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Dr. Jason Moser is a psychophysiologist at MSU whose research spans various areas of psychology, neuroscience, and kinesiology. His lab, the Clinical Psychophysiology Lab, explores the interaction between mind and body and seeks to understand the full human experience. For Mental Health Awareness Month, we sat down with Dr. Moser to discuss what steps people can take in their own life to address their mental health and why he believes in a holistic approach.
Alisar Alabdullah, a first-generation Syrian immigrant and an honor student majoring in Psychology with a minor in human behavior and social services, recently received the College of Social Science’s Undergrad Research Award at Michigan State University.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that often present alongside other mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, and psychological distress. To help raise awareness of eating disorders and mental health, we present ten myths (and facts) about eating disorders based on current research from MSU and other researchers around the world.
Dr. Joseph Lonstein, a behavioral neuroscientist in the MSU Department of Psychology, along with Drs. Galit Pelled, a neuroscientist in MSU Biomedical Engineering and Radiology, and Fredric Manfredsson at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix have received a $425,000 grant from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, a subdivision of the National Institute of Health. This two-year grant will fund their project, Neural Basis of Stress-Derailed Motherhood, which aims to examine how stress affects a mother’s brain and behavior in a laboratory rat model.
Dr. Deborah Kashy, a social psychologist, has recently been awarded the College of Social Science’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Teaching, Research, and Service. With nearly 25 years of service at Michigan State University, Dr. Kashy has established a record of remarkable achievements in scholarship, instruction, and mentorship, as well as exceptional service to both the University and the field of social psychology.
Michigan State Psychology is proud to announce that two of its esteemed faculty members in Organizational Psychology, Dr. Nathan Carter and Dr. Christopher Nye, have been elected as fellows of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). This recognition is a testament to their outstanding contributions to Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Dr. Jae Puckett, an ecological-community psychology faculty member at MSU, was awarded the Spring 2023 Faculty Research Award from the Consortium for Sexual and Gender Minority Health for their article “Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals’ Daily Experiences of Rumination,” published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.
Martin Lee has been named the Psychology Outstanding Senior. Lee, an international student from Hong Kong, has maintained a 4.0 GPA while also being a member of the Honors College.
Congratulations to Dr. Brooke Ingersoll, a clinical psychologist, on receiving the 2023 Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor of the Year Award for Michigan State University. This award is presented annually and recognizes faculty who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to mentoring undergraduate researchers.
Congratulations to the first-place winners in the Psychology and Neuroscience categories at the 25th annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) held on April 14, 2023.
This semester, a record-breaking 206 graduating students were recognized by the Michigan State University Board of Trustees for achieving the highest scholastic average – a 4.0 GPA. Of those graduating students, 13 are majoring in psychology.
Having experienced all the ups and downs of a tumultuous four years on campus and coming away from it all with a positive attitude and her love for Michigan State intact, Jessie Greatorex knew she would be a perfect fit to give the student speech at the 2023 College of Social Science Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony.
Delve into the world of cognitive neuroscientist, Professor Susan Ravizza, who has devoted her career to exploring working memory, attention, and cognitive control. Her research sheds light on the impact of digital distractions on learning, the relationship between personality differences and online learning, and the importance of attention and memory in adapting to changing environments.
Advait Rathi, is a senior from Delhi, India, who is double majoring in psychology and theater with a data science minor. Advait sat down with us to talk about how a class on simulating zombies led to a research experience, how he ended up at MSU Psychology, and what advice he has to other students.
Kenan Sayers, an MSU Clinical Science graduate student, has been selected for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Sayers is one of twenty-four undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni from Michigan State University to have been selected.
Alex Shemke, a senior Psychology major with a Women’s Studies minor, has been working in Dr. Alexa Veenema’s lab since March 2022. A multiple PURI award winner, Alex has received valuable hands-on research experience in the Veenema lab that studies the neural circuits that control social behavior like social play. We sat down to talk with Alex about how he ended up doing this research, his upcoming presentation at UURAF 2023, and his plans for the future.
Rosaura Dominguez-Rebollar, a Dual Major PhD student in Chicano/Latino Studies and Psychology, has been awarded the King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship from the state of Michigan.
Dr. Cori Davis, Genentech’s Chief People Officer, presented at the Organizational Psychology program’s Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series on March 27th, 2023. Dr. Davis sat down with us to talk about her role, how a background in psychology helps her in her job today, and what advice she would give to students entering the workforce soon.
Last summer, researchers at Michigan State University reported that one in five Michigan adults, or about 1.7 million people, don’t want children and therefore are child-free. Although that number was surprisingly large to many data has now been confirmed in a follow-up study.
On Transgender Day of Visibility, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a report with the latest scientific research on supporting the mental health of LGBTQI+ youth. The report was developed by a team of professional experts, including Dr. Robin Lin Miller, an ecological-community psychologist at MSU, who provided evidence reviews on conversion therapy.
New research by Dr. Jae Puckett and members of the Trans-ilience Lab surveyed 420 TGD individuals in the United States about what improvements would decrease barriers to accessing healthcare for TGD people. There were six main recommendations for healthcare providers that emerged from this research.
Brandyn Keyes is a senior psychology major from Rochester, Michigan. After first trying out a business major, Brandyn quickly found his fit in psychology. He recently met with us to talk about his favorite classes, the satisfaction he’s found in his lab research, and why he’s taking a gap year after graduation.
Jaleah Rutledge, a graduate student in the Ecological-Community Psychology program, was awarded the Bob and Bets Caldwell Land Grant Values Award for her notable record of service-oriented research, mentorship, and community involvement.
During STEAM Expo Days on April 2nd, you can engage with “A Taste of Neuroscience” and discover how the brain and body interact to influence our eating behaviors. Members from the Johnson Behavioral Neuroscience Lab of the Department of Psychology combine principles of learning and memory with sophisticated neuroscience to explore questions about eating behaviors and metabolism.
Jessie Skaff, a senior Honors student from Ann Arbor, is majoring in Psychology with minors in Cognitive Science and Human Behavior. Jessie sat down to talk with us about her experience with the Psychology Scholars Program, being a research assistant in two Psychology labs, being published as an undergrad, and how her internship and campus involvement have helped reinforce the career path that she is on.
Joya Bailey, from Detroit, is in her third year as a Psychology major with a Human Behavior Social Services minor. In 2022, Joya reactivated the Black Poet Society at MSU. She sat down with us recently to talk about what she loves about psychology and poetry, and how she can use both to be her authentic self and add more love into the world.
Mansplaining — the combination of “man” and “explaining” — is a colloquial expression used to describe situations in which a man provides a condescending explanation of something to someone who already understands it. And a new study reveals that its negative impact on women is very real.
Dr. NiCole Buchanan is a professor of ecological-community psychology at MSU and the Clinical Director and Founder of Alliance Psychological Associates, PLLC in East Lansing, MI. As a scholar and a clinician, Dr. Buchanan shared advice on how the MSU community and those who have experienced a traumatic event can stay informed while also protecting their mental health.
This month, Dr. Cris Sullivan, a professor of ecological-community psychology at MSU, and a team of collaborators from the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) will be traveling to Washington DC to meet with federal agencies and policymakers with their findings from a multi-year study on domestic violence and homelessness.
Dr. Rebekka Weidmann, a research associate in the MSU Department of Psychology, studies how personality relates to well-being in individuals, couples, and families. Learn more about her research and the impact it can have on our understanding of personality, partnerships, and well-being.
Sydney Savage, a senior Honors student studying Psychology and Creative Writing from DeWitt, Michigan, sat down with us to talk about what she’s passionate about, her two majors, and how she’s been able to get involved at MSU. From volunteering with the MSU Peer Body Project and the Listening Ear Crisis Center to her experience with the Adolescent Diversion Program, Sydney has seized the opportunities that MSU has to offer.
A team of Michigan State psychologists, including Drs. Rebecca Campbell and Katie Gregory, recently concluded a major 3-year study looking at the victim notification process for Detroit’s untested sexual assault kit survivors on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women. This study provides guidance to a variety of teams, including lawyers, law enforcement, and advocates, who are tasked with notifying sexual assault survivors and potentially asking them to participate in the re-opening and prosecution of their cases.
Jessica Kingston, an MSU Psychology and MSU School of Criminal Justice alumna, won the College of Social Science’s Young Alumni Award this fall. We sat down with her to hear about her work as a Detroit-based employment attorney, how psychology impacts her work today, and how she works to connect MSU alumni.
Traditionally, stereotypes around eating disorders imply that it predominantly impacts girls from wealthy backgrounds. A new study from Michigan State University found that boys living in disadvantaged circumstances are at an increased risk for disordered eating; particularly if they have underlying genetic risk factors.
You’ve made plans to meet up with a good friend in a few hours, but now all you want to do is go home, change into sweats and binge-watch “Game of Thrones.” What do you say to your friend? Will they be upset? New research from Michigan State University found that the worst thing you can do is lie about your reason for canceling — indicating that how cancellations are made may be more important than whether cancellations are made.
A multidisciplinary team from Michigan State University and Western Michigan University has received a $750,000 grant through the National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator program to make voice-activated AI accessible and fair to people who stutter.
Colleen Haley, an MSU Psychology and MSU HRLR alumna, won the College of Social Science Alumni Award this past fall. We caught up with her recently to hear about her work as the CEO of Quality Metalcraft & Experi-Metal, what drew her to psychology and HRLR, and what she wishes she had known as a student.
Kasey Patrick, a double major in Psychology and English, was awarded an MSU Create! micro-grant to create a project that critically engages the past, present, or future of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Her piece, Paradox Spirits, is a three-part, mixed media collage that travels from pre-pandemic to the height of the pandemic to the present day. The piece looks at the political, social, and emotional states surrounding the pandemic. Patrick also strove to incorporate the overwhelming emotions and the barrage of information that she and others faced throughout the pandemic.
Why is it that we often overeat during the holidays? How can some people always seem to make room for an extra slice of pie? Psychology professor Dr. Alex Johnson and his team of researchers know just how complex the answers are to those questions. From genetics to chemicals to environmental cues, there are a lot of factors that make a difference in why and how people eat.
Megan Mikhail, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, was awarded the 2022 College of Social Science Graduate Student Researcher Award for her research on eating disorders and disadvantaged populations.
MSU Psychology faculty, S. Alexandra Burt, has been selected as the inaugural SSC Diamond Distinguished Professor in College of Social Science.
If you’re a curious person who can’t get enough podcasts, this list is for you! MSU psychology faculty, postdocs, and grad students have been busy sharing their expertise on a variety of topics—including personality, twins, childfree adults, belief systems, and more! Dive in and enjoy stimulating conversations about research, theories, and ideas with some voices you may just recognize!
December 1 is World AIDS Day. Dr. Robin Lin Miller, a professor of ecological-community psychology at Michigan State University, shares about growing up on Fire Island Pines, dedicating 37 years of her career to studying community-led responses to the HIV epidemic, and why HIV is still devastating to the marginalized and vulnerable.
When Kenan Sayers, a first-year MSU psychology graduate student in the Clinical Science area, heard that Black men are underrepresented in the field of psychology, he knew immediately that he was going to become a psychologist. With a handful of other graduate students around the country, he helped to form Black Men in Psych, a group that works to connect Black men in psychology and celebrate their successes.
Eleven Michigan State University researchers, including psychology professor Dr. Richard Lucas, have been recognized in the 2022 Highly Cited Researchers List compiled by Clarivate Analytics. The list identifies individuals from across the globe who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their chosen field or fields of research over the past decade.
The aphorism “birds of a feather flock together” describes the fact that people tend to prefer associating with others who are similar to themselves. The phenomenon goes by different names: Sociologists call it homophily, psychologists call it in-group favoritism and political scientists call it affective polarization. It’s observed in a wide range of demographic and social characteristics including sex, race, religion, age, education and political party. But what about parental status? Do parents prefer other parents? What about child-free people who don’t want to be parents? Do these preferences even matter? Here Dr. Zachary P. Neal and Dr. Jennifer Watling Neal share about their research and what it means.
Psychology major Takira Romero was a first-year when COVID-19 shut down campus. She continued to live at MSU during that time and experienced a very different campus than today’s bustling one. Now a third-year, she’s enjoying having more opportunities to connect with others in person.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many people’s social lives, new research from Michigan State University outlines some personality-related factors that may have contributed to students either continuing to form new relationships or avoiding them. The new study by MSU researchers found that one in five college students started a new romantic relationship during the pandemic.
Imagine you are in a laboratory room watching two African grass rats trying to navigate through a maze. One grass rat moves through the course quickly and finds its way out easily. The other grass rat struggles and cannot figure out how to get out of the maze. You wonder why one navigates it so easily and the other cannot. You might be surprised to find out that the only factor that changed for each grass rat was light exposure.
Mental health has been a national concern for many Americans during COVID-19, but little research has been done to determine what factors have influenced mental health and how they compare across countries. New research from Michigan State University sampled five countries— the United States, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and India—and looked at what factors affected suicidal ideation risk during COVID-19 lockdown.
The Michigan State University psychology department welcomes Nathan T. Carter, Ph.D. as a new professor in the organizational psychology program. Dr. Carter hails from the state of Kentucky and has spent the past 10 years of his career working at the University of Georgia. Dr. Carter’s research focuses on personality and behavior in the workplace.
A class of Organizational Psychology students pitched ideas to the Michigan State Police to better recruit and retain women and ethnic minorities as Michigan State Troopers. Their task was to persuade a panel within five minutes that their idea was the most useful and innovative.
Danielle King has received the American Psychological Association (APA) Achievement Award for Early Career Psychologists. Dr. King, who earned a doctorate in organizational psychology at MSU, is an assistant professor at Rice University and studies resilience and identity.
Isabelle McKinney is double majoring in Psychology and Human Capital and Society with a minor in Leadership of Organizations with a graduation date of May 2023. She is also dual enrolled in the master's program for Human Resources and Labor Relations with the hope of graduating in 2024. We sat down with her to talk about how she ended up on the path that she is on, what she loves about it, and what her advice is for new students.
Dr. Jae Puckett (they/them; Michigan State University Department of Psychology), along with Drs. Em Matsuno (they/them; Arizona State University) and Paz Galupo (she/they; Towson University) have been awarded a $2.2 million dollar grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. This grant will help fund the team’s research on experiences of resilience in transgender communities.
Every October 11, National Coming Out Day is recognized. But for many, it is still a challenging day of figuring out what path is best for them. A team of psychologists and counselors collaborated to figure out the best ways for mental health service providers to support clients who are in the early stages of navigating the coming out process.
Sadie Mrakuzic, a senior studying Psychology and Public Policy, is the president of Psi Chi at Michigan State University, the International Honor Society in Psychology that focuses on excellence in scholarship and advancing the field of psychology. We reached out to Sadie to learn about her experience with Psi Chi, her goals as president, and her advice for new psychology students.
Edward Witt earned a Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology in 2011 after having been an undergraduate psychology student at Michigan State University. During his time at MSU, Edward worked in many different areas, but his main interest was in psychometrics and the measurement of maladaptive personality traits. Now as a manager on the Health Analytics, Research, and Reporting team for Walgreens, Edward can see how beneficial his time at MSU really was.
The Michigan State University psychology department welcomes new faculty member Dorothy Carter, Ph.D. to their organizational psychology program. Dr. Carter, who earned her Ph.D. at Georgia Institute of Technology in 2016, specializes in leadership, teamwork, and the future of work.
