PGSA Potluck Holiday Party!

Join us for the annual PGSA Holiday Potluck Party on Sunday, December 11th. Please bring your beverages and a dish to share. Family and friends are welcome!

Where: Bridgette and Cory's apartment
When: Sunday, 12/11, 6pm "until"

RSVP on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/events/316732095012136/) or to Bridgette via e-mail. See listserv e-mail for directions.

See you there!

Meet the AAYD Lab!

This month, we’re featuring the African American Youth Development Lab (Faculty Advisor Shauna M. Cooper). The overall aims of the AAYD lab are to explore the ways in which families, schools, and communities influence positive youth development among African American youth (educational-related outcomes; psychological adjustment; health behaviors). Current graduate students in the lab are Charity Brown (3rd year School; Greensboro, NC), Isha Metzger (3rd year Clinical-Community; Atlanta, GA), Heather Eaddy (4th year Clinical-Community; Lake City, SC), and Melanie Avery (4th year Clinical-Community; Prince George’s County, MD).

Graduate students keep very busy supervising undergraduate research volunteers, preparing presentations and publications, transcribing and coding qualitative research data and with recruitment for several ongoing research projects. Currently, the lab is recruiting African American fathers with children between the ages of 10-17 for participation in the Intergenerational Influences, Co-parenting, and African American Males’ Parenting Practices: The Mediating Role of Fatherhood Ideologies, a mixed-method research project focusing on factors associated with African American fathers’ parenting ideologies as well as how these beliefs and attitudes are associated with parental involvement. The lab is also actively recruiting fathers and their adolescent daughters for participation in the Dads Active in Daughters Developing Successfully (D.A.D.D.S): Contributions to the Psychological and School Adjustment of African American Girls project. Fathers in both studies are compensated for completing a survey and participating in a father focus group (contact browncL9@email.sc.edu for more information about these projects).

Using university and community-based samples, the AAYD is also exploring African American youths’ views about adult responsibilities, including familial responsibilities, perceived gender roles, beliefs about community involvement and career-related/educational goals in the Psychological Well-Being among African American Emerging Adults: Risk and Protective Factors project. They are recruiting 300 African American young adults for participation in this investigation (see web site for more information).

The AAYD Lab graduate students also recently presented their work at the Biennial Meeting for the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) in Montreal Canada. Their poster symposium was entitled: “The "Gendered" Context of Racial Socialization in African American Families: The Discussion Continues.

Charity and Isha recently co-authored two publications, with their advisor, appearing in Sex Roles and the Journal for the Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.  Several other publications co-authored by the AAYD lab graduate students are currently under review.

Charity and Isha will be receiving training in qualitative data analysis at the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, affiliated with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This training will equip them to design, conduct, and critique mixed method research and to interface with qualitative data analysis software such as NVivo.

To learn more about the AAYD lab's work or current projects, visit their web site, "like" them on Facebook, or e-mail the lab.

Updates from Executive Committee Meeting

Faculty are working hard to modify the course curriculum and meeting times to make all of our lives easier. Here are some highlights:

• Standard meeting times for courses to avoid course conflicts (e.g., TA assignments conflicting with grad courses, one course conflicting with another) and to ensure appropriate seating in classrooms
  
• A new grant course is being considered that would be 3 credit hours and would offer students in-depth assistance in preparing a grant (e.g., NIH fellowship or NRSA)
• Consistency in learning objectives for core courses that cut across programs (e.g., stats)

John Henderson suggested an information session for students interested in learning more about writing predoctoral fellowships. Please email Bridgette if you're interested, so that she can include this in the next report.

Please remember to attend colloquia in the department. We may have colloquia coming up for positions in the department. Colloquia also provide the opportunity to network with researchers from other universities and to get ideas for how to prepare your own presentations and future job talks. The next colloquium is this Friday, October 28th in Walsh at 12:15pm. See blurb below - I'm sure that many of you will be interested in the topic area.

Dr. Joel Nigg is a Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics & Behavioral Neuroscience and the Director of the Division of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Nigg will be giving a colloquium on Friday, October 28, 2011 at 12:15 p.m. in the Walsh Conference Room in Barnwell College. The title of his talk is “ADHD Causes and Mechanisms.” A flier is attached, please mark your calendars to attend.

