Stetson University Department of Psychology

-September 2019-

Welcome Dr. Palm! Dr. Meredith Palm joined the faculty this fall after completing her Ph.D. at Baylor University in Waco, TX. Her research interests are in adolescent and emerging adult alcohol use, racial/ethnic differences in substance use, and the protective effect of religiosity on alcohol and other substance use. She is currently teaching Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Research Methods. Before attending graduate school, Dr. Palm grew up in Iowa City, IA (Go Hawkeyes!), attended Luther College, and worked as a research assistant at the University of Iowa.

In her free time, Dr. Palm loves running and is training for the Disney Marathon this January. She also sings in Stetson’s

Choral Union and is looking forward to exploring central Florida, including Blue Lagoon State Park, Red Sox spring training games, and of course the local theme parks! Dr. Palm is excited to be part of the Stetson community and is so grateful to all of the students and faculty for making her feel so welcome.

Hail to the Chief! Our very own Dr. Chris Ferguson has been elected as president of APA’s division 46 (Media Psychology and Technology) beginning in 2021 for a one-year term. Dr. Ferguson plans to use this time to organize a meta-analysis of screen-time effects on early cognition and mental health with the Psychological Society of Ireland, the cyberpsychology division of the British Psychological Society, and Division 46. Awesome!

Faculty Professional Development (always) Continues… Dr. Danielle Linder was selected to participate in the Faculty Resource Network’s Summer Program 2019, which is one of the largest and most successful faculty development programs in the nation. She, along with more than two hundred other faculty members, headed to New York

University’s Washington Square campus for intensive seminars designed to enhance and revitalize teaching and scholarship, with special on teaching methodologies that could have a direct impact on the undergraduate curriculum and educational experience. The particular program Dr. Linder applied for and was accepted into was “Promoting Self-Regulated Learning.”

Upcoming Events!

ü Award Winning Researcher to Discuss Eating Disorder Prevention

Dr. Michael Levine, a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, winner of the Lori Irving Award for Eating Disorders Prevention and Awareness, and the Meehan-Hartley Award for Leadership in Public Awareness and Advocacy, has accepted Dr. Danielle Lindner’s invitation to speak at Stetson. His presentation, "Be the Changes You Wish to See in the Culture: 10 Principles for Being a Bolder Model of Eating Disorder Prevention,” will be held Tuesday, Oct. 15th at 7:30 PM in the Stetson Room.

Dr. Levine is Professor Emeritus at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and has presented his work on eating disorder prevention all over the world. This event, which you don’t want to miss, is co-sponsored by the Artists & Lecturers Committee, the Gender Studies Program, and Campus Life and Student Success!

Coming REALLY SOON . . .

ü Graduate School Information Session Our annual “Graduate School Information Session”, where your psychology faculty members talk about types of graduate school programs and what you need to do BEFORE you apply to them, will be held Monday, September 23rd from 5:00PM – 6:00PM in Flagler 317. You should go!

The Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders. “This comprehensive book on eating disorders is edited by two of the pioneers in the field, Drs. Linda Smolak and

Michael Levine. Their work on topics such as eating disorders prevention, media and eating disorders, and the objectification of women have greatly informed our

knowledge base and current practices.”

ü Psych Social Immediately after the graduate school information session, Psi Chi and the Psychology Department are holding a “Psych Social” on Monday, September 23 from 6:00 - 7:00 pm in Room 334 of Flagler Hall . Some of your faculty members will be present to talk with you about the courses they teach and/or the research they conduct. Psi Chi members will be present to talk about some of their exciting upcoming events. Wraps & subs (including vegetarian options) from Publix will be available.

Psychology Goes to Europe: A Summer Abroad!

ü A Tale of Three Cit ies… Dr. Michael Eskenazi and Dr. Sarah Garcia led an amazing study abroad course, History and Ethics in Psychology, this past summer. The students traveled to Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, as each of these cities is home to major landmarks in the history of psychology or holds historical sites that have influenced the field’s modern ethical standards. They also had a lot of fun: Dr. Garcia says she had gelato every day! Some of the sites they visited included the first official psychology lab founded by Wilhelm Wundt in 1879 at the University of Leipzig, the birthplace of psychoanalysis at the Freud Museum in Vienna, the Viktor Frankl Museum, and the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. They hope to offer the course again, possibly in 2021!

