Emil's Epilogue - November 2008
Gustie Psych News & Events

Welcome to the November issue of this year's Psychology Department on-line student newsletter, Emil's Epilogue.

Why is this newsletter named Emil's Epilogue?

In the faculty office area of the psychology department there is a bust of Carl Emil Seashore, an 1891 graduate of Gustavus. Widely recognized as one of the early leaders in psychology in America, Dr. Seashore spent most of his professional life at the University of Iowa. He was a member of the faculty at Iowa from 1897 until his retirement in 1937. In addition to his duties as professorand chairman of his department, he was made Dean of the Graduate School, University of Iowa, in 1908 and held that position concurrently with his other duties for 28 years. He retired in 1937 at the age of seventy but was recalled as Dean Pro Tempore of the Graduate School in 1942 and finally retired for the second time in 1946 at the age of 80. Most people who recognize his name today associate it with the Seashore Tests of Musical Ability which are still widely used. He was a man of wide ranging abilities and achievements and certainly one of the outstanding alumni of Gustavus.

• Department Happenings

• Did you Know?... Spotlight on Alums

• Conference Dates and Deadlines

• Did you Know?... Spotlight on Faculty

• Psi Chi Sponsored Updates

Department Happenings

The Fall Psychology Department Symposium -- Friday, December 5

• The fall symposium will take place the lower level hallway of SSC on Friday, December 5. Psychology department research symposiums are held near the conclusion of fall and spring semesters and provide opportunities for Gustavus students to acquaint themselves with research conducted in the psychology department that semester. Students will display poster presentations and explain their research from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in the lower level hallway outside SSC 26, 27, and 28. The campus community is welcome to attend.

"Frost Your Own Holiday Cookies and Cider Day" -- Friday, December 12

• Psychology students are invited to join in the department's traditional holiday hospitality between classes on Friday, December 12. Please stop by the psychology faculty office area in SSC to frost a cookie and enjoy a cup of hot cider with your professors and your peers.

2009 Kendall Lecture Series Event -- Monday, March 2, 2009

--by Kelly Anderson

• Dr. Renee Baillargeon, Alumni Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and well known researcher in the area of infant cognition, will present the 2009 John Kendall Lecture Series address on Monday, March 2, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Nobel Hall Wallenburg Auditorium.
• Dr. Baillargeon’s research focuses on development in the three core domains of physical reasoning, psychological reasoning, and biological reasoning. Her research of physical reasoning examines infants’ ability to predict and interpret the outcomes of physical events. Her research on psychological reasoning explores infants’ ability to predict and interpret the actions of agents. The research on biological reasoning examines infants’ ability to reason about the displacements and changes that biological bodies can undergo.
• Dr. Renee Baillargeon’s March 2, 2009 lecture will include information about her research in infant cognition. If her schedule allows, she will also visit classes within the department which may include Developmental Psychology, the Psychology of Language, and Statistics and Research Methods.
• The John Kendall Lecture Series was established to honor Dr. John S. Kendall for the contributions he made during his 15-year career in the Gustavus Psychology Department and for his support and influence in the careers of his students. The Kendall Lecture is intended to recognize and commemorate Dr. Kendall’s interest and commitment to the empirical investigation of behavior and psychology as a science. Funding for the public address and classroom visits is provided through the John Kendall Lecture Series Endowment.
• [Kelly Anderson is a senior psychology honors major and a peace studies minor.  She is active in Hoffmann POG and Pound Pals, is coordinator of the High-5 Wellness Program, a member of Psi Chi, and an academic and student assistant in the department.] 

Did you Know? Spotlight on two Alums...

Jessica Rye '03

• I loved my time as a psych major at Gustavus.  Between work study for the psych department, running subjects for Dr. Ackil’s eyewitness memory projects, and conducting an independent study my senior year, I spent a lot of time in the basement of the SSC. The department had some of the nicest and smartest people I’ve met. After a 5-year hiatus, I am happy to write one more article for Emil’s Epilogue.
• During my time at Gustavus, I developed a strong interest in research and ultimately decided that I was interested in applying research to business issues. After graduating from Gustavus I went to Minnesota State, Mankato and got my MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. They had a great applied program.  Students worked on real consulting projects with local businesses, had lots of networking opportunities, and were able to travel (Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida, Singapore, and Thailand while I was in the program).
• After finishing my degree, I found a job managing research studies for Ipsos - one of the top survey-based research companies in the world. My division (Ipsos Loyalty) helps improve company performance by identifying drivers of satisfaction among customers. We differentiate ourselves from competitors with our global capabilities, thought leadership, and custom programming capabilities.  Last year I had the opportunity to relocate to Ipsos’ Seattle office. I love living in the Northwest.  I stay very caffeinated and enjoy hiking, traveling, and going to music and theater events.

Jennifer Wood '03

• I am a special education paraprofessional for the Hopkins Schools.  I work at an elementary school that is K-6 and have been there for three years.  Prior to that I was a paraprofessional for the Richfeld schools.  I work in a room that has 6 students who spend most of the day in a self-contained classroom and not the mainstream classes.  The students in my room are grades K-4 this year.  Five of the students are labeled autistic.  One is non-verbal and in 2nd grade.  It is a challenge to communicate with that child but I love the effort I put towards him every day.  As a para professional, I go along with the students throughout their day and help them with whatever they are doing. That may be keeping them on task, writing or speaking for them, or helping them in gym or music.  I accompany them on their field trips and class parties!  I love my job!  While I do not necessarily need a college degree to be doing what I am doing, it helps me so much, especially my psychology background.  When the teachers are discussing student situations, I understand what they are talking about. 
• I also coach synchronized swimming and coach for two different teams.  One is MN Aquafins and is for girls in grades 2-6.  They are a rowdy bunch but fun because they find joy in the easiest skills.  I also am an Assistant Coach for the St. Louis Park High School Varsity team.  There we expect nothing but the best and most effort and it is also fun to work with very skilled swimmers.   
• And I am anxious to return to Gustavus for a visit!