As always, please email Bridgette with ideas, comments, and concerns.

happy hour update, volunteers needed!

Last night's happy hour at Jake's was a great success! Thanks to all who came out, and don't forget to mark your calendars for our next HH on October 27th (location TBD).

The department is looking for a volunteer or two to attend a graduate school fair at UNC-Charlotte on November 4th. Please e-mail Bridgette for more information.

happy hour, grad lounge, quant certificate!

Please note three important updates, including details from the recent executive committee meeting:

1) Don't forget about PGSA Happy Hour THIS THURSDAY, 9/29 from 5:30-7:30 at Jake's (2112 Devine St)!

2) The Executive Committee (chaired by Dr. Henderson) recently discussed potential modifications to our graduate student space, such as increasing the utility of the graduate student lounge and condensing the graduate computer lab. Dr. Henderson would like graduate student input regarding any potential changes. As such, please e-mail Bridgette (kellehbl@mailbox.sc.edu) by October 1st if you are interested meeting with Dr. Henderson as part of a student focus group on graduate student space (will be scheduled around participants' availability). This group is a great opportunity to contribute to the department and represent your fellow students!

3) During the Executive Committee meeting, Dr. Henderson indicated intentions to endorse the proposed Quantitative Area of Emphasis. Although the program must still be formally approved, his endorsement marks substantial progress toward making this exciting opportunity a reality. Thank you to all of the students and faculty who have worked on this proposal.

As always, please continue to send news for the PGSA blog and friend PGSA on Facebook!

Best,

Bridgette
PGSA President

Call for Abstracts: International Meeting for Autism Research

Call for Proposals - Educational Symposia for IMFAR 2012

The Scientific Program Committee for the 2012 International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) requests proposals for Educational Symposia for the 2012 meeting in Toronto. Educational Symposia (ES) can be on any topic that would be of widespread interest to meeting attendees. The symposia take place for two hours and usually include four speakers who each deliver 30 minute lectures. An additional chairperson may be suggested who will introduce the speakers. Proposals are due by 5pm (Eastern Time) on September 28, 2011. Proposals should be submitted electronically to Jennifer Gentry at jgentry@autism-insar.org. IMPORTANT: use a subject line of “IMFAR 2012 – ES Proposal”. 

Call for Abstracts for IMFAR 2012

The IMFAR Scientific Program Committee invites abstract, scientific panel and technology demo submissions for review in all disciplines relevant to autism research for presentation at the 2012 IMFAR meeting in Toronto, Canada.  The online submitter is scheduled to open October 10, 2011 and will close November 10, 2011. Further details on the submission guidelines will be sent in a separate e-mail and be posted on our website by October 3.

Student Summer Spotlight: Ryan Kelly

PGSA asked 3rd year School Psychology student Ryan Kelly to share his experiences during a summer internship in Ecuador. This post will begin a multi-part series on graduate student summer experiences. Read about Ryan's adventure below:

 

Ryan taking a soccer break with the kids

"This summer I was given the opportunity to participate in the Ecuadorian Professional Preparation Program (EPPP).  This is a program dedicated to providing psychological services to the people of Ecuador, in addition to providing cultural education and practical training for Spanish-speaking graduate students of psychology.  During my month-long stay in Ecuador, I lived with a wonderful host family in downtown Quito.  From Monday to Thursday, I worked at a free health clinic just outside of Quito Antigua where I presented weekly on parenting and marital skills to the community, created and ran a 'Chicos Chéveres' activity program for the local children, and provided counseling for all ages.  The most common case problems were marital issues, parenting and child behavior concerns, depression and stress, domestic abuse and substance abuse (adolescents).  During the weekends, my cohort and I were free to do as we pleased.  I took these times to do more volunteer work, travel and present at conferences.  Volunteer work included helping build a house for a student and his family, working at schools and working at a neurological hospital in Cumbayá.  Regarding travel, I explored the coast, Andes and Amazon within Ecuador.  During my travels, I swam in thermal baths, biked down the worlds highest active volcano, danced on the equator, biked 72Km through the Andes into the Amazon, white water rafted on a branch of the Amazon River, whale-watched, experienced the Galapagos, repelled down waterfalls, enjoyed a canopy trail, hiked through the Amazon (where I jumped off a waterfall and broke my foot), went to a professional soccer game and explored the rich history and art of Ecuador.  Lastly, for further professional experience, I spoke at the University of Manta and observed the schools there, as well as gave a presentation on EBTs for depression and anxiety to the Ecuadorian Minister of Health and other health professionals.

"I will say, it's hard to sum up my experiences in Ecuador into a paragraph.  What is important is the life-long relationships I formed with my cohort members, the invaluable experience I gained as an aspiring bilingual psychologist, and the honor of having shared cultures and hearts with the people of Ecuador."

Ryan with Dr. Marcela Cruz, an internationally renown neurologist

Meet the first years!

We look forward to seeing everyone at Jason's house this Friday at 7pm for the PGSA party... which will be a great opportunity to meet the new first year students! See Jason's post below for details and directions.

(Missing students - we will update the bio's/pictures as you submit them!)

Sarah Bertrand is a first year experimental psych student from Hazleton, PA. Sarah graduated from Albright College with a degree in psychobiology. Sarah is working with Dr. Booze, where she is studying the effects of HIV-1 tat on dendritic spines in hippocampal cell cultures. She is into yoga and True Blood.

William Brixius is a first year Experimental Psychology student from various parts of the eastern seaboard and midwestern united states. William graduated from Kennesaw State University (north of Atlanta) with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. He previously obtained an AAS degree in Architecture, but doesn't like to talk about that much.  William is working with Dr. Rorden and Dr. Henderson, currently investigating the potential of a "when" area of the brain (sandwiched between the "what" and the "why" areas) via an experiment utilizing fMRI.  His main interests currently lie in vision, audition, and stroke rehabilitation, and he hopes to continue his previous research into representational momentum in the near future.  He further intends to delve into the wonderfully obscure world of blindsight, and is itching to get his hands dirty with TMS and eye tracking hardware. William used to draw the basics of how nuclear reactors work on bar napkins, but between his fiancée and graduate school duties, he doesn't have as much time for nuclear/particle physics as he once did. He intends to tie the knot a few days before the scheduled Doomsday 2012.  He says he would have preferred the actual date of the end of the world, but the Mayans were not kind enough to end this age on a Saturday.  He claims to be okay with this, so long as his honeymoon contains that auspicious day.

Alison Connington (Cryer) is a first year Clinical Community Psychology student from Edinburgh, Scotland. Alison Connington graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Experimental Psychology (BS) and a double minor in Biology and Neuroscience. Alison is working with Dr. Brad Smith in the Challenging Horizons Program, where he is creating and implementing a YogaKidz program into two elementary schools in the Columbia area. She loves to travel all over the world and just got married this summer.

Matt Facciani is a first year Experimental Psychology PhD student from Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Matt graduated from Westminster College, PA with a degree in Psychology. Matt is working with Dr. Shinkareva in the Quantitative Neuroscience Lab, where he is using fMRI methodology to identify the neural signature of different thoughts. 

 

 

Marjorie Grefer is a first year school psychology student most recently from Lexington, KY. Marjorie graduated from the University of Kentucky with dual degrees in Psychology and Spanish. Marjorie is working with Dr. Jane Roberts in the Neurodevelopmental Disorders lab, where she is researching the early development of fragile X syndrome and autism. In her free time, Marjorie enjoys cooking & baking, traveling, spending time with her family, and cheering for the Wildcats!

Emily Mancil is a first year School Psychology student from Salisbury, NC.  Emily graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology.  She is working with Dr. Mark Weist in the School Mental Health lab, where she is involved with the CARS (Center for Adolescent Research in Schools) study, a national project designed to implement empirically based treatments into schools.  Emily has specific interests in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and teacher knowledge related to the disorder.  

Bryn Schiele is a first year School Psychology student from San Antonio, TX. Bryn graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in psychology. Bryn is working with Dr. Mark Weist on the School Mental Health Team, where they are researching a variety of factors in school-based mental health, including evidence-based practice and family inclusion. Bryn danced with Ballet Austin for 2 years prior to starting graduate school. In her free time, Bryn enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, running, dancing and teaching ballet, and watching Longhorn football. 

Jessi Scherr is a first year School Psychology student from Jamestown, ND.  Jessi  graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology. Jessi is working with Dr. Decker in the Applied Cognitive Neuropsych Lab.  She enjoys attempting to cook, swimming, and watching reality tv in her spare time.

