Volume 22: No. 8, September 2008

APA Summer Programs for Undergraduates Continue to Meet a Need
by Amy Pitta

Summer Science Fellow Joel Chan is outfitted for a study on procedural memory by Raj Ratwani, of George Mason University.

APA undergraduate summer programs are designed to give promising undergraduate students an opportunity to experience advanced psychological methods through seminars and laboratory activities. These programs are a fun way for students to equip themselves with the skills essential to enter and succeed in graduate school, while meeting students from across the country with the same interests.

Summer Science Fellowships

The APA Science Directorate introduced a new program this summer -- the Summer Science Fellowships (SSF). An offshoot of the successful Summer Science Institute, SSF immersed advanced undergraduate students in the science of psychology by exposing them to the excitement and promise of the best of psychological science. The principal objective was to help prepare them for the rigors of graduate study in psychological science.

The SSF program gave students an opportunity to explore the intellectual, personal, and social processes of scientific inquiry and to experience cutting-edge psychological research through hands-on laboratory activities. SSF offered promising students the opportunity to equip themselves with the skills essential to success in graduate school, and gave students who plan to pursue advanced degrees in psychological science the opportunity to be mentored by nationally-known faculty.

Twelve talented students were placed in psychology laboratories at George Mason University, George Washington University, the University of Maryland, and The Johns Hopkins University. For six weeks, (June 23 – August 2), these students were mentored by some of the most outstanding researchers in the Washington, DC area. During the intensive, expenses-paid summer program, the twelve Summer Science Fellows had the opportunity to work closely with faculty, graduate students, and postdocs, all while receiving one-on-one guidance from an SSF mentor.

This year’s 12 outstanding fellows were chosen from a pool of nearly 500 applicants. Their names, universities, SSF mentors (in italics), and university placements (in italics) are listed below.

Kimberly Alexander Stony Brook University George Howe, PhD George Washington University Joel Chan University of the Ozarks Greg Trafton, PhD George Mason University Shelby Cooley Scripps College Melanie Killen, PhD University of Maryland Adam Emfield Idaho State University James Thompson, PhD George Mason University Laura Flynn Skidmore College George Howe, PhD George Washington University Stefanie Holman University of Alabama, Montgomery Nathan Fox, PhD University of Maryland

Jessica Kang University of Washington Amanda Woodward, PhD University of Maryland Benjamin Majors Washington College Amy Shelton, PhD Johns Hopkins University Drew Solyst St. Mary’s College of Maryland Adam Winsler, PhD George Mason University Oth Tran University of Virginia Amy Shelton, PhD Johns Hopkins University Kathleen Vieira University of Florida Amanda Woodward, PhD University of Maryland Vincent Woolfolk University of North Carolina, Greensboro Eden King, PhD George Mason University

For complete details about the program, please visit www.apa.org/science/ssf.html.

Advanced Statistical Training in Psychology

The Advanced Statistical Training in Psychology (ASTP) is an intensive, 9-day, seminar on statistics and research methods in a dynamic setting that emphasizes hands-on computer skills. Students are mentally stimulated with lectures, SPSS activities, hands-on activities, and discussions of graduate school. After a full day of t-tests, multiple regression, linear correlation, ANOVA, and repeated measures design, students have the opportunity to participate in blackjack workshops, juggling workshops, Charades, and other fun.

ASTP students Tanisha Stewart and Jose Cantt learn about multiple regression from instructor Mauricio Carvallo.

The ASTP targets rising seniors who are from traditionally under-represented groups in psychology. The definition of underrepresented groups for this program is broad, including students who are members of ethnic minority groups, first generation college students, and students who have had to overcome other kinds of social or economic barriers on the road to academic excellence.

For more information, please visit www.apa.org/science/astp.html.

For 2008, 17 talented students were selected for the program, which was held on the University of Maryland campus, July 12-20. Instructors for ASTP were Dr. Brett Pelham, Dr. Keith Maddox, and Dr. Mauricio Carvallo.

This year’s ASTP students, along with their home universities, are listed below.

Arnold Bae California State University, Northridge Jose Cantt Barry University Kit Cho City College of New York Lawrence Cho University of California, Riverside Collin Christensen Southwest Baptist University Sohee Kim Lehigh University Rita Ludwig New York University Felicia Mualim University of California, Los Angeles Martina Michlickova Baruch College

Olamide Oduyingbo Quinnipiac University DeMarcus Pegues University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Harlee Pratt SUNY Cortland Andrew Stewart Colorado State University Tanisha Stewart American International College Jennifer Stoltzfus Millersville University Roy Taggueg University of California, Irvine Naomi (Rachel) Walker Texas Women’s University