Category Archives: Graduate School

COVID-19 Pandemic: The Not So Grey Side

This post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity (CARED). This series discusses current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Terrill Taylor, Chair of APAGS-CARED.

By Sonia Rehman

There is no doubt that the pandemic wreaked havoc on human lives. However, it connected us in numerous ways as well. The modified lifestyle due to COVID-19 offered me new ways to conduct my personal and professional life. I consider myself the beneficiary of the new virtual world, and here’s my story.

As the world turned toward holding virtual rather than in-person events, it enabled me to attend numerous national and international conferences, without incurring traveling and lodging costs. It also allowed several of my colleagues from Pakistan and India to participate in conferences in the US for the first time. Securing a visa to visit the US has been a significant challenge for students in developing countries, so virtual conferences made it possible for anyone around the world to become a part of this learning experience with reduced registration fees and no need for a visa. During networking events, international participants shared their perspectives on advancements made in the field and discussed opportunities for collaboration. The emerging prospect of in-person conferences made me wonder about what might result in limited accessibility for these events. I believe our field can benefit from remaining accessible, especially as increased migration and telecommunication advancements continue to change the biopsychosocial aspects of human lives.

There is an increased opportunity to learn from one another in this new digitized world. For example, the new norm of connecting virtually allowed me to have a mentor in Spain. With her help, I look forward to getting involved in international collaborations to advance my understanding of neuropsychology through a cross-cultural lens. At the beginning of my doctoral program, I was interested in exploring psychological issues for minority adolescents and joined a research lab accordingly. As I progressed through the program, I became more interested in neuropsychology and wanted to engage in research in that area. However, my options were limited, and a break appeared imminent.

As many labs resorted to working virtually due to the pandemic, it opened opportunities to get involved remotely. I applied to and became a part of a lab that operates in northern California even while I live near Washington, DC. The accessibility of this kind of remote opportunity has been a great asset for many students and continues to connect scholars worldwide.

Receiving training in teleassessment is another benefit of the increasingly virtual world. Providing psychological interventions remotely has enabled many minority patients to seek services who may have otherwise been unable to travel the distance to clinics. . Telehealth has also increased access to medical and mental health care for families living in rural areas. I am especially thrilled at the prospect of increasing the scope of neuropsychology through telemedicine. Finally, taking online classes has enabled me to attend to my children’s needs and coordinate my parents’ medical appointments, all while actively pursuing my dream of becoming a clinical neuropsychologist.

I thank you for reading my COVID-19 story.

Introducing the 2022 JSF Winners

Every year, the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and Psi Chi join forces to provide financial support to research-oriented students entering their first year (or a first semester of their second year) of a graduate psychology program. This year, 12 exceptional students were selected to be awarded a $1,000 grant dedicated to directly fund research-related costs in effort to contribute to society-at-large and the field of psychological science. Below are summaries for their anticipated research projects.

Sierra Walters (Florida International University) will be developing and validating novel machine learning algorithms to promote sensitive ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology to naturally assess reactions to familial conflict. This research aims to explore familial conflict phenotypes that are strongly linked to adverse outcomes in hopes to advance the knowledge and prevention of family conflict.

Eleanor Schuttenberg (University of Maine) aims to further elaborate on previous findings of the cognitive and psychological mechanisms of forgiveness by utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in adolescents. Furthermore, the EMA portion of the study will consist of a short-term intervention aiming to cultivate forgiveness. Eleanor’s research has potential to produce significant clinical and theoretical implications to utilize protective factors (i.e., forgiveness) in relation to mental health outcomes.

Elizabeth Hoelscher (Texas Tech University) aims to examine the relationship between trait emotion-related impulsivity, momentary negative affect, and suicidal ideation among young adults exiting inpatient psychiatric care. Elizabeth’s research will provide valuable insight into short-term risk factors of suicidality in a population deemed higher risk.

Sonakshi Negi (University of Kansas) will investigate the impact of emotion regulation
flexibility on eating behaviors and behavioral outcomes in real-life utilizing ecological
momentary assessment (EMA) methodology. Sonakshi hopes this study will contribute to the knowledge of the effects of emotion regulation on the biopsychosocial basis of eating disorders.

Valerie Wong (Rutgers University) will be examining positive rumination and disordered eating utilizing EMA methodology. Valerie hopes understanding the cognitive mechanisms (i.e., positive rumination) may explain why individuals may either respond adaptively to dieting versus unhealthy/harmful dieting.

Sumaiyah Syed (Southern Methodist University) aims to examine the potential health consequences of (formally) disadvantaged older adults who have strived and accomplished upward mobility (i.e., academic, economic, or psychosocial success). This study has the potential to advance knowledge in several health domains (e..g, psychological and public health) as it investigates the impact of skin-deep resilience, or the process of “overcoming the odds”, on biological aging.

Julie Pham (Southern Methodist University) will study the relationship between rumination, cognitive performance and resting heart rate variability (HRV) in older adults. Julie hopes that results from this research will inform cognitive and physiological implications of rumination and a sustained stress response.

Julia Nicholas (University of Louisville) aims to explore the psychosocial mechanisms
contributing to engagement of risky behavior among sexual and gender minority (SGM)
individuals. Given the negative implications of minority stress (e.g., negative affect and
emotional dysregulation), the current study aims to investigate how invalidation/validation of emotions may impact SGM individual’s capacity to engage in regulating emotion and subsequent risky behaviors. This study aims to inform prevention initiatives to specifically address emotional dysregulation and risky behaviors by training various individuals (e.g., parents, teachers, providers) to provide adequate validation and affirming environments for SGM individuals.

