Psi Chi Program for 2008 NEPA
Conference: Psi Chi/NEPA Regional Convention Program (2008)
9:00-10:20 a.m.
Room: Sleith 110
Psi Chi Symposium: What It’s Like To Be a Graduate Student
Chair: Louis Mora, St. John's University
Participants:
Ellen-Ge Denton, St. John's University
Frank Corigliano, St. John's University
Natascha Santos, St. John's University
Lauren Gonsalves, St. John's University
Andrea Lampert, St. John's University
This workshop draws on the accumulated wisdom of current graduate students and on existing research to describe various aspects of life as a graduate student in psychology. Our discipline offers a variety of multidisciplinary opportunities that can be further pursued through graduate education. In light of the intensity of most graduate-level programs, helpful coping strategies for school-related stress will be discussed. Panelists will also outline differences between the lives of graduate and undergraduate students by sharing information that may not be commonly known amongst undergraduates. Additionally, using St. John’s University as an example, the importance of understanding an institution’s mission will be discussed, as it can shape the philosophies behind its educational programs. Each presentation makes a unique contribution and can serve as a useful guide for individuals considering a graduate degree in psychology.
11:30—12:20 a.m.
Room: Sleith 110
Psi Chi talk: Fifteen Keys To A Successful Graduate School Application Process
Presenter: Joan Cannon, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Lowell
Abstract: This session will explore ways that students can improve their chances of gaining admission to graduate programs by creating better application packages. Topics will include: getting strong letters of recommendation, writing terrific personal statements, and avoiding common errors that weaken applications.
2:00-2:30 p.m.
Room: Sleith 110
Psi Chi Student-Faculty Exchange
Coordinators: to be announced
Join other Psi Chi and Psychology Club members for an informational
exchange of chapter activities
2:30-3:20 pm.
Room: Sleith 100
Looking for what isn’t there: Researching who and what aren’t noticed
Psi Chi Distinguished Speaker: Felicia Pratto, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut—Storrs
The first century of psychological research and theory demonstrated that people have unconscious perceptual biases that are normal. How then does psychology overcome its own perceptual blind spots? How do we avoid conducting research that is biased? In this talk, Felicia Pratto will describe how she has researched topics that seemed hidden in plain sight: unconscious evaluations, institutional discrimination, implicit norms, power in intergroup relations, and the role of nations in terrorism. She will show how psychologists must sometimes invent both theory and methods in order to tell the scientific truth about what we don’t know.
3:30-4:20 p.m.
Room: Sleith 100
Psi Chi Reception & Awards Ceremony
Presenter: Jason Young, Hunter College (Eastern Region Vice-President, Psi Chi)
Join us for refreshments and recognition for those who have demonstrated excellence through NEPA 2008! All Psi Chi student members presenting at NEPA will receive a certificate from Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.