14K to faculty from 3 academic divisions to fund 5 virtual career-related projects.

Submit Date: Priority will be given to those that apply by October 30, 2020.

Information/Submit Proposal: Learn More/Submit

Questions: Should you have additional questions, please contact Dr. Shelby Summers Ballard at [email protected].

Vaishali Raval named MAC Academic Leadership Development Program fellow

We are pleased to celebrate that our own Professor Vaishali Raval has been named a Mid-American Conference Academic Leadership Development Program fellow for the 2020-21 academic year! Dr. Raval has served in a number of leadership roles, including as Associate Chair, as co-chair of the Research and Scholarship Subcommittee for Strategic Planning (part of the Strategic Plan development process), and a catalyst in developing the Psychology Alumni Advisory Board.

The MAC ALDP program began in 2017 as a professional development program where a carefully-chosen cohort of up to four faculty members from each MAC institution take part in own-campus and inter-university programming to help develop, prepare, and enhance the ability of the next generation of faculty and university administrators to be effective academic leaders.

Historically, MAC ALDP fellows have participated in two workshops held at different MAC host institutions (last year, SUNY Buffalo and Northern Illinois Univ.). This year with COVID, local and cross-institutional activities will be held on-line. We celebrate Vaishali’s selection as a MAC ALDP Fellow and share our deep appreciation for the many ways that she has served our department, our students, and Miami!