Page 1 PSYCHOLOGY AT ROANOKE NEWSLETTER Issue 16 The Newsletter of the Department of Psychology Spring 2006 Roanoke College Salem, Virginia New Psychology Club We have a new organization in the Psychology Department. Jamie Wright, President of the newly formed Psychology Club, offered a few comments: Our local branch of Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, had its first official meeting at the beginning of November. We continued to meet throughout the rest of the fall semester on alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays with lunch provided. We decided that we wanted to start a club, and eventually we came up with a name for the club, The Roanoke College Psychology Association (RCPA). Our faculty sponsor is Dr. Buchholz. This club is not official yet, but it is in the process of becoming recognized by the college. We voted on officers, wrote a handbook, wrote the constitution, and sent it to the director of student activities. We even came up with a t-shirt design. During the current semester we will be taking on members for the new Psychology Association. Membership will be open to anyone who would like to join, not just Psychology majors. The member-ship dues will be $5 per semester. We will be doing service projects and holding social activities like showing a movie. We will all be wearing our club t-shirts and trying to recruit members. We are very excited over our new organization! Other officers are: Vice President Kim Kernan; Treasurer Mark Colwell; Secretary Ashley Miller. Current membership roster of the new association now includes Elizabeth Boyd, Tia Bratton, Kelsey Carneal, Leslie Clark, Catherine Coleman, Mark Colwell, Anthony Georgetti, Kristen German, Taylor Gill, Ashley Goldbeck, Kimberly Kernan, Teresa Lawson, Samantha Martin, Sarah McDonald, Stephanie Metarelis, Ashley Miller, Kristin Sindt, Noah Spring, Timothy VanRheen, and Jamie Wright. The Website for the new Psychology Club is found at: http://www.clubs.roanoke.edu/rcpa/. Interested students are encouraged to contact one of the officers mentioned above, or Dr. Chris Buchholz, the faculty sponsor. Roanoke Psychology Students Present Posters Once again the posters were up at the end of the fall term in the halls of the fifth floor of Life Sciences. Continuing a tradition begun a few years ago by Drs. Curt and Mary Camac, students from two of our department s research seminars displayed the results of their investigations. The two courses represented during the fall semester of this academic year were social and personality psychology (Psyc 420), and Cognition (Psyc 440). The poster session drew a wide range of visitors from other departments and offices on campus
Page 2 From Dr. Curt Camac s seminar in social/personality, three posters were on display: Kathleen Barber, Catherine Coleman, Chelsea Hutton, Jessica McMahan, and Heather Roy presented The Effect of Gender Identity on Implicit Sex-Role Stereotypes ; Lori Clark, Taylor Gill, Samantha Martin, and Emily Propst presented Helping Behaviors: Does Altruism Really Exist? ; and Leslie Clark, Kristen German, Teresa Lawson-Hutchins, Katherine Min and Paul Schwartz displayed Interpersonal Perception: Eyewitness Identification. Dr. Mary Camac s seminar on Cognition contributed two posters to the session: Kara Bernard, Julia Burlingame, Ashley Driscoll, Noah Spring, Francesca Wiley, and Chloe Wilson presented Music as a Memory Aid ; and Carolyn Aldrich, Emma Jones, Chassidy Tuell, and Brandon Wilson reported on their study, titled Optimal Strategy for Vocabulary Recall. To prepare a poster, students work through the entire research process they develop an idea, collect and analyze data, and then report on their results. Photos on the posters appear below and on the following pages. Heather Roy, Kathleen Barber, Catherine Coleman, Jessica McMahan, Chelsea Hutton The Effect of Gender Identity on Implicit Sex- Role Stereotypes Optimal Strategy for Vocabulary Recall Carolyn Aldrich, Emma Jones, Chassidy Tuell, Brandon Wilson
Page 3 Interpersonal Perception: Eyewitness Identification Leslie Clark, Kristen German, Paul Schwartz, Teresa Lawson- Hutchins, Katherine Min Taylor Gill, Lori Clark, Samantha Martin, Emily Propst Helping Behavior: Does Altruism Really Exist? Music as a Memory Aid Kara Bernard, Chloe Wilson, Julia Burlingame, Ashley Driscoll, Noah Spring, Francesca Wiley
Page 4 Roanoke Psychology Students Participate in Internships Along with the many course offerings available to psychology majors at Roanoke is the opportunity to participate in an internship in a local community agency. Internships offer a chance to get a good look at career possibilities from the front lines. Not only do they provide valuable experience, but internships may also offer students a direct path to future employment. During the fall term we had fourteen students placed in various placement sites. Whitney Carter GE-Toshiba, Human Resources; Erin Coleman Planned Parenthood; Sara Deffinbaugh Carilion Behavioral Health; Ben Defibaugh Mt. House (Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare); Samantha Fore Gus Mitchell School (VA. Baptist Home); Kristen German Carilion Behavioral Health; Ashley Miller Blue Ridge Autism Center; Karin Murphy Violent Crimes Against Women Unit, Roanoke County Police; Heather Roy West End Center for Youth; Kristin Sindt Roanoke College, Office of Student Affairs; Sara Sisk Violent Crimes Against Women Unit, Roanoke Count Police; Chassidy Tuell Christian Life International, Pastoral Care; Brandon Wilson Fairview Elementary, Guidance Counseling; and Chloe Wilson Head Start. During the current spring term, we have seven students working at a variety of locations: Amy Baker Commonwealth Attorney s Office; Tony Georgetti Fincastle Methodist Church; Andrea Grams Salem Police Department; Teresa Lawson Carilion Behavioral Health Unit; Stephanie Meteralis Roanoke County Police Department; Katherine Min North Cross School; and Emily Propst Richfield Retirement Community. New Psi Chi Members We are pleased to announce that eight new members have been accepted into Psi Chi during the fall term. They are: Lizzy Boyd, Mark Colwell, Kim Kernan, Teresa Lawson, Sara McDonald, Stephanie Metarelis, Ashley Miller, and Jamie Wright. Qualifications for membership are established by the national organization and include the following: 1. At least 3 courses in psychology must be completed. 