Conference Dates & Deadlines

National Conference on Undergraduate Research

• NCUR 2009 -- April 16-18th, 2009
  University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
  La Crosse, Wisconsin
  http://www.uwlax.edu/ncur2009

Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference (MUPC)-- Date TBA

MidBrains Conference

• Date TBA -- This 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!

Applying to Graduate School?

Articles that students may want to reference....

• Appleby, D. C. & Appleby, K.M. (2006). Kisses of death in the graduate school application process. Teaching of Psychology, 33(1), 19-24.

References available (in SSC 04) for checkout...

• Graduate Study in Psychology - 2007, APA
• Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology - 2008/2009, Guilford Publishing
• Graduate Study in Psychology - 101 Questions and answers, Blackwell Publishing
• Life After Graduate School in Psychology, Psychology Press
• Successful Strategies for Getting Into Graduate School in Psychology: An audio tape training series by Dr. Greg Neimeyer.

Position Postings...

• Remember to check with the Career Center for recent career position postings. The department frequently forwards information on career opportunities to Career Center staff. Recently we received and forwarded information on cognitive skills training position openings at the Learning Rx Center in Savage, MN. Contact the Career Center for more information.

Did you Know? Spotlight on Faculty...

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines experience as: 1 a: direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge b: the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation...

Speaking of experience... the total number of years of accumulated teaching and learning with current Gustavus Psychology faculty = 173 years

• Jennifer Ackil – Associate Professor, B.A., Lawrence; M.A., Ph.D., Kent State.
• Special Interests: Cognitive Psychology; Human Memory, particularly eyewitness memory and suggestibility.
• Kyle Chambers – Assistant Professor, B.A., Oklahoma State; M.A., Ph.D., Illinois.
• Special Interests: Developmental Psychology; Cognitive Development; Psycholinguistics; Language Acquisition.
• Patricia Costello – Assistant Professor, B.A., St. Thomas; Ph.D., Minnesota.
• Special Interests: Advances Neuroscience; Cognitive Psychology; Cognitive Science/Cognitive Neuroscience; History of Psychology; Human Factors; Neuroanatomy; Neuropsychology; Physiological/Biological Psychology; Sensation and Perception.
• Mark Kruger – Professor, B.A., Carthage; Ph.D., Dartmouth.
• Special Interests: Social Psychology; Emotion; Cognition; Social Development; Psychology of Music; Friendship processes.
• Richard Martin – Professor, B.A., St. John’s; Ph.D., Minnesota.
• Special Interests: Child/Adult Development; Identity Formation; Male/Female Relationships.
• Timothy Robinson – Professor, B.A., Gustavus Adolphus; Ph.D., Minnesota.
• Special Interests: Neuropsychology; Brain Chemistry; Animal Behavior.
• Barbara Simpson – Professor, B.S., M.S., Ph.D., Washington State.
• Special Interests: Clinical and Counseling Psychology; Formation of Identity; Personality Theory and Development; Humanistic Approaches to understanding people; Psychometrics.
• Marie Walker – Associate Professor, B.A., Western Ontario; M.A., McGill; Ph.D., Western Ontario.
• Special Interests: Social Psychology; Counseling; Personality Measurement; Creativity; Health Behaviors and the Self; Diversity; Identity and Vocational Development; Organization and Processing of Self-Relevant Knowledge.
• Janine Wotton – Associate Professor, B.S., Adelaide, Australia; B.A., Flinders, Australia; M.S., Ph.D., Brown.
• Special Interests: Behavioral Neuroscience; Animal Behavior; Evolution of Sensory Systems; Perception and Sensation; Perception and Action; Cognitive Psychology; Computational Modeling; Statistics; Biomechanics; Locomotion and Motor Systems.

Spotlight on a Major...

Thanksgiving tradition ...Jacobsen style

• The Jacobsen Thanksgiving...
• When I wake up on Thanksgiving morning I can usually smell the aroma of food already being prepared in the kitchen.  My dad makes a timeline the night before of when everything should be created.  My grandmother, mom, dad, sister, and my aunt and uncle from California gather at my house for dinner.  We eat early in the afternoon followed by washing dishes and enjoying dessert. My grandma swears she is going to stop making pies for us but somehow we always have pie on Thanksgiving. 
• After dinner is a time for playing cards and usually sitting around watching golf.  Food and family are my favorite parts about Thanksgiving but putting up Christmas decorations the following Friday is also a favorite family tradition.
• [Kari Jacobsen is a junior Psychology Major, student assistant in the department, member of the newsletter staff, member of Psi Chi and the Lucia Singers. ]

Psi Chi Sponsored Updates

• Sign-up sheets have been posted in the SSC lower level hallway to order a Psychology t-shirt.  Students can sign up anytime but payment will need to be received prior to the November 14th deadline.
  
  Adult sizes run Small-Extra Large and are only $12.00.  For sizes larger than XL there is a small added fee (add $1 for 2XL and $1.50 for 3XL.) T-shirts are 50% cotton 50% polyester.
  
  ORDERS AND MONEY DUE BY NOVEMBER 14th.  Payment to Lee Sande,
  administrative assistant, in SSC 04 prior to the deadline.
  
  Questions?  Contact Kari Jacobsen at kjacobse@gustavus.edu