James Siddall is a first year School Psychology student from Great Falls, VA. James graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in both Psychology and Educational Studies and a minor in Anthropology. James is working with Scott Huebner on the relationship between positive psychological attributes and academic motivation and achievement. James enjoys playing a wide range of sports including, but not limited to, rugby, basketball, football, baseball, ultimate, and the occasional games of pool and table tennis. He also likes hanging out with friends and enjoying a good beer (the different styles of which he can often talk about ad naseum).

 

Hannah Snyder is a first year Clinical-Community student from Bethesda MD.  Hannah graduated from Northwestern University with a double major in Spanish and psychology.  Hannah is working with Dr. Abe Wandersman on program evaluation and implementation.  She loves animals and will cross streets to pet a dog.

Friendly Reminder: PGSA Potluck Dinner Party on Friday, September 9th

Where will you be this Friday evening? Don’t miss out on all the end-of-summer fun at the 2011 Back-to-School PGSA Potluck Dinner Party. I will be hosting the event at my house, 405 9^th Street, West Columbia SC 29169 (white/pale gray house with blue shutters on the corner of B Avenue and 9^th Street). There is parking across the street in a slightly paved, slightly sandy lot OR you can park at the baseball field that is located right behind my house. The party begins around 7:00 pm. All psychology graduate students and a friend/affectionate other/spouse are invited to join in the celebration.

To see detailed directions from Barnwell College, please refer to the following link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=1512+Pendleton+Street,+Columbia,+SC&daddr=Columbia,+405+9th+Street,+West+Columbia,+SC&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.27475,67.324219&geocode=FdfMBgId458r-ymV6dBg1Lr4iDHxlRQ0dmOvAQ%3BFVCeBgIdGwcr-ykVzkOTXLv4iDHeM0t8ys0tQw&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=14

The dinner party will be “potluck” style. Bring a delicious dish, appetizer, or dessert to the party. To avoid duplication, add the name of your food dish as a Comment to this posting below OR sign up to bring one of the following party supply options:

(1) Soda (Coca-Cola, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Sunkist, etc.)

(2) Sweet Tea (for those Southern types)

(3) Plastic Cups

(4) Plastic/Paper Plates

(5) Plastic Forks, Knives, and Spoons

(6) Chips and Dip

(7) Other Appetizers or Desserts

Hope to see you soon,

Jason Bird

PGSA Social Chair

3^rd Year- School Psychology Doctoral Student

Congratulations, Tal and Carrie!

Congratulations to Clinical Community student Tal Katz on the new addition to his family!

 David Liam Katz

6 pounds, 7 ounces

born August 29, 2011

parents Tal Katz and Carrie Wechsler 

big sister Mia, age 16 months

Meet the Chronobiology Lab!

Alex reviews sleep data from an Actiwatch, a device
used to monitor participants' sleep, activity, and light intake.

Did you know that many Psychology graduate students collaborate with faculty across our three programs and the broader University? One of these students is Alex Reynolds (Experimental PhD third year, Sumter, SC), who is part of the Chronobiology Lab (Faculty Advisor Dr. Shawn Youngstedt, Exercise Science). The overall aim of the Chronobiology Lab is to conduct studies examining sleep and alternative treatments for combat related PTSD. Alex's fellow lab members include Shannon Crowley (Exercise Science PhD third year, San Juan Capistrano, CA), Kelly Speiran (Exercise Science PhD first year, Richmond, VA), Emily Bowles (Masters Public Health first year, Orlando, FL), and Morgan Hughey (Masters Public Health first year, Gaffney, SC).

Graduate students are currently working on several specialized projects:

1. Alex, Morgan, Emily, and a slew of very impressive undergraduate students are currently busy with a new INTRuST (Injury & Traumatic Stress Consortium) study, which focuses on exercise as a treatment for combat-related PTSD.  Participants undergo MRI scanning at the McCausland Center for Brain Imaging (MCBI) before and after the 8-week therapy program.  Alex is working on the protocol for additional functional MRI scans to look more closely at the cognitive aspect in exercise and PTSD.

2. Alex is also finishing up a lesion symptom mapping study, which focused linking motor deficits to damaged brain areas in stroke patients (under guidance of Dr. Jen Vendemia, Experimental Psych, and Dr. Stacy Fritz, Exercise Science; in collaboration with Denise Peters, Exercise Science). She is also working on a pilot study examining the effects of extended sleep on mental and physiological health (contact cooleyam@gmail.com for more information).

