Grand Valley Psychology Department

Recent graduates:
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On Wednesday afternoon, faculty, staff, students, and proud family members attended the 2024 PSY Award Ceremony and Research Symposium. Student researchers gave 15-minute presentations on 8 different research topics.



The Psychology Department Excellence Awards were awarded to the following individuals:

Robert Henderson Leadership Award - Zoe Schultz

Research Excellence (Psychology) – Brooke Campbell

Research Excellence (Behavioral Neuroscience) – Emily Bolthouse

Academic Excellence (Psychology) – Emma Fairchild

Academic Excellence (Behavioral Neuroscience) – Hanna Dobson

Faculty also recognized individuals who were provided the Provost’s Excellence in a Discipline Award earlier in the week:

Behavioral Neuroscience – Megan Singer

Psychology – Zoe Schultz

The School Psychology M.S./Psy.S. graduate program celebrated their 10-year anniversary this year. To commemorate the occasion, the program hosted an event that brought together faculty, current students, alumni, field supervisors, community partners, and university administration. In addition to remarks by graduate program director, Dr. Kristen Schrauben, K-12 partners, Terri Metcalf from Fennville Public Schools and Steve Johnson from Cedar Springs Public Schools, spoke of the high-quality training the program provides and the value districts see in their partnerships with GVSU.

Attention psychology students, are you interested in learning more about how culture affects our understanding of disability and ableism? Professor Gwyn Madden is offering a new course “Disability and Culture” this fall through the Anthropology Department.

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of professor emeritus of psychology, Roelof "Roel" Bijkerk, on March 9th, 2024.

Roel was a valued professor and long-term department chair for the psychology department. During his tenure, Roel was actively involved in faculty governance and delivered the keynote address at Grand Valley’s first convocation in 1977. Roel served the Grand Valley community for 25 years before retiring in 1994. During his retirement, Roel wrote a childhood memoir and enjoyed traveling to see family.

A celebration of life will take place on Saturday, July 27th at 10am at Cascade Christian Church, 2829 Thornapple River Dr SE, Grand Rapids.

Congratulations to psychology major Rebekah Cole for being this year's recipient of the Thomas M. Seykora Award for Outstanding Contribution. This award is presented to seniors who have made a significant contribution to the GVSU community!

Rebekah is a first-generation college student who is incredibly involved at GVSU. Rebekah is a dedicated student worker and participates in many campus organizations. In addition to her psychology major, Rebekah is also pursuing a minor in writing and sociology.

Are you a GVSU student with strong academic and leadership skills who enjoys tutoring and mentoring peers? Starting in Fall 2024, GVSU is embedding SLA facilitators in most PSY101 classes. The Tutoring Center is looking for strong PSY students who would be a good fit for the role.

Each SLA Facilitator will be assigned to one section of PSY101. SLA Facilitators will be expected to attend the lectures each week and then facilitate 3 weekly sessions that give students enrolled in the course the opportunity to delve deeper into the material and get additional support. These SLA sessions are planned with the assistance of the course instructor and the Tutoring Center. SLA Facilitators will receive facilitator training and support through the Tutoring Center. This opportunity involves about 10 hours of work per week and pays $16/hour.

If you are interested, you should contact the Tutoring Center as soon as possible. Please note that you will be expected to provide a letter of support from a faculty member with your application.

For additional information, please refer to: https://www.gvsu.edu/tutoring/become-a-facilitator-36.htm

Hello Lakers, Professor Amy Matthews is conducting a Mindfulness and Meditation mini course! This course is a great way to learn new coping skills to help you both in school and life!

See the photos below for more information of when the courses will be held and how to sign up!

Learn more about where a Psychology major or minor might lead you by attending the Career Panel hosted by the Psychology Department Alumni Relations Committee and Psi Chi on October 26th!

This will be a great event to learn more about the many career opportunities in Psychology!

Looking for jobs or internships? Come by the Career and Internship Fair tomorrow, October 12th, from 1-5pm at the DeVos Convention Center! Over 230 employers with various job opportunities will be there with immediate openings! Learn more about the event and which employers will be there here: https://gvsu.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/41759/student_preview?token=iTJb_VVKOSXXOadAGwQENhqsnZWmn-s6-NcaxfbXsnKkUpp13ggNEg

In his new book, "A Social Cognition Perspective of the Psychology of Religion: Why God Thinks Like You", Psychology Professor Luke Galen examines how psychological mechanisms produce intuitions, beliefs, behaviors, and experiences that are misattributed as being unique outcomes of religions influences. Here is the link to his book! https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/social-cognition-perspective-of-the-psychology-of-religion-9781350293915/

Hear more about his book and this topic on Thursday, October 19th from 7:00 p.m - 8:30 p.m at Calkins Science Center on the GRCC Campus!

Interested in attending graduate school? Next Tuesday, October 3rd, the Career Center is hosting its annual Graduate School Fair! Various universities and colleges will be showcasing their graduate programs and Grand Valley's School Psychology graduate program will also be attending!

