Southeastern Regional Fall Letter (2004)
Dear Chapter Members and Advisors of the Southeast Region:
I want to start this letter by sincerely thanking you for the opportunity to serve as the Psi Chi Vice-President for the Southeast Region. It is truly an honor and privilege that means quite a bit to me. I will work diligently to meet the needs of chapter members, officers and advisors. If there is any way that I can offer assistance, please contact me (my contact information is listed at the bottom of this letter).
Normally, I would say that I hope the start of the new academic year has been uneventful and enjoyable. This year has been different, however. The Southeast region has been repeatedly impacted by Mother Nature. It is my guess that few, if any, Psi Chi members or advisors in the Southeast region have escaped the impact of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, or Jeanne. My campus (in Eastern Florida) has been impacted by three of those storms, and the campus has been closed twice. We are only now returning to a sense of normalcy. I hope that you have escaped the worst of the impact that so many have felt this fall semester.
There are a number of important opportunities coming up for Psi Chi members in the region. Perhaps the most important is the annual Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) conference (www.sepaonline.com) in Nashville, Tennessee, that runs April 6-9, 2005. In additional to the extensive set of presentations and speakers at the conference, there are a number of events presented by Psi Chi. There will be a Psi Chi/SEPA speaker who will address issues of particular interest to students of psychology and Psi Chi members. In addition, there will be panel discussions on preparing for (and getting accepted into) graduate school, and a speaker discussing ways that Psi Chi students can excel in school and beyond. There will also be a Psi Chi Hospitality Suite at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel where you will have the opportunity to meet Psi Chi members, advisors, and many of the Psi Chi National Officers and staff. Please stop by when you are at the conference, have a snack or beverage, and introduce yourself!
Psi Chi members can present their research at SEPA by applying to the Psi Chi/ CEPO (Committee for Equality of Professional Opportunity) Undergraduate Research Program. This is a two-step process. First, you need to fill out an intent to submit research form (located at www.sepaonline.com/cepo05.pdf) and send it to:
Lyn Boulter,Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Catawba College
2300 West Innes Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
Please note that the postmark deadline for the intent to submit research form (and the general submission deadline for SEPA) has been extended from October 12 to October 19, 2004 due to the effects of the hurricanes. The postmark deadline for the research abstract (which will be explained in a packet of materials that is sent out once the intent to submit form is received) remains as December 1, 2004.
In addition to the opportunities at the SEPA conference, there are a number of Psi Chi awards and competitions. The Psi Chi website (www.psichi.org) is a wonderful resource for these awards, grants, and opportunities.
In closing, I believe that this should be an exciting year for those involved with Psi Chi in the Southeastern region. If there is any way I can provide support or assistance, do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Michael Newlin, Ph.D.
Psi Chi Southeastern Regional Vice President
Department of Psychology
University of Central Florida
1519 Clearlake Road
Cocoa, FL 32922
Telephone: (321) 433-7932
Fax: (321) 433-7912
Email: mnewlin@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu