Author Archives: Heather Dade

About Heather Dade

Heather Dade is the Associate Director for Meetings and Communications in APA's Center for Education in Psychology. She is the Managing Editor of gradPSYCH Blog.

Five (more) reasons why you should go to APA Convention

1) Networking

I said it before, and I’ll say it again; networking works. APA Convention gives you easy access to hundreds of potential employers all in one place. Plus, for those of us that have difficulty with networking and meeting new people, Convention provides an abundance of conversation starters.

“I really enjoyed your presentation, what can I do to learn more
about working in this field?” or, “Did you go to the Presidential
address? What did you think about XYZ?”

2) It makes you smarter

Like eating a healthy breakfast, or wearing the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, going to Convention makes you smarter. In a study (which I just made up), students who attended Convention at least once were considered more informed than the control group who did not attend Convention. In seriousness, attending Convention exposes you to ideas outside of your graduate school bubble, opening you up to new concepts and letting you experience some of the great work other people are doing that you wouldn’t see otherwise.

3) Easier than reading it in an article

Sure, if you wait a year or two you will be able to read about a lot of the work being presented at Convention. But wouldn’t you rather listen to the researcher tell you about it him/herself? Then you can ask questions, get clarification, or even volunteer to help on a follow-up study.

4) Sessions for students, by students

APAGS kicks ass (or butt) at creating Convention programming you can’t get anywhere else. The APAGS Convention Committee always develops (in my very biased opinion) some of the best, most useful programs at Convention. Having trouble finding a mentor, or having trouble with a current mentor? Come to our mentorship session Turbo-Charging Your Career: Finding and Keeping a Good Mentor. Are you a non-traditional student struggling with issues traditional graduate students don’t understand? Come to Non-traditional Students and Graduate School: Student experiences, Personal Challenges and Open Discussion. These are just a few of the many programs developed to address specific graduate student needs you can’t find anywhere else!

5) Oh Canada!

Ever been to Canada? Here is your chance to travel internationally and visit the Great White North. Toronto is a beautiful city, with lots to offer in terms of sight-seeing and nightlife. Come meet some international friends and explore a new culture in a city that is just miles from the U.S. border. And don’t forget to brush up on your Canadian, eh?

Editors Note: Daniel Reimer is a doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Reno, and the APAGS Convention Committee Chair.

Looking for funding? APAGS can help!

APAGS has the following funding opportunities available for members. Apply today! The deadline for these grants is May 6th, 2015 at 11:59PM (ET). Don’t miss out!

The Nancy B. Forest and L. Michael Honaker Master’s Grant for
Research in Psychology – This grant, named in honor of Nancy B. Forest and L. Michael Honaker, funds thesis research in psychology at the Masters level.
The Scott Mesh Honorary Grant for Research in Psychology – This award honors Scott Mesh, one of the founding co-chairs of APAGS. The recipient of this award will receive $1,000 to support dissertation research in psychology.
The David Pilon Scholarship for Training in Professional Psychology – This award honors David Pilon, a founding co-chair of APAGS in 1988. The recipient will receive $1,000 to promote supplemental training and education experiences in professional practice. The scholarship can be used for a specific training program or opportunity not otherwise available to the student.
Ellin Bloch and Pierre Ritchie Diversity Dissertation Grant – This award provides funding to support research on issues of diversity such as varied ethnic backgrounds, women’s issues, ageism, sexual orientation, disability, etc.
APAGS Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD) Grant Program – This award provides $1,000 to support a project that promotes training and educational experiences in LGBT practice. Examples include, but are not limited to: workshops, conferences, speaker series, mentorship programs, and the development of student organizations with a focus on LGBT concerns.
APAGS-LGBT Dissertation Grant – This award provides funding for a proposed research in the area of unique concerns facing LGBT individuals. Funds will not be awarded for a completed, or nearly completed dissertation.
APAGS Outstanding APA Division Award – This award recognizes an APA Division for superior performance in promoting graduate student development, involvement, and joint APAGS/APA Division membership.
APAGS Carol Williams-Nickelson Award for Women’s Leadership and Scholarship in Women’s Issues – This award is designed to acknowledge women APAGS members who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in psychology by serving in one or more leadership roles locally, regionally and/or nationally while also advancing women’s issues through their writing/publications, research, advocacy or other scholarly activities.

Visit the APAGS Scholarships and Grants page for more information on eligibility and how to apply. Good luck!