Helena Corda and Lauren Gunter are the co-presidents of the Psychology Club, a campus group for anyone interested in the field of psychology. Students connect with their peers, volunteer at various events, and get insights into a variety of career opportunities. We reached out to Helena and Lauren to learn about their lives, the benefits of being involved on campus, and their goals as co-presidents.
For 18 years, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has invited organizational psychology graduate students to a weeklong challenge to address problems they face as a business. Michigan State University psychology graduate student, Nathan Baker, will be taking part this year.
New research from Michigan State University found that, despite asexuals’ lack of or dislike for sexual attraction, the ingredients that make for a successful relationship among asexual individuals are virtually the same as those in any other relationship.
A new season of Minority Politics Online Seminar Series (MPOSS) kicks off on September 27th. This series, hosted by Drs. Ana Bracic and Nazita Lajevardi from the Department of Political Science, and Dr. Mark J. Brandt from the Department of Psychology, uniquely focuses on how politics affect and is affected by marginalized people who have less power and are often excluded from the system.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting adults and children. Research, support services, and intervention options are in place for many struggling people, but young kids are often left out. Psychology professor Jason Moser, Ph.D., and his team are working to fill this research gap and explore ways to help kids through this early developmental stage.
Content Warning: mention of suicide, grief, suicide awareness, suicide prevention. September is National Suicide Prevention month and Corbin Standley, an ecological-community psychology Ph.D. candidate, is uniquely equipped to share his story.
Andrew Defever earned a Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology in 2018. As a student, Andrew realized that he wanted to work in industry rather than academia, so he began to figure out where he might fit best. Now as a senior manager in the research science division at J.D. Power, Andrew applies the data, research, and mentorship skills he learned while at MSU.
The College of Social Science congratulates psychology alumna Jennifer Lawlor on receiving the Ten Outstanding Young Americans Award by JCI USA. Dr. Lawlor, who earned a doctorate in ecological-community psychology, works to help communities understand, share information, and move to action on complex social issues.
Over the last few years, the pandemic has forced most of us to stay home in our own neighborhoods. New research from Michigan State University found that for some groups of people, spending time in their neighborhoods is no block party.
Jacob Bradburn earned a PhD in Organizational Psychology in 2020. Shortly before graduating, he began working for Ford Motor Company as a People Scientist. Jacob sat down with us recently to talk about his time at MSU, what a People Scientist does, and how his program prepared him to make a difference in the workplace.
The Michigan State University psychology department welcomes new faculty member Kevin Hoff, Ph.D. to their organizational psychology program. Dr. Hoff, who earned his doctorate from the University of Illinois, comes most recently from the University of Houston. Dr. Hoff’s research specializes in careers, vocational interests, personality, and the future of work.
Carole Gibbs and Jennifer Cobbina of the College of Social Science’s School of Criminal Justice, along with Psychology research associate Sean Hankins, are in the midst of conducting an ongoing research project with adolescents in the Lansing community.
Taylor Shippey, a 2022 psychology major, has wasted no time since graduating. As a psychology undergraduate, Taylor discovered her passion for understanding, helping, and relating to people. As a graduate, she’s building upon her psychology skillset by entering the public relations field.
The College of Social Science congratulates alumna Sian Leah Beilock, on her recent election as the 19th President of Dartmouth College. Dr. Beilock, who earned doctorates in both kinesiology and psychology from Michigan State University, is the first woman elected to the position in Dartmouth’s more than 250-year history.
Each year, Mid-Michigan Symposium for Undergraduate Research Experiences (Mid-SURE) affords undergraduate students from across multiple academic disciplines the opportunity to share their research with both the University and the community at large.
The Transgender Research Award highlights and honors research that makes a notable contribution to this goal of understanding, health and well-being of transgender people and gender diversity in society. Dr. Puckett earned the recognition based on their most recent research area surrounding minority stress in transgender and gender diverse communities.