Category: Outreach

Darnishia Slade Appointed to Michigan Community Service Commission

Darnishia Slade (MS student) has been appointed to a three-year term to the Michigan Community Service Commission, representing fellow experts in the delivery of human, educational, environmental, or public safety services to communities and individuals.

“I am honored to receive this appointment from Governor Whitmer! I am ready to roll my sleeves up and do the work of continuing to make Michigan one of the nation’s leading state service commissions and a model state for volunteerism. I believe that through volunteerism lives are enriched, cultural understanding is exchanged, and lasting partnerships are established,” she said. Congratulations, again, to Darnishia!

Psychology Ambassador: Tim Raymond

Tim Raymond is not only interested in psychology, but everything else in between. His hobbies include martial arts, billiards, making charcuterie boards, and debating everything and anything. He also owns a soap and cosmetic company that specializes in wholesale. On campus, Tim is involved in psychology-related organizations, works as a resident assistant, and volunteers as a tutor.

Tim thinks that the psych program at Tech is like one big family. He explains, “from my first day in a psych class, everyone made me feel welcomed and interactions with others have been smooth and effortless! The professors/instructors are top-notch and really work hard to help their students understand the concepts they’re learning through real-world applications.”

Psychology Ambassador: Ashley Van Handel

During her time at Michigan Tech, Ashley Van Handel has been heavily involved with the Association of Psychology Students. She also became a research assistant in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences, which helped her gain experience for when she attends graduate school in the future.

Ashley thinks that personally she benefited from the internship program that the psychology program offers. CLS partners with several organizations throughout the community to allow students to gain hands-on experience in a field of their choosing. Ashley was able to intern with the Special Education Department at the Copper Country Intermediate School District. This allowed her to further her experience by working with children that have developmental disorders. Previously, she had worked in ABA therapy services as a behavioral treatment technician. Interning at the Copper Country ISD helped her expand her experience into a school setting.

Psychology Ambassador: Hannah Karaniemi

In her free time, Hannah Karaniemi creates art, plays her ukulele, and bakes sweet treats. At Michigan Tech, she is involved in the Psi Chi International Honor Society, the Association of Psychology Students, IRHC Broomball, and the Health Occupation Students of America organization. She also serves as an ambassador of the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences to help guide new students and as a statistics lab instructor. Other than her educational experiences at Tech, Hannah has worked for the Center for Pre-College outreach as a student coordinator for the Summer Youth Programs.

She believes the psychology program offers endless opportunities. With the help of the extraordinary staff in the department, she was able to conduct research as an undergraduate student and participate in a cooperative education program with the manufacturing company Kimberly-Clark. The program has prepared her for her future in the field of psychology and has allowed her to pursue a well-rounded education.

Psychology Ambassador: Tyrell Buckley

Tyrell Buckley is a student-athlete at Michigan Tech as a member of the hockey team. Sports have always been a strong of passion of his, as he grew up playing many different sports before focusing strictly on hockey. He wishes to continue to have sports in his life in the future, whether it be by still playing hockey or working with athletes in some way. He likes to go hiking in the summer and enjoys wakesurfing and jet skiing on the lake in his hometown. For several years, he has worked at a hockey school during the summers as a power skating instructor in Penticton and has enjoyed coaching kids.

Being a part of the Psychology program at Michigan Tech has been a great experience for Tyrell because he has developed great relationships with his classmates and professors in the department. He has felt very supported throughout his time here and attributes a lot of his success in the classroom to the professors that have taught him. “Their methods of teaching material for various courses and the opportunity they give students to participate in real studies to further learn in a hands-on way has helped me find areas of psychology that are particularly interesting to me,” he says. He has had an excellent experience in the Research Methods class conducting his own research that focused on the effects of mindfulness and pre-game rituals on self-reported confidence. He thinks that this was a great opportunity to work on using all the methods needed to conduct research and learn the skills that are needed to present his results effectively to fellow professors and students in the Psychology program.

Special Agent Nicole Lopez to Present at the Rozsa Center

Before she became an FBI agent, 2008 Michigan Tech graduate Nicole Lopez guarded terrorists in military prisons and conducted night raids as part of an elite military team identifying High Value Targets in Afghanistan.

None of the accomplishments came easy. Hearing loss, discovered in early childhood, presented extra hurdles. But the Psychology major, who minored in Military Arts and Sciences and Spanish (later earning a master’s in Forensic Psychology), knew that figuring out what you want and pursuing the goal for as long as it takes will take you where you want to be –from Army ROTC cadet and setter on the Michigan Tech Women’s Volleyball team to a fulfilling career investigating violent crime.

Farewell Dr. Stacy!

Dr. Stacy and students

The Association of Psychology Students hosted a farewell party for Dr. Peter Stacy on December 12. Known for his sweet tooth, students and staff made sure cake, cookies, and hot chocolate were on hand.  Dr. Stacy worked for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for 30 years prior to joining CLS in 2006. When comparing his 13 years with CLS to his previous career, Dr. Stacy believes his biggest impact has been with the students here at Michigan Tech.

“Dr. Peter Stacy has been one of the most wonderful people I have ever had the privilege to work with. His teaching is amazing; award winning in fact. Our students love him, and he cares very much about our students’ futures. As an adjunct faculty, he worked just as hard as a full-timer! For the past 13 years we have had the honor of working with Peter in his “second career” and will always consider him part of our family.”-Susan Amato-Henderson, Department Chair

Faculty and staff also took the opportunity during the party to recognize the 5 psychology students graduating at the end of the Fall semester.  Graduates were given gift bags with items to commemorate their time here at CLS. Once again, congratulations to the following students:

Elis Brehob
Adam Dodge
Hali Evans
Rose Hildebrandt
Caden Sumner

Kaitlyn Roose Discusses The Psychology of Esports in APA Podcast

Russell Shilling, PhD, guest host for Speaking of Psychology and chief scientific officer for the American Psychological Association, sat down at APA2019 to talk with Shawn Doherty, PhD, and Kaitlyn Roose, MS, to discuss the psychology of esports, the benefits of gaming on higher level cognition and the culture of video games.

If you would like to listen to the full podcast, click here.  The link also provides a full transcript and video of the interview.