Meet the Candidates! APAGS Chair-Elect

300Vote Did you know that the voting period for APAGS elections is the entire month of April? This blog post is the third in a series in which candidates answer questions posed by the current committee. Today, you’ll get a chance to hear from the two candidates for APAGS Chair-Elect: Ian Gutierrez and Michael Williams. APAGS members will be provided with voting instructions in the beginning of April and will have the chance to vote for this position, as well as Member-at-Large, Education Focus and Member-at-Large, Communications Focus.

Chair-Elect

Question: If you weren’t studying psychology, what other career would you pursue and why?

Ian Gutierrez – Truthfully, psychology is that “other career” that I ultimately chose to pursue. My teenage dream was to become a record producer! Before graduate school, I worked as a follow-spot operator on Broadway musicals, including Spring Awakening and Gypsy, and I also worked as an audio technician on a few productions of Menopause the Musical (…honest truth, can’t make this up). While I enjoyed working in the entertainment business, I decided that I could more directly impact people’s lives for the better in another line of work. Psychology fit that bill perfectly, and I have never looked back since making that career transition. If I were not studying psychology, I would likely work in public policy. The impact that state and federal law has on public well-being, mental health, and psychological science is enormous. It is critical that mental health professionals and scientists remain engaged in the political arena.

Michael Williams – This question is challenging given that I have wanted to be a psychologist since elementary school. However, pursuit of an academic research career in neuroscience would be a strong alternate to my current career path in clinical psychology for many reasons. This field offers me the opportunity to continue engagement in research regarding brain injury and recovery. In addition, I could continue my other pursuits, including teaching, providing mentorship to undergraduate and graduate students, and engaging in community leadership. Neuroscience was my minor during undergraduate studies. I was fortunate to get undergraduate research training at Morehouse School of Medicine Neuroscience Institute in Dr. Byron Ford’s lab. This lab experience was amazing. I learned about rat models of neuroprotection and recovery for brain damage secondary to organophosphate poisoning and ischemic stroke. A career in neuroscience would nurture my passion for research of brain injury and my desire for an academic career.

Question: APAGS is doing a lot regarding the internship crisis, and plans to continue doing so. What do you think is another major issue affecting graduate students, and how do you hope to address the issue if elected as Chair? (150 word maximum)

Ian Gutierrez – The student debt crisis threatens the future of professional psychology. Educational debt in the United States exceeds one trillion dollars, creating long-term financial hardships that many of us know all too well. At the same time, graduate school is becoming increasingly expensive. Even those of us who are employed to teach or conduct research struggle to make ends meet on limited incomes. Meager incomes and heavy debts make it nearly impossible for many of us to start families, access quality healthcare, or save for the future. As APAGS Chair, I will advocate for APA program accreditation standards that account for and limit rising graduate program costs. I will also push for the establishment of APA/APAGS-supported loan assistance programs to help students pay down debts while they are still in graduate school. To learn more about my APAGS initiatives, please visit my website or email me. Thank you!

Michael Williams – Funding for graduate students in psychology is a major issue. APAGS has a done a great job examining debt load, job trends, and starting salaries. The median debt load for PsyD graduates is $120,000. It is $80,000 for PhD health service professions and $32,000 for research PhDs. Student debt has raised over time. Academia is a primary employment setting, but the full-time tenure track academic positions are declining. With the delayed entry into the workforce, debt becomes a major burden to many graduates. As Chair, I would work with APAGS to explore innovative ways to develop and identify new funding sources. I would consider ways to incentivize applying for grants and other funding mechanisms. I would collaborate with different students organizations to promote the many resources compiled by APAGS, including grants and fellowships. In addition, I hope to empower students with tools to get involved with advocacy for funding opportunities.

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Learn more about all candidates and be sure to vote in the upcoming APAGS election! If you are a current APAGS member with a valid email address on file, you’ll get your email ballot on April 1. If you do not receive one, please check your email spam filters and junk box. If you still do not see one, please contact Garnett Coad, the APA Director of Elections.

Meet the Candidates! Member-at-Large, Communications Focus

300Vote Are you voting for APAGS officers? This blog post is the second in a series of posts where candidates for open positions will answer questions to give voters some insight into what they will bring to the position for which they are running. Today, we’re meeting candidates for Member-at-Large, Communications Focus.

The voting period for APAGS elections will be the entire month of April. APAGS members will be provided with voting instructions in the beginning of April and will have the chance to vote for the following positions:

APAGS Chair-Elect
APAGS Member-at-Large, Education Focus
APAGS Member-at-Large, Communications Focus

Member-at-Large, Communications Focus

Question: If you weren’t studying psychology, what other career would you pursue and why?

