Learning and research were stimulating components of this summer for 44 talented undergraduate students who participated in APA’s summer programs.

Vanderbilt University hosted the 10th annual Summer Science Institute in friendly music city, Nashville, TN where 32 undergraduate students were welcomed by Camilla Benbow (Dean of Psychology and Human Development at Peabody College), Randoph Blake (Chair of Department of Psychology), Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey, (Chair of Psychology and Human Development at Peabody College), and Richarvd McCarty (Dean, College of Arts & Sciences). The remarkable students gained knowledge and research experience in scientific psychology under the wing of eleven distinguished faculty members, Joanne Bachorowski, Bruce Compas, Joe Lappin, Dan Levin, Timothy McNamara, Julia Noland, Andrew Rossi, Meg Saylor, Jeff Schall, Adriane Seiffert, and Georgene Troseth whose labs and lectures ranged from selection and control of action to laughter. The students were assigned to labs where they conducted research, giving presentations of their experiments and results at the end of the week.

They were guided through their nine day learning journey by APA institute leaders Virginia Holt, Brett Pelham, and Jennifer Webb, as well as two intrepid Vanderbilt graduate students, Kerstin Blomquist and Matthew Morris, who served as friends and mentors. These leaders not only assisted through research and discussion but also challenged them to games of Texas Hold’em, Apples to Apples and dancing on the General Jackson Showboat cruise.

One month later and one time zone east, University of Maryland – College Park was the home of ASTP 2005 where fifteen gifted students were led through an exciting nine days of psychological statistics and research methods by Brett Pelham (SUNY-Buffalo), Keith Maddox (Tufts University), and Maurico Carvallo, (SUNY-Buffalo). The students were stimulated with lectures, SPSS activities, hands-on activities, and discussions of grad school. After a day of t-tests, multiple regression, linear correlation, ANOVA, and repeated measures design, the students had blackjack/juggling workshops, played Charades, Texas Hold’em, and took a twilight tour of Washington DC.

2005 SSI students were: Callie Beck, Bringham Young University; Sarah Bhagat, Franklin & Marshall College; Marina Bontkowski, Harvard University; Drew Bromfield, University of Puget Sound; Lauren Burch, Harverford College; Shannon Calhoun, Bradley University; Lynne Clure, Rockhurst University; Roberto Colon, University of Miami; Nathan DeYoung, Hope College; Gus Diggs, Christopher Newport University; Pat Doyle, Rhode Island College; Jenna Farmer, University of Notre Dame; Samantha Feldman, Colgate University; Steven Frankland, College of Wooster; Allison Gioia, Dickinson College; Ryan Griffin, Bates College; Katie Jankowski, University of Virginia; Erin Jones, University of Richmond; Claire Keultijes, Hillside College; Sarah Konfirst, Augusta College; Susanne Long, Southwest Missouri State University; Kimberly Mathis, University of Tennessee – Chattanooga; Laura Morena, Kennesaw State University; Maria Muniz, Penn State; Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi, Howard University; Katrina Ramos, University of Miami; Goali Saedi, Portland State University; Giulia Suro, University of Southern California; John Thurston, University of Miami; Carrie Wheeler, Providence College; Deron Wirt, Gettysburg College; Vincent Woo, University of California – Los Angeles

ASTP 2005 students included: Maria Barth, Harvard University; Karla Batres, Saint Peters College; Candice Beckner, Providence College; Danielle Burchett, Cal Poly; Shamell Brandon, Albright College; Jeremiah Ford, University of North Florida; Robyn Grimes, Wesleyan College; Meredith Hope, John Hopkins University; Jackie Nguyen, George Mason University; Itzel Ramos, University of North Florida; Dominique Scali, College of Mount Saint Vincent; Leroy Scott, Livingstone College; Sokhan Sdoeung, University of Rhode Island, Jorge Urbina, San Diego State University; Brett Wells, Augustana College

Planning has begun for SSI and ASTP 2006. Announcements and program information will be available on the Science Directorate Website in November.