Psychology and Human Factors News

ACSHF Forum with Dr. Ricardo Eiris

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All are invited to attend a virtual conversation with Dr. Ricardo Eiris, whose research leverages virtual reality to enable STEM students to obtain active learning experiences in remote, dangerous, or too expensive to reach locations.

In this ACSHF Forum, Dr. Eiris will be discussing how virtual reality can be used to deliver virtual field trip experiences to STEM students. Site visits or field trips are a common tool utilized by STEM educators to engage students in active learning, assist traditional lessons, and attain stronger and deeper student learning experiences. However, there are major logistical challenged for educational institutions and teachers to perform these types of experiences. These barriers to implement site visits effectively reduce the number of students that have access to the benefits of such technique. By exploring the intersection of engineering, computer science, and cognitive and learning sciences, Dr. Eiris’ work in virtual site visits aim to overcome the existing barriers for STEM field trips and provide means to expand learning beyond what is possible in the classroom or the field.

Please join Dr. Eiris in exploring the democratization of STEM site visits to enable students to have unlimited access to otherwise impossible opportunities. Some of the specific multidisciplinary topics that will be covered in this forum discussion will be virtual reality, omnidirectional images, virtual humans, collaborative learning, and attentional allocation.

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ACSHF Forum: Monday, September 14, 2020

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This ACSHF Forum promises to provide even the most seasoned researcher a fresh perspective on human subject research (HSR). Attendees will receive a brief history of human rights violations that lead to the development of the Belmont Report, MTU’s guiding principles and the Common Rule. It will summarize why MTU is required to have both a Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) and an Institutional Review Board (IRB), their differences, and how they function at MTU.

In addition, attendees will learn HSR training requirements, process for determining if a project is Research or research, project submission process, review levels, and PI responsibilities of approved non-exempt projects. Please join the ACSHF Forum via Zoom.

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Special Agent Nicole Lopez to Present at the Rozsa Center

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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.

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Alexandra Watral Awarded BCBS Grant

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Alexandra Watral, Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors PhD student, has been awarded a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation Student Award Grant for the upcoming academic year. This grant will support her research investigating the use of newly developed, brief clinical motor measures as diagnostic tools for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Kayla Conn receives CLS Department Scholar Award

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MTU Junior, Kayla Conn, was selected by CLS as the 2020 Department Scholar. Kayla is a Psychology major, minoring in Global Community Development. Academically, Kayla strives to excel in her coursework, has strong teamwork skills, and demonstrates a curiosity and depth of understanding that we strive for our students to obtain.

Kayla has participated in two internships thus far. She served as an intern at the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Domestic Violence Shelter in Calumet, where she was trained in answering the domestic violence crisis line, lead child care and group therapy sessions, and ensured clients’ needs were met while residing at the shelter. She is currently an intern at Counseling Services, assisting with event planning and implementation. In addition, Kayla has been offered a paid internship this summer with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Kayla is also a member of the Women’s Leadership Council (Executive Board member 2019-2020), a Student Ambassador for the College of Sciences and Arts, and a Young Women Leaders Program Mentor.

Congratulations Kayla!

To see the full virtual awards ceremony, click here.

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Psychology Research Methods 2020 Poster Conference Zooms Out!

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Congratulations to Michigan Tech’s psychology students who presented their original research posters today to CLS faculty and graduate students…over Zoom! (That’s a first!)

The research, which students worked on all semester, covered a range of topics from personality to human factors, decision making to well-being.
Great job Huskies!

“The Effect of Mindfulness within Pre-Game Rituals on Self-Reported Confidence and the Acute Effects of Mindfulness on Present State of Well-Being” by Emilie Jacques and Tyrell Buckley.

“The Effects of Priming with Informative Videos on Likelihood to Report Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder“ by Ashley Van Handel, Erin Casey, and Emily Wisz.

“The Effects of Gamer Status and Gender on Impulsivity in Decisions and Thoughts” by Mariah Clement.

“The Effect of Word List Length on False Memory Generation Using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott Paradigm” by Alex Pippenger

“Impact of Self-Esteem on Levels of Regret in Action-Inaction Decision Scenarios” by Brooke C. Poyhonen.

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Two CLS Students Receive Awards

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Brooke Poyhonen, who was recently accepted into the ACSHF Accelerated Master’s program, and two classmates won 2nd prize for their coursework poster as part of the World Water Day events held by the GLRC.

“My group and I presented our poster on the potential climate change impacts on the waterborne transmission of Giardia Lamblia.  Giardia is an intestinal parasite that is transmitted through a fecal-oral route, which can be through contaminated water, food, or soil.  Giardia infections are common in children, because they most typically have poor hygiene practices and tend to place many things in their mouths.  The mortality rate for Giardia is relatively small, but if climate change continues at the rate it is now, we will see an increase of Giarda-based infections worldwide, but especially in developing countries where clean water sources are already scarce.  This impact could lead to higher death rates, especially in the elderly and young children. “-Brooke Poyhonen.

World Water Day Poster
Brooke Poyhonen and classmates’ World Water Day poster that won 2nd prize

Tyrell Buckley, psychology major, was one of 92 recipients of the 15th annual WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award the league announced on February 27. To see the full story, click here.

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Call for Applications: Songer Research Award for Human Health Research

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Matthew Songer, (Biological Sciences ’79) and Laura Songer (Biological Sciences ’80) have generously donated funds to the College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) to support a research project competition for undergraduate and graduate students.

Remembering their own eagerness to engage in research during their undergraduate years, the Songers established these awards to stimulate and encourage opportunities for original research by current Michigan Tech students. The College is extremely grateful for the Songers’ continuing interest in, and support of, Michigan Tech’s programs in human health and medicine.

Any Michigan Tech student interested in exploring a medically related question under the guidance of faculty in the College of Sciences and Arts may apply. Students majoring in any degree program in the college, including both traditional (i.e., biological sciences, kinesiology, chemistry) and nontraditional (i.e., physics, psychology, social science, bioethics, computer science, mathematics) programs related to human health may propose research projects connected to human health. 

Submit applications as a single PDF file to the Office of the College of Sciences and Arts by 4 p.m. Monday, March 30. Applications may be emailed to djhemmer@mtu.edu.

Read more about the Songer Research Award here.

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