Chris DeCou – I would still be employed as a police officer, which is the career I left to pursue graduate training. Law enforcement offered me an opportunity to serve the community and address hazardous situations directly. As a police officer my focus centered on limiting the gap between the public and the police. If I were not studying psychology I would be actively involved in community policing initiatives that focused on promoting direct communication between officers and community members, and emphasized elimination of longstanding barriers to community trust and collaboration, as law enforcement still emphasizes arrest and detention as simple solutions to complex problems. Further, I would continue growing the paradigm of policing to center on restorative justice, evidence-driven policy, and genuine collaboration between law enforcement and affected stakeholders. These goals remain with me as a graduate student, and continue to influence my research with incarcerated populations and survivors of violence.

Yolanda Perkins-Volk – I recently had this conversation with my 3 year-old son, and he giggled when I told him I would be a firefighter. It is a career path I have a lot of respect for. During my time in the US Army, I learned that I can push myself physically and mentally farther than I had ever previously thought, and studying fire science and putting it to use seems like an exciting way to exercise both my mind and my body. I have to share, my heart was full when my son shared that he too has interest in being a firefighter!

David Zelaya – When I was applying to graduate programs, I was torn between pursuing psychology and student affairs. Specifically, I wanted to focus on retention and leadership development of first generation college students. Being a first generation college student myself, I can attest to the impact higher education administration had during and after my undergraduate studies. Many of the mentors I had were influential in helping me develop a foundation as a leader and hone in on my personal leadership style and skills. In addition to being drawn to higher education, I was also attracted to student affairs due to the emphasis that it places on mentorship and connecting with young adults at such a critical age. Yet, I found that I could also enact change and influence others through various careers within the field of psychology; whether it be through pursuing an academic career or college counseling.

Question: A challenge for this Member at Large is to promote collaboration and conversation between very busy people. What would you suggest to improve APAGS’s current communication practices? (150 word maximum)

Chris DeCou – My primary goal as member-at-large would be to expand the geographic diversity of APAGS and APA via focused recruitment efforts at universities without current representation, including universities in rural and frontier states (e.g., Alaska, Idaho, Montana). This type of effort relies heavily on existing communication practices with APAGS, including regular email announcements and quarterly offerings in GradPsych. One way I would expand existing practices to include students from geographically diverse backgrounds would be to develop an effective mechanism for sampling the opinions of student members via survey and focus group methods. This would include brief surveys organized via readily accessible platforms (e.g. social media), and targeted focus groups composed of members from specific subsets of programs represented by APAGS. I have benefited greatly from the use of these methods within my own research projects, and look forward to cultivating effective ways of sampling student members directly to inform APAGS initiatives.

Yolanda Perkins-Volk – Personally, while I enjoy all of the wonderful resources that can be found through APA and APAGS, I think now may be a great time to begin considering more intuitive, real-time communication methods that best utilize current technology, and is accessible through existing platforms and propagated to mobile devices. Perhaps this looks like an app, it may mean creating a space that is new, yet versatile and brings value. No matter the method, the common thread is moving forward in a manner to make technology a tool that we harness to best meet our mission in APAGS!

David Zelaya – As graduate students, we tend to be highly connected to social media; therefore, exploring ways to communicate effectively online would be a starting point. I would suggest that we work on enhancing the Division Student Representative Network by conducting an assessment of what division student leaders still need from APAGS and to explore possible ways to collaborate. In my experience with APAGS-CARED I have found that finding commonalities in projects or goals with other students or divisions fosters collaborative working groups and opens conversations. Therefore, connecting the APAGS full committee to division student leaders will be imperative in enhancing communication practices. Additionally, it is difficult to connect with graduate student leaders if they are unaware of the role of APAGS and the resources available. Developing a marketing plan will raise visibility of the resources APAGS has to offer to support graduate student training. Visit me online for more info.

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On Friday, check out our final post in this series to meet the candidates running for Chair-Elect. Also, be sure to vote in the upcoming APAGS election!

Meet the Candidates! Member-at-Large, Education Focus

It’s election season for APAGS! The voting period for APAGS elections will be the entire month of April. APAGS members will be provided with voting instructions in the beginning of April and will have the chance to vote for the following positions:

APAGS Chair-Elect
APAGS Member-at-Large, Education Focus
APAGS Member-at-Large, Communications Focus

This blog post is the first in a series of posts where candidates for the above-mentioned positions will answer questions to give voters some insight into what they will bring to the position for which they are running.

Member-at-Large, Education Focus

Question: If you weren’t studying psychology, what other career would you pursue and why?

