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!
Tag Archives: news
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)
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!
PSY at Discover the Sciences
Each year, one of the most important recruitment activities in the College of Arts and Science is the Discover the Science event, which invites high school students interested in the sciences to learn more about biological, physical, and social sciences at Miami University. Because of COVID, this year’s Discover the Sciences event will be virtual (e.g., videos, slideshows, participation in live panels with prospective students).
I’d like to thank the following people for representing PSY at this year’s Discover the Sciences (and thank Elise Clerkin for coordinating our department’s engagement with this year’s event).
Faculty participating: Allie Farrell, Vrinda Kalia, Liz Kiel, Anna Radke, Jay Smart
Graduate students participating: Pankhuri Aggarwal, Feven Ogbaselase, Elizabeth Sneddon-Yepez, Shannon Thompson
Undergraduate students participating: Biragbara Dornu and Danielle Nabor (Wolfe lab), Maddie Hannapel (Kiel lab), Kate Turns (Clerkin lab)
Congrats to Anna Radke on receiving an NIAAA R15 grant
A big congratulations goes out to Dr. Anna Radke, who was awarded a R15 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism grant to support her research project entitled, “Analysis Of Subcortical Networks That Promote Aversion-Resistant Alcohol Drinking.”
Dr. Radke’s RAD Lab uses animal models to study motivational brain circuits to understand how these neural circuits function in a healthy state as well as to uncover adaptations that contribute to maladaptive behaviors such as addiction. To address these questions, they study reward-seeking and compulsive behaviors in mice.
The grant will support her research for three years (September 2020 – August 2023) and is a $378K award.
Congrats to Anna and everyone in the RAD Lab!!!
Two PSY majors named Dean’s Scholars
Congratulations go to PSY majors Manuel Acuna and Brandon Arnold for being named Dean’s Scholars for the 2020-21 academic year. Acuna will be conducting research with advisor Dr. Jenn Quinn, and Arnold will be conducting research with advisor Dr. Anna Radke. Dean’s Scholars are competitive recognitions (only about 30 students in the entire College receive them each year) that provide high-qualified students and their mentors with professional expenses to support their scholarly work. Congrats to Manual, Brandon, Jenn, and Anna!