Morgan receiving bright light therapy

3. Alex, Kelly, and Shannon are also heavily involved in a study that uses bright light as a treatment for combat related PTSD, which will wrap up in December 2011.  We are currently recruiting veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and/or Afghanistan who have symptoms of PTSD (contact Alex at cooleyam@gmail.com for more information).

3. Kelly and Morgan are working on a new study examining the effects of chronic moderate sleep restriction in older men and women.  This study will incorporate a new website to collect questionnaire data, furthering the lab's efforts to go green!

4. The entire lab is focused on a soldier health disparities study, which will examine health disparities including sleep and mental health during basic training.  This is a large study that is aimed at collecting information from over a thousand soldiers.

Emily admiring the sleep room equipment

5. Shannon has been busy in the lab working on a pilot study for new mothers and using bright light as a treatment for depression, which also involves fMRI scanning at the MCBI.  She has also just submitted an R01 grant on a similar topic.

6. Alex recently returned from a very intense two week fMRI training program sponsored by the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI).  She acquired several tools from the program, ranging from Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to exciting and up and coming resting state functional connectivity analyses.

Happy Hour was a SUCCESS!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the first PGSA Happy Hour of the year. We had a wonderful time mixing and mingling with almost 30 students across the three programs (with some faculty representation, too!). 

We can't wait to get together again for the Back to School Party on September 9th (hosted by Jason Bird). Don't forget to RSVP and get more details here: http://www.punchbowl.com/parties/2480508-pgsa-back-to-school-party. 

Also, mark your calendar for the next monthly PGSA Happy Hour on Thursday, September 27th (5:30- location TBA). 

Update: PSC Development

During this week’s faculty meeting, several members of the PSC Advisory Panel presented seven goals within their strategic plan, which aims to (1) increase visibility of the PSC and (2) strengthen the impact of the PSC as a scaffold for conducting high impact research, training, and mental health services for the community. 

The seven goals of the strategic plan are as follows: 

1)  Increase connections between the PSC and relevant campus colleges, departments and programs and to the broader Columbia community and increase outreach to a wide array of university and community stakeholders.

2)  Strengthen and diversify evidence-based services at the PSC in the context of an effective and evolving continuous quality improvement (CQI) program and reflecting a strong clinical science emphasis. 

3)  Develop and expand a Campus/Community Advisory Board for the center to provide guidance to its improvement and expansion and to increase university and community connections and support. 

4)  Conduct social marketing activities to ensure that the name and presentation of services and programs of the center resonate with university and community stakeholders.

5)  Increase use of the center for interdisciplinary training on evidence-based practices and state-of-the-art developments in psychology and mental health promotion.

6)  Develop research infrastructure and increase utilization of the PSC as a platform for programs of high impact and externally funded research.

7)  Enhance funding for the center through the pursuit of diverse mechanisms including research grants, endowments, and contracts with local and state agencies.

Postdoctoral Fellow Leslie Taylor,
Associate Director of Program Development

According to Postdoctoral Fellow Leslie Taylor, the strategic plan proposes a transition year during which the PSC steering team, under the direction of Drs. Weist and Smith, will begin pursuing these goals using existing departmental resources. During this time, Adrian Laseter will assume the role of Associate Director of Clinical Services, and Leslie Taylor will operate as Associate Director of Program Development. The goals of the steering committee will be more fully pursued during the 2012-13 academic year with anticipated hiring of a full time PSC Director, who will also hold a clinical assistant professor appointment. 

Current Director Dr. Heckel has agreed to continue in the 2011-12 academic year, and to then become Co-Chair of the PSC Campus/Community Advisory Board.  The team will also appoint a co-chair from the community with experience in mental health and strong connections at the community and state levels. The PSC Steering Committee has requested 3 years of funding for enhancement of the PSC during academic years 2012-15, with sustaining of these investments thereafter through grants and contracts.  

To learn more or get involved in PSC development, contact Leslie Taylor: TAYLORLK@mailbox.sc.edu

Meet the Applied Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab!