Jake Nota – If I wasn’t going to be a clinical psychologist… Oh trust me, at some particularly trying moments in graduate school I’ve certainly thought about it! While I’ve continued to reaffirm my choice to pursue psychology, I also enjoy working with computers. My lab mates know that I am always the first to volunteer for programming computerized tasks or automating some process of our data collection and organization. I find the problem solving aspect of coding and the iterative testing and tweaking to be really satisfying. I also get a kick out of using technology to improve the types of research questions we can address. In an alternative life I think it could be fun to build on those skills and work as a computer scientist. Or, you know, open a dog training business with my fiancé. Where better to apply our knowledge of conditioning and learning!

Eric Samuels – Psychology is actually my third career. After undergrad, I worked on a political campaign. I grew up with a Jewish religious faith that valued social justice and political engagement. And while I enjoyed working to elect a political candidate that I believed in, I realized that I wanted to work more directly with people to help them with their issues. From there, I decided to go into a career in Higher Education & Student Affairs to help young adults develop holistically during their time in college. I grew a lot while in college, and I desired to help others to do so. I found this work to be exciting, and I enjoyed developing personal relationships with college students. However, this work got me interested in becoming a psychologist, so I decided to pursue a doctorate. Therefore, if I wasn’t studying psychology, then I’d work in politics or with college students.

Blaire C. Schembari – I would pursue a career in veterinarian medicine and own/operate a non-profit animal rescue. In addition, I would advocate for animal rights—working with government agencies to push for tougher laws against animal abuse and neglect. Anyone who knows me knows I love animals, especially my little pound puppy, Abby. As an only child, my parents allowed me to have and care for a “zoo” of pets (birds, fish, rabbits, cats, and dogs). As I reflect on why animals mean so much to me, I consider the nature of my relationships with them. A relationship with an animal is one of the purest forms of loyalty between two beings. I care for my animals physically and they care for me emotionally. I would be honored to have a career focused on enhancing the lives of animals, just as they enhance mine.

Question: APAGS is doing a lot regarding the internship crisis. Which of these strategies outlined in our position statement – or something else we did not mention – do you think should be emphasized in the next two years, and how would you hope to work on it if elected? (150 word maximum)

Jake Nota – I am glad the APA takes the internship imbalance seriously. It is tragic that highly capable, achieving, and motivated mental health trainees are being blocked from moving into their careers by no fault of their own. Furthermore, there is an enormous need for well-qualified practitioners to deliver needed evidence-based practices that is not being met. In particular, the APA’s commitment to lobbying for the creation and maintenance of incentives for internship sites that provide top-notch training is a critical endeavor. The clout of the APA and its partners is needed to make clear the importance of these training experiences; especially in this time of major changes to our healthcare system. I am also an advocate for exploring ways of easing the internship bottleneck through collaboration with other healthcare disciplines. For example, psychologists in training on healthcare teams may simultaneously gain needed experience and demonstrate our field’s great value.

Eric Samuels – As the accreditation of graduate programs becomes more linked to whether a certain percentage of a program’s students are matched to an APA or CPA accredited internship program, I believe that graduate programs that have struggled with their match rate will take action to increase it. As an example, my graduate program is creating affiliated internship sites that my program is helping to become APA-accredited as long as the internship positions at these sites are only for students at my program. If given the opportunity to serve in this position, I will work to create more internship positions by advocating for the continuation of the Internship Stimulus Fund, for increased funding of the Graduate Psychology Education program, and for legislation in the states that would make interns eligible for Medicare reimbursement. I will also work with training councils to encourage training sites to pursue accreditation by using the Internship Toolkit.

Blaire C. Schembari – Among APAGS’ outlined solutions/strategies, I strongly believe both enabling more internships to become accredited and supporting state and federal policies to motivate the development of new internships and the expansion of available internship positions are the most worthwhile and impactful to pursue over the next two years. If elected, I will implement the aforementioned strategies by:

(1) Targeting select government representatives to advocate for the advancement of policies at the state and federal levels,

(2) Soliciting accredited internships’ opinions regarding the accreditation process to determine what aspects can be improved, and

(3) Based on these insights, working with the Education Directorate to develop a plan to streamline the accreditation process in order to grow the number of accredited programs.

Finally, I will focus on increasing state and federal funding for internships; therefore, enabling internships to support additional supervisors and more interns—ultimately increasing internship position quantity, while maintaining training quality.

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Be on the look out for the next blog post in this series Meet the Candidates! and be sure to vote in the upcoming APAGS election!