Emil's Epilogue - November 2007
Gustie Psych News & Events

Wow! Mid-terms are long past and Thanksgiving is just around the corner... Thank you for the positive feedback on the "new and happening" format for the newsletter. Please continue to send comments and suggestions our way. Our December issue will offer a special section on our majors and list the many personal commitments they are making on campus and in the community -- Lee Sande

Conference Dates & Deadlines

National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 10-12, 2007 NCUR® 22 will bring together undergraduates involved in scholarly and artistic activities from more than 300 colleges and universities in the nation. Since the first conference in 1987, NCUR® has grown to become a major annual event drawing well over 2200 undergraduates, faculty and administrators to promote undergraduate research in all fields of study. NCUR Application Deadline -- Saturday, December 1
Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference (MUPC) Date TBA
MidBrains Conference - Macalester College - May 3, 2007 - The conference is a joint effort of the MidBrains Neuroscience Consortium-- a network of faculty from undergraduate neuroscience programs in the upper midwest. This annual event provides a forum for undergraduate students in the Midwest to present research findings, to attend research lectures and special panels, and to meet other undergraduate students interested in the neurosciences. Representatives from several major research universities are also present to discuss graduate school opportunities. Students are encouraged to submit abstracts in all fields of the neurosciences and related disciplines!
Honors Day - May 3

Department Happenings

Gustavus Psychology Symposium -- Friday, December 7 -- The annual fall semester psychology symposium will provide opportunities for psychology majors (and anyone else who may be interested) to learn about the research being conducted by students in the department this year. Methods students, research apprentices, and those conducting directed research projects will prepare and explain poster presentations describing their research. Please make plans to stop by the department and acquaint yourself with research currently being conducted by fellow psych students.

Celebrate the last day of class on Friday, December 14 at the "Psych Department Holiday Gathering" -- Remember to stop by the psych department any time on that Friday, create a "Frost Your Own" holiday cookie and enjoy a cup of hot cider.

John Kendall Lecture Series -- Information to follow.

Did you Know? Spotlight on Majors and ALUMS... Living and Learning on campus and off...

Jo Ellison

[Jo Ellison is a 2007 psychology honors and spanish graduate and is currently enrolled in the University of North Dakota's Clinical Psychology Doctorate program.]

The Clinical Pyschology Doctorate program is a four-year program that focuses on the science-practitioner model, where students are expected to complete a Master’s thesis within 2 years and a dissertation by the end of their fourth year. During each year students take classes and are slowly introduced into the clinical/therapeutic aspect of the program. The first-year students are on a supervision team where they learn about the theories and skills behind therapy and then shadow 3rd and 4th year students who have clients. First-year students are trained to administer psychometric tests and may begin working in affiliated assessment clinics during spring semester of their 1st year and their second year. Second-year students begin seeing clients, Jo Ellisonmostly conducting intake interviews and assessments for the Psychology Department's clinic. They may take on one or two full time clients. In the 3rd year students take Comprehensive Exams and are then recommended and accepted to the PhD program. They receive outside placements, which are part-time positions at nearby clinics seeing a certain amount patients per week. This continues in the 4th year, during which students apply for external internship through a national database. Hopefully, students are then matched to an internship site for one year. Those are the nuts and bolts of the program. I am enjoying my first semester as much as is possible. I have been told that this will be the worst semester, regarding work and commitments. So I am quite pleased that I have survived thus far. My classes are currently: Univariate Statistics, Behavioral Psychopathology, Clinical Assessment and Clinical Supervision. The program also offers a tuition waiver and a Teaching Assistant position that comes with a stipend to pay for living costs. My current assignment is to a General Psychology course, and I teach 4 labs (100 students total) every Thursday. The Psychology Department also offers higher degrees in Forensic Psychology and Experimental Psychology. The curriculum varies slightly and the Forensic program is 2 years and a Masters Degree, whereas the experimental PhD is 4 years. The faculty are friendly and approachable; we have departmental socials several times per semester which are almost always a good time. There are a wide variety of research interests in the department and almost everyone is willing to work with your ideas. I am working on proposing my thesis this spring. I am going to look at personality variables and how they correlate with video game usage and the intensity/investment that people have for the games they play. I will look at correlations between investment and also the types of characters people choose to play with and their personality traits on a continuum of non-clinical to clinical personality types. Grand Forks is a nice place to live. It is a small town, though bigger than Mankato, and has just about everything you need. If Grand Forks doesn't have it, then Fargo (a 45min-1hr drive) will. I've met some really nice people here and am really starting to enjoy myself. I am from the Twin Cities, so my drive home is about 4.5- 5 hours, which can get long, but is very doable. If any Gusties are interested in the program apply now! And let me know if you are coming to Grand Forks for a tour! jo.ellison@und.nodak.edu