2. Applicants must have declared a major in psychology. 3. Those selected must rank in the upper 35% of their class. 4. A GPA of at least 3.0 overall and in psychology coursework are required. 5. Applicants must demonstrate high standards of personal behavior. 6. Successful applicants must receive a two-thirds affirmative vote of those present at a regular meeting of the local chapter. Undergraduate Research Assistant Program This is the first year of the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, which was initiated by President Sabine O Hara. The program provides an opportunity for students to work closely with professors on various research projects. Campus-wide, there were only a handful of students chosen for the program, and selections were made on the basis of faculty proposals. We are delighted that two were selected for the psychology department. Megan Poore is assisting Dr. Curt Camac on a research study examining the effects of various cognitive and individual difference variables on levels of cooperation in a social dilemma. Julie Recher is working with Dr. Chris Buchholz on a project looking at the effects of music on emotions. Dr. Lynch on Sabbatical Dr. Jan Lynch is already well into her sabbatical research project part of which will involve teaching in Paris and London. Dr. Ronda Carpenter is serving as temporary advisor to Dr. Lynch s advisees, and Dr. Carpenter is also supervising the internship program during Dr. Lynch s absence.
Page 5 What s On the Bulletin Boards? Students are encouraged to take a look at the department bulletin boards, which are located on the fifth floor of Life Sciences. General news of interest is posted regularly on the board by the elevator by Dr. Carpenter, who always selects a number of timely items from a variety of sources, both popular and professional. Dr. Carpenter also regularly posts items of particular interest to majors regarding career and graduate school information on the board down the hall near room 515. available from the registrar s office or your advisor, and (3) a written statement summarizing your goals, the program of graduate study you wish to pursue, and the specific courses you completed with the professor writing the recommendation. Psychology s Web page! Be sure and to take a look at the department s web page when you are on the internet. There you will find all kinds of information about the department, plus numerous links to a vast range of resources in psychology from careers to key references to specific research information. You can get there by starting at the Roanoke College homepage and going to academics to departments to psychology. The webpage is maintained by Dr. Pranzarone. Letters of Recommendation Just a reminder: If you request a letter of recommendation from psychology faculty, you should provide the following to the appropriate professor: (1) a resume, (2) a department analysis a grade summary Join APA, APS!! Student memberships in the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Psychology Society (APS) may be obtained simply by applying for them (and, of course, paying a fee at student rates). Benefits from the APA include receiving the APA Monitor, which is psychology's "newsmagazine." The Monitor contains not only very timely updates of activity in psychology, but also an extensive listing of job opportunities. APA student affiliates also receive the American Psychologist, which is the flagship journal of the APA. Benefits from APS include subscriptions to Psychological Science, Current Directions in Psychological Science, and The APS Observer and Employment Bulletin. Joining either or both of these organizations is an excellent way of becoming familiar with the latest happenings in psychology. How to sign up? Just tear off an application card from the ad on the bulletin board located just across the hall from the psychology faculty suite outside room 510 in the Life Sciences Building.
Page 6 INTERNSHIPS Do You Want To: - Learn about career opportunities - Learn skills - Discover practical applications for course work - Gain practical experience - Make contacts If you are a Junior/Senior declared psychology major with a 2.0 overall GPA & and 2.5 psychology GPA, then you may qualify for a psychology internship! Opportunities are Available in Exciting Places: - Roanoke Montessori School - Roanoke City Police (e.g. Juvenile Crime, Crimes Against Women, etc.) - Thompson s Brain Rehabilitation - Carilion Hospital Behavioral Health - Catawaba Hospital - Roanoke City (e.g. Juvenile Justice, Commonwealth Attorney, etc.) - Total Action Against Poverty - Planned Parenthood - Special Education Programs (e.g. Oak Grove, Mountain View, etc.) - Virginia Baptist Children s Home - Roanoke County Police, Violent Crimes Against Women For further information on internships, see Dr. Jan Lynch in LS 509F. (Note: Dr. Carpenter will be coordinating internships while Dr. Lynch is on Sabbatical during the spring term 2006.) CONCENTRATION IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT The concentration in Human Development provides a program of course work in human development, with an internship option for those who meet the internship requirements. The concentration: 1) provides focused coursework for students who plan to pursue a post-graduate degree in counseling psychology or school psychology, and 2) prepares students for entry-level positions in a variety of careers that involve designing and/or implementing programs for children, adolescents, and/or the aged. The concentration requires seven courses, at least three of which are not used to satisfy the student s major requirements. Courses for the Concentration: Introduction to Psychology Research Methods Child Development Adolescent Development Adult Development & Aging Plus two additional courses from: Tests & Measurements Personality Internship Social Psychology Cognition For additional information or applications, see Dr. Jan Lynch, Coordinator of the Human Development Concentration, in Life Science 509F. (Note: Dr. Carpenter will be coordinating the Concentration in Human Development while Dr. Lynch is on Sabbatical during the spring term 2006)