For more information on attending institutions and event details visit: https://www.gvsu.edu/careers/graduate-school-fair-2023-435.htm

Join our team! The Psychology Department at Grand Valley State University has an opening for a full-time Lab Supervisor position! This individual will manage the technical aspects of our laboratory and assist with the creation and delivery of courses, training, and seminars for research methods and introductory psychology.
Check out further details in the link below, we'd love to hear from you!
https://careers.pageuppeople.com/790/cw/en-us/job/494960/psychology-lab-supervisor-psychology

Psi Chi is accepting applications for the Fall 2022 semester. The application deadline is October 8th. To apply, visit https://www.psichi.org/page/JoinToday

For more information about Psi Chi at GVSU, visit gvsu.edu/psychology/psichi.

Are you going to be a junior or senior and wondering what you will do after you graduate? Unsure of what jobs might be available to you? Do you want some work experience before you graduate? If you answered YES to any of these questions, you should consider taking PSY 490 - the Psychology Department's Practicum course. In this class, you will be required to find a job/work placement outside of the university where you work for at least a semester in the field. During that same semester, you will take a course covering topics such as career prep, graduate school options, professional development issues, and more. The course is designed to help you feel like you have an idea of what to do after you graduate. Please see the attached flyer for more details! We have spaces open this fall semester!

Not sure how to take good notes for class? Just want to find out new strategies to help you learn? Psych Friends has a great video for you! https://gvsu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=e64f17cb-cc65-497a-88c0-ae650138ce88

You can learn more about Psych Friends peer mentoring here: https://www.gvsu.edu/psychology/psych-friends-477.htm

Note Taking Video

Looking for jobs with a Bachelors in psychology? Come to an informational group session with tips and strategies for preparing and job searching.

When: THIS WEEK! Wed. March 16th
- Where: 2132 ASH
- Time: 6:00-7:30
- With: Professor Mary Bower Russa and Rachel Becklin (Career Services)
- Contact: [email protected] with any questions

Are you a Grand Valley student and want to help your peers? The University Counseling Center has positions with the Peer Education Program:

The Peer Education Program is comprised of highly trained students who serve representatives of and liaisons to the University Counseling Center. Peer educators develop and lead University Counseling Center initiatives while cultivating skills transferrable to the professional workforce. Those skills include, among others:

* Facilitating discussions with large groups
* Creating presentations that meet the needs of a target audience
* Collaborating with students, staff, faculty, and campus organizations
* Using technology/social media to engage persons of diverse backgrounds
* Responsibly representing a professional entity

Overall, on behalf of the University Counseling Center, peer educators aim to:

* Increase awareness of/accessibility to the University Counseling Center
* Improve the well-being of the campus community through outreach and social justice initiatives
* Destigmatize the use of mental health services so that students feel empowered to seek resources and/or treatment

To learn more and apply, follow the link: https://www.gvsu.edu/counsel/interested-in-becoming-a-peer-educator-146.htm

Interested in Becoming a Peer Educator? - University Counseling Center - Grand Valley State University The application due date is Monday, March 14th. All applications must be received by 5:00pm for consideration. Applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application by March 16th. Interviews will be conducted on March 30th and April 6th.

Nervous about interviewing for graduate schools? Join Professor Mary Bower Russa February 9th for a presentation and Q&A on interviewing, with tips on what to wear, how to prepare, what to expect, and what to ask.

Where: Room 2314 ASH
When: February 9th
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
With: Professor Mary Bower Russa

For more information visit the event page: https://www.gvsu.edu/psychology/module-events-view.htm?siteModuleId=A9CD9A21-B3E0-9F0A-33D67B96CC239D4D&eventId=5543B6BA-E823-B795-8FF080071CB52BBC

Professors Michael Wolfe and Todd Williams have co-authored a presentation, "Poor Awareness of Health Change Following Bariatric Surgery," at the Conference of the Psychonomic Society. You can read more about their research at the link.

When assessing our own health over time, memory complicates perception, GVSU research shows GVSU psychology experts Michael Wolfe and Todd Williams conducted the research.

Missed our Freud's Family Feud event last week? Check out some highlights. We hope to see you at our next event!

Family Feud Highlights For those who could not attend our Freud Family Feud night, here are some highlights. We hope to see you at the next event!

Interested in Psych Friends? Watch this video to learn a bit about our awesome team and why they became Psych Friends Peer Mentors. Be sure to say hi when you see them around campus!

Our mentors would love to get to know you. We have plenty of time slots available to best fit your needs. Sign up for a session on Navigate today (https://www.gvsu.edu/navigate/).

Psych Friends: Intro to Us Sign up for a 1-on-1 appointment now!1. Go to: https://www.gvsu.edu/navigate/2. Login using your network ID and password3. In the upper right corner of the h...

Congratulations to the Id team on their win at Freud's Family Feud! Special thanks to Psych Friends Peer Mentoring and Dr. Jordan for a fun-filled evening.

PSY 350: Psychology Research and Data Applications will be available beginning Fall 2022. You can visit the link for more information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTKnv8W9tsoMrZbEqS30Wl8-YOCHhGrK5ZH8NdOyfRZbKHE7xhu3vfCQtLggVNc5Fk3Hm70ltHFYDO9/pub