Emma Iverson - January Interim 2008

[Emma Iverson is a second-year Gustie pursuing a psychology, sociology double major and spanish minor. She is active in GYO, Big Partner Little Partner, Agape Bible Study, Chapel Apprentice, Proclaim, teaches swimming lessons for St. Peter Community Ed andEmma Iverson is a student assistant in the psychology department. She writes of preparation for her January Term - 2008]

This J-Term I will be traveling to Cuernavaca, Mexico.  Cuernavaca is located in central Mexico, about 50 miles south of Mexico City.  While there, I will be studying Spanish language through cultural engagement, as part of the UMAIE consortium.  The program is led by a professor from St. Thomas and includes students from Gustavus, St. Thomas, St. Kate’s, Hamline, and more.  I will be living with a host family and experiencing Mexican culture first-hand through intensive classes in language and culture, visits to historical and archeological sites, and lessons in Mexican cooking, salsa dancing, and other aspects of day-to-day life.  We will also travel to Mexico City and visit the ruins of Teotihuacán. 

The main preparation for this experience includes the Spanish classes I have taken the past three semesters, as the main focus of the class is improving Spanish skills and I will not be allowed to speak English for almost a month!  While in Mexico, I’m hoping to really improve my summer sunconversation skills in Spanish and come closer to being fluent in the language.  I’m also excited to experience another culture hands-on and develop relationships with the family I live with for the month.  The sunny, 85° weather will be amazing too!

Naomi Garbisch - January Interim 2008

Naomi Garbisch is psychology honors major who will graduate in 2007. She's involved in the Big Partner/Little Partner Program, is a member of Psi Chi, the Gustavus Choir, Pound Pals, Theta Xi Gamma Sorority, works as a student assistant in the department and travels extensively.

  • naomiThis January I will be studying abroad in Europe! I am taking HES 242: Olympic Quest: Greece, Italy, France, and Switzerland.  I am extremely excited for this opportunity because I have never been to any of these countries and I’m traveling with one of my best friends.  This course is a unique chance to explore the history of ancient and modern Olympic Games through hands on experiences.  We will start in Athens, Greece – the homeland of the Olympics and end in Switzerland for some down hill skiing in the Alps!  I have always loved to travel, as I spent last J-term in New Zealand, and I look forward to experiencing Europe first hand. 

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

andyAndy Pothen: I am thankful for my family and friends. On the toughest of days, they are the people who help me make it through the day and give me hope for a better tomorrow...

 

Nick Malm: I'm thankful for great friends and family -- knowing that we all come from Nickdifferent places and different backgrounds and that we're all heading in different directions in life. But right now, especially at this time of the year, there is always a place at the table to sit down and eat dinner with good people and there are people to talk to who are willing to let down their barriers and dissolve any predjudicies that have been built up. I'm thankful for having people worth living with; (and) living in a world worth having.

patrickPatrick Wand: I'm thankful for the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving with a new part of my family. I am thankful because it will be a chance for me to meet and experience new people.

 

charlie

 

 

  • Charlie Cicalello: I'm thankful for turning on the heat at our house!

 

Did you Know? Spotlight on Faculty

Janine Wotton (Psychology), Rachel Elvebak (’07) and Michael Ferragamo (Biology) presented the results of their research at the “Aging and Speech Communication International Conference” in Bloomington Indiana, October 7-10. The paper (“Age and hearing impairments influence the perception of vowels in context”) examined the effects of age related hearing loss and the influence of hearing aids in speech perception.

Psi Chi Sponsored Updates

Psi Chi

A message from Taylor Olson, Psi Chi president:

  • T-shirt sales were amazing this year.  We sold 34 shirts and they will be arriving on or around November 16th.  Look for them in your PO!
  • November Psi Chi Event - Pizza and a movie (One Flew Over the CooCoos Nest)
    Monday November 26th at 6pm.  Psi Chi meeting during the event!

"Need to Reads"....

Psychology-related Links

School Psychology Resources for Psychologists, Parents and Educators Research learning disabilities, ADHD, functional behavioral assessment, autism, adolescence, parenting, psychological assessment, special education, mental retardation, mental health, and more.
http://www.bcpl.net/~sandyste/school_psych.html

Welcome to Social Psychology Network
the largest social psychology database on the Internet. In these pages, you'll find more than 5,000 links related to psychology.
http://www.socialpsychology.org/

The Society for Industrial and Organizational 
Psychology
http://siop.org/

PsychologyToday.com.
Featured columns on relationships, mental health education, and work related issues http://www.psychologytoday.com/
HTDocs/prod/PTOhome/home.asp

Just for Fun... image

Two elderly couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other, "Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?"
"Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techiniques - visualization, association - it made a huge difference for me."
"That's great! What was the name of the clinic?"

Fred went blank. He thought and thought, but couldn't remember. Then a smile broke acroRosess his face and he asked, "What do you call that red flower with the long stem and thorns?"
"You mean a rose?"
"Yes, that's it!" He turned to his wife. . ."Rose, what was the name of that clinic?"