Cristina Nardini (Fordham University) aims to investigate the impact of stress and cognitive mechanisms (e.g., mindset) on psychological and academic outcomes among first-generation college students (FGCS) utilizing various methods, such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and experimental designs. Cristina hopes this study will elucidate economic and social disparities in FGCS in effort to provide valuable information to organizations with the aim of community-based engagement promoting obtaining college degrees.

Madelyn Harris (Boston College) will explore the potential mediational role of coping style in the relationship between vicarious grief (amidst online exposure to police murders of Black Americans) and mental health outcomes among Black Americans. Furthermore, Madelyn will qualitatively examine reactions to grief and trauma with aim to understand nuances in coping styles and subsequent well-being. This research will advance the literature on the overarching impact of trauma exposure, even in light of not being exposed to the actual traumatic event (e.g., police brutality) itself.

Kayla Wagler (Oklahoma State University) aims to examine how suicidal thoughts and behaviors are effected by experiencing minority stress among sexual minority individuals in real- time utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in addition to qualitative methodology. As research in this area has traditionally focused on cross-sectional methodology, this study will examine which type of minority stressor(s) may specifically predict suicidality in effort to inform tailored interventions.

Ei Thinzar (University of North Carolina – Greensboro) will utilize mixed methods to
examine parent-child emotion socialization and communication practices (i.e., reactions to child distress and the impact on regulating emotions). Furthermore, Ei aims to investigate how a parent’s cultural upbringing may influence emotional socialization as a parent. This research has the potential to advance knowledge of how early influences of culture and psychosocial risk (e.g., stressors) may impact future generations. Moreover, this project may inform workshops/clinical interventions aimed at promoting effective parent-child communication and healthy socioemotional child development.

Special thanks to the APAGS Science Committee members for their efforts in reviewing
applications this year! The Junior Scientist Fellowship (JSF) process is dynamic as it orients students to the process of grant writing in general – specifically, thinking critically about one’s research to inform intellectual merit and broader implications. Moreover, the JSF process primes students to the specific process of applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship by providing key feedback to improve their applications. Please take a look at this post by the Association for Psychological Science for more grant-writing tips and tricks.

Posted by Mitchell Mazzone, an APAGS Science Committee member and a clinical psychology doctoral student at Hofstra University. Feel free to reach out to Mitchell with any questions you may have!

Negotiating Job Contracts: Effective Strategies to Improve Your Outcome

How to be comfortable being uncomfortable while negotiating

By Sarah Aghjayan

Are you in a position to negotiate your salary but do not know where to start? If so, you are not alone. According to a recent survey by Glassdoor, more than half of American workers accepted their employer’s pay offer without negotiating (2016). Many times, workers do not negotiate their salary because they are afraid of being told no or losing the job offer, they think it might create a negative impression, or their employer did not signal that the offer was negotiable by asking their expected salary. While negotiating can seem intimidating, there are several strategies that can help you feel more comfortable when negotiating and lead to a more positive outcome. Whether you are seeking a position in an academic, clinical, or industry setting, these effective strategies and resources may help boost your confidence when negotiating.

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APAGS CSOGD Committee Spotlight: Emily Boswell

What is your name and pronouns?

Emily Boswell, she/her.

What is your program and year?

I am a rising 4th year Counseling Psychology Ph.D. candidate at Ball State University in Muncie, IN.

What brought you to CSOGD?

I had been interested in engaging in advocacy work for the LGBTQ+ community for several years, but I had never been aware of leadership positions. I applied to CSOGD after experiencing anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice as a psychologist-in-training and I did not have a large network of LGBTQ+ psychologists to consult or receive support in navigating these experiences. I wanted to use this platform to support other LGBTQ+ students in psychology who also found themselves in need of support, advocacy, and connection.

What LGBTQ+ advocacy projects are you involved in?

In addition to coordinating APAGS-CSOGD’s efforts, I’ve provided trainings to clinicians-in-training regarding multicultural competence in working with LGBTQ+ clients, with specific focus on working with LGBTQ+ youth. I’ve also advocated for the creation of community check-ins within my program’s department.

What are your research interests and experiences?

My research is currently focused on assessing clinicians’ competency in working with clients who hold an asexual-spectrum identity, and how clinicians’ attitudes impact clinical decision-making when working with asexual clients.

What are your clinical interests?
I have primarily worked with LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults and I love working with folx who are navigating identity development. I also enjoy working with folx who have experienced sexual trauma, anxiety, depression, and family of origin concerns.

What other interests do you have?

I currently have approximately 30 plants that I try to keep alive (some more successfully than others), and two cats (that I very successfully keep alive) named Loki and Onion. I love lifting weights, drawing with charcoal, playing my bass guitar, and watching TV – I’m currently obsessed with Stranger Things.

9 Tips for Navigating an In-Person Convention

By Amanda Wisinger, APAGS Convention Committee

A return to in-person conferences is likely bringing about a mix of emotions for students – both positive and negative. Many of us have spent the better part of two years attending classes and seminars behind computer screens. For some of us, our entire graduate school experience has been spent in virtual spaces with limited opportunities to connect in-person with our peers and professors. We have grown adept at navigating a variety of typically in-person events being held virtually, such as dissertation defenses, interviews for practicum and internship, and even professional conferences.

If you are attending the APA Convention in Minneapolis this August in-person, it may be your first in-person conference ever. Or, your first in-person conference in a few years. While virtual conferences provided us with many benefits (e.g., reduced travel and lodging costs, the ability to refill your coffee by simply taking a few steps into your kitchen, attending sessions in your sweatpants, etc.), there were undoubtedly many opportunities that virtual events did not provide – including the ability to form new professional relationships and contacts through in-person networking.

Here are my top tips to boost your networking skills and make the most of an in-person Convention: