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Swift Thinking: Spring 2015

Registration Information

Fall 2015 Courses

Our Fall course table includes meeting days and times, shows which requirements each course fulfills, and provides other useful information. Check this table and the registrar's website for updates. A table showing our full 2015- 2016 course plan is also available.

Preregistration

Psychology and cognitive science majors and minors can preregister for psychology courses through CAESAR. The only Fall courses not available for preregistration are our PSYCH 397/398/399 research courses.

Wait Lists

For most courses, we will use the "electronic wait list" function on CAESAR. If you try to add a course that is full, CAESAR will ask if you would like to be on the wait list. As students drop, we will check the wait list and send permission numbers to students who can enroll.

Registering for PSYCH 205-Research Methods


PSYCH 201-Statistical Methods in Psychology or an approved substitute is a prerequisite for all sections of PSYCH 205. Students who lack the prerequisite will be required to drop the course.

PSYCH 397 and 399

A great way to learn more about psychology research is to become actively involved through PSYCH 399-Independent Study or the two- quarter PSYCH 397-Advanced Supervised Research. To enroll, fill out an application, and have it signed by the professor with whom you will be working. Then, take it to Swift Hall 102 no later than Friday, September 25th; permission to enroll will be available beginning Monday, September 21st. PSYCH 205-Research Methods in Psychology is a prerequisite for PSYCH 397. For more information on 397 and 399--including differences between them, how they count towards requirements, and tips on finding a research adviser-- see our webpage on doing research for course credit.

Graduation Reception!

The psychology department will honor all graduating psychology majors at a reception on June 19th. The reception will be held from 2:00 – 3:30pm in Swift Hall room 107. All our graduating seniors and their families are invited to attend and to celebrate with us!

Psychology Honors Students and the Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition

The psychology department has a stellar group of honors students this year! Please consider attending the 2015 Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition to see many of these students present the results of their senior thesis research. Other psychology students will be participating as well. The symposium will be held in Norris University Center on Monday, June 1. In addition to learning more about the impressive research efforts of these students—and maybe getting ideas for research of your own—you can vote on your favorite posters. Students with the most votes receive “People’s Choice” awards.

Seniors Pursing Honors in Psychology:

Katherine Ardeleanu       Jessica Marie Powers
Rebecca Lynn Dale Katherine Scott
Olivia Anne Foster-Gimbel Olivia Rose Seligman
Rachel Arielle Leshin Jasmine Violet Stephens
Lola Tyler Less


There will also be an Honors Reception on Wednesday, May 27th from 3 to 5pm. Meet with the Honors candidates to discuss their work and get their advice and insight into the research process. The reception will be held on the 2nd floor landing of Swift Hall.

Juniors: Time for Graduation Petitions

If you expect to graduate next June, then this is the time to do your Graduation Petition. Find the appropriate form through the “Graduation” section of the Registrar's website. Completing your petition is important for making sure you haven't overlooked or misunderstood any graduation requirements--and that you and degree auditors in the Registrar's Office agree on how your courses fit department, college, and university rules. It's also a good opportunity to think about how to spend your last year as an undergraduate.

Your petition must be signed by an adviser in each major and minor you expect to complete. To set up an appointment with a psychology adviser, email us or contact Sheila K Chhim (Swift 102, phone 847-491-5190).

Summer Study in Psychology

Several psychology courses will be offered at Northwestern this summer—some taught during the regular academic year and some summer-only options. To learn more, see the summer session website. If you want to take courses elsewhere and count them toward psych requirements, download the transfer credit form from the Registrar's website, read the policy statement there, and see Dr. Broaders about department approval. (See previous article for how to make an appointment). For more information about summer study in psychology, click here

News from the Undergraduate Psychology Association (UPA)

By Minjoo Son, UPA President

The Undergraduate Psychology Association is excited for all of the events planned for this Spring Quarter! We have transitioned to a new executive board and are proud to announce the new members:

President- Minjoo Son

Vice President- Susan Zha

Treasurer- Reyna Won

Secretary- Helen Liang

Special Events Coordinator- Ben Hwang

In the upcoming year, UPA is planning more events that will foster community for its members. Members will be able to meet other students who share an interest in psychology and become more involved in events regarding mental health.

Our first event this quarter was a service learning opportunity on Sunday, May 3rd. We went to Children’s Home and Aid to volunteer and spend time doing arts and crafts and playing games with the children. It was a great time for the volunteers and kids, and we hope to make it a regular volunteering opportunity.

Upcoming events include Lunch with Dr. Eric Gobel on Wednesday, May 6th at 12pm in Norris. The Lunch with a Professor events offer students an opportunity to interact with professors in a very casual setting and discuss topics more in depth. This helps students build stronger relationships with professors, while enjoying free lunch.

Later in the quarter we will be hosting a panel about research opportunities and how to get involved with working in a lab. We are planning on having a movie night as well, so look out for future updates!

To be included on our listserv, please email us at upa.northwestern@gmail.com.  Also be sure to like our Facebook page “UPA Undergraduate Psychology Association” for event updates. If you have any suggestions, comments, and/or questions, feel free to contact us. We look forward to a great quarter with you!

Awards and Accolades

Congratulations to the many psychology majors and minors who have won awards, presented papers at conferences, or been involved in other special activities this year. Listed below are some of the students in our department who have received recognition for their achievements this year.

The following psychology undergraduates received summer grants from the University's Undergraduate Research Grants (URG) Committee:

  • Leonardo Dionisio: “Does Time of Day Influence Intuition?” (Faculty Adviser: Ken Paller)
  • Shannon Grogans: “Reward-Reactivity & Gratification Delay” (Faculty Adviser: Robin Nusslock)
  • Emily Liquin: “How Children Use Tablets as Symbols” (Faculty Adviser: David Uttal)
  • Ajay Nadig: “Neurodevelopment and Social Disorders” (Faculty Adviser: Carmen Sandi)
  • Ashley Walters: “Native American Mascot on Non-Natives” (Faculty Adviser: Douglas Medin

Two psychology majors have received the Benton J.Underwood Summer Research Fellowship from the psychology department to support their research this summer:

  • Kelsey Gradwohl: “A Novel Technique to Boost Memory During Sleep” (Faculty Adviser: Ken Paller)
  • Riza Tolga Ulman: “Effects of Electronics Usage By Students During Lectures” (Faculty Adviser: Sara Broaders)

 All of the students listed below won Psychology Department Undergraduate Travel Awards to support travel to conferences for the presentation of their research:

Ben Bernstein         Daniele Marx
Peter Cleary  Margaret Shavlik 
Olivia Anne Foster-Gimbel Alain Sherman
Sarah Nicole Johnson Jasmine Stephens

Congratulations to all our award-winning undergrads!

.PDF version of Swift Thinking- Spring 2015

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