ü Industr ial Organizational Psychology in Innsbruck Austria…

For the first time ever, Professor Michele Camden’s Industrial and Organizational Psychology course (PSYC 301), which applies psychological principles to workplace, was offered as part of the Innsbruck Classic Program. In this study abroad program, run by the School of Business Administration, students completed two courses in Innsbruck, Austria,

nestled in the Alps and located close to both Germany and Italy, while having afternoons and long weekends free to enjoy the historic region. They traveled to Bavaria to tour the Linderhof Palace, Neuschwanstein castle, which served as a model for Walt Disney’s design of Cinderella’s castle, and the Stubai glacier (pictured). FYI: PSYC 301 is psychology elective in the Social and Personality Pillar for the psychology major, and also meets a requirement for the management minor. Interested? Professor Camden intends to do the program again, hopefully next summer. She also offers the course at least once during the academic year.

The Psychology Department:

Updates & New Ideas… ü Update: What are Psychology Majors Learning?

As you are already aware, the syllabus for each of your courses delineates the learning objectives for the course. Did you know, however, that learning objectives exist for the Psychology Major as well! By the time you complete your required and elective courses in the major, you will be able to:

1. Describe major concepts, principles, and findings from psychology’s content domains and apply them to explain behavior.

2. Speak and write clearly and concisely in a manner consistent with current disciplinary standards.

3. Critically evaluate sources of psychological information and integrate evidence from multiple sources to draw conclusions.

4. Design and empirical research study, analyze data, and draw evidence-based conclusions. 5. Identify potential ethical problems and apply ethical standards to the conduct of

psychological research and practice.

Each year we assess student progress toward achieving one of these program learning outcomes. We often conduct assessment by looking

at de-identified samples of student work to see whether a group of students is achieving learning outcomes at a level consistent with what we would expect based on where they are in the major. Last

year, our assessment was a little different from in the past. Instead of reviewing work students completed in their classes, we asked groups of students from Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods & Proposal, and Senior Project to complete a test designed to measure psychology content knowledge (Learning Outcome 1). Some of you may remember participating in that assessment! We will be sharing those results with you in our next newsletter. Be sure to take a look!

This academic year we are assessing Learning Objective 3 at both introductory and mastery levels by examining student work from PSYC 203 and PSYC 499, respectively.

Please remember: assessment helps us understand how students are learning in our program, which allows us to make changes in our courses

and our major that make your experience better!

ü New Idea: Psychology Alumni Mentors Program We have just launched this new program to build connections between psychology alumni and our current majors. In particular, the Psychology Alumni Mentors Program matches upper-level psychology majors with Stetson alumni who have graduated from the department, are now established professionals in their field and are able and willing to provide our students with career guidance, advice, and encouragement as they navigate the academic program and contemplate their professional futures. In order to enroll in the program, you must meet the minimum requirements listed below. If your application is accepted, you will be connected with a mentor whose professional experiences closely match your interests.

To be eligible you must: • be a Stetson University undergraduate Psychology major with sophomore standing or

above. (Preference will be given to senior level students). • have earned an overall GPA and Psychology major GPA of 3.0 or above. • be willing to commit to a nine-month program (September-May); at your mutual discretion,

the mentor relationship may informally continue beyond this time period. • be available to meet at least monthly with your mentor (in person or by phone or video

conference). • be able to communicate regularly via phone or e-mail with mentor and respond to requests

in a timely manner (within 72 hours) • agree to meet with the program director at least twice during mentoring partnership so that

the program’s effectiveness can be assessed and any issues can be addressed in a timely manner

• agree to inform and update your adviser about your participation in the program

We hope you wil l take advantage of this wonderful opportunity! Students should contact Dr. Garcia or Mrs. Roberts for an information packet and

application form.

ü Update: Psi Chi Events Psi Chi has several activities planned for the fall 2019 semester:

• The Psych Social (see story in Upcoming Events). • A Movie Night (in October). A documentary film (Here One

Day) about one family’s struggle with suicide will be shown in honor of World Mental Health Day, the focus of which is suicide awareness. Dr. Ivan Fleishman will lead a discussion following the documentary. (Details to come.)

• A Presentation (in November). The group is partnering with the Counseling Center to provide a presentation on coping & resilience. (Details to come.)

Student and Alumni News

Kaleigh Fidaleo (’19) was awarded a 2019-20 Psi Chi Graduate Scholarship ($3000) toward her graduate education at Fordham University. The Psi Chi Graduate Scholarships help defray the direct educational costs (e.g., tuition, institutional fees, required textbooks) of exceptional Psi Chi students attending graduate school. Only eight scholarships are awarded annually. Congratulations, Kaleigh! Libby Dealy (’19) just started the Master's Program in Behavior Analysis at Simmons University

If you would like to share your current directions with us, please email Dr. Laura Crysel (or contact her via owl).

“This award-winning documentary has many

answers to the unnerving questions that suicide

evokes.”