Psychology and Human Factors News

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.

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.

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.