Every few weeks, the PGSA Blog will feature a different lab from one of the three programs at USC (Experimental, School, Clinical). These posts aim to recognize and spread the word about research being conducted at USC, facilitate networking and collaboration across students, and show prospective students a glimpse of graduate student life in our department.

This week, we're featuring the Applied Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab (Faculty Advisor Scott Decker). The overall aim of the ACN lab is to translate neuroscientific research into an applied educational context. Current graduate students in the lab are Julia Englund (3rd year School, Austin TX), Alycia Roberts (2nd year School, Rochester NY), and Jessi Scherr (1st year School, Jamestown, ND).

Graduate students keep very busy through co-training in neuropsychological assessment and test construction, learning and applying neurophysiological methods such as EEG, recruiting low incidence participants, supervising undergraduate volunteers, and preparing presentations and publications. In addition to these daily tasks, graduate students are currently working on several specialized projects:

1) Julia and Alycia have been performing cognitive assessments of children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) to generate normative data for Riverside Publishing. The lab is currently recruiting children ages 7-17 to participate in this work (contact amroberts15@gmail.com for more information).

2) Julia received a SCASP research grant to develop an online screening battery called SCREEN (South Carolina Reading Early Evaluation Net), which will be the first brief battery of tests based on empirical predictors of reading achievement and available on students' home computers. Julia has been consulting with a computer science faculty programmer at USC to develop a sample test battery, which she will unveil at the SCASP Fall Conference this October (Columbia, SC). The lab will begin recruiting typically developing children (grades 1-5) for the SCREEN validation study this Winter.

3) Julia, Alycia, and Jessi are being trained in EEG procedures and data analysis, which they are applying to study neurophysiological correlates of working memory, executive function, and anxiety as in the context of standardized tests.

4) Lab members are giving back to the community by volunteering at Splash Bash, a family fun day for individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and other disabilities (sponsored by Health South Rehabilitation Hospital in Columbia). 

To learn more about the ACN lab's work or current projects, visit  their web site, "like" them on Facebook, or e-mail Alycia or Julia.

Nominate your friends..

... to be hilighted on the PGSA blog!

1) Recent publications and grants/awards involving USC graduate students

2) Personal accomplishments and community projects

3) Overviews of current research projects in each lab at USC (include a photo or two) for "lab spotlights" to help new students learn about the department. We want to emphasize students' roles in these projects rather than broad faculty initiatives.

4) Upcoming calls for abstracts and papers (regional and national) of interest to USC students

5) Helpful resources for internship applications, professional development, grantsmanship, etc. 


E-mail birdy.tonnsen at gmail.com with feedback.

PGSA Happy Hour THURSDAY!

Join us this Thursday (8/25) for Happy Hour at Thirsty Fellow from 5:30-7:30. All students, faculty, friends, and family are welcome.

http://www.thirstyfellow.com/

Welcome Back!

On behalf of the Psychology Graduate Student Association (PGSA), I am pleased to welcome everyone back to school. The goals of PGSA are to provide support to students, communicate student needs and ideas to the department, and facilitate networking and social events throughout the year. As your PGSA President, I look forward to hearing your department-related ideas, concerns, and questions. I will also solicit your feedback each month for our report to the Executive Committee. 

Three important notes:

1) Keep up-to-date on the new PGSA blog.This site will contain information about upcoming events, links to student accomplishments, relevant calls for abstracts/papers, and copies of PGSA reports presented to the department. Don't forget to friend USC PGSA on Facebook, too!

2) Send me feedback and updates! The PGSA officers are currently planning social functions for the year, as well as brainstorming ways to increase resources and support available to students. Also - don't forget to brag on your friends/lab mates by sending me student accomplishments (awards, publications, life stage progressions, etc.).   

3) Mark your calendars for these upcoming PGSA events:

Happy Hour Thursdays - Drop in and mingle with fellow psychology students and faculty the last Thursday of each month (locations will vary). The first PGSA Happy Hour will be at Thirsty Fellow this Thursday, August 25th, 5:30-7:30 PM. 

PGSA Student Welcome Back Potluck Party - Join us celebrate the start of a new school year and meet other students (and families, significant others, etc) on Friday, September 9th from 7pm "until" at Jason Bird's house.  Please RSVP and get more info here: http://www.punchbowl.com/parties/2480508-pgsa-back-to-school-party.

It's going to be a great year!

Bridgette