Division Spotlight

Div. 2 project lands major funding for teaching model

APA's Div. 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology) and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee have been given a $250,000 grant to disseminate a model for teaching introductory psychology courses at 23 universities nationwide.

The teaching model, known as U-Pace, has been shown to increase student performance compared with traditional in-person lecture classes. U-Pace was developed by UWM psychology professors Diane Reddy and Ray Fleming.

The grant comes from Next Generation Learning Challenges, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and focused on improving college readiness and completion, especially for low-income students in the United States.

Div. 2 offers funds for conference travel

APA's Div. 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology) is offering up to $500 in travel funds through its Faculty Development Small Grants Program.

The program is open only to Div. 2 members who are enrolled in a psychology PhD program or who are psychology faculty members with no more than four years of full-time teaching experience. Priority is given to first-time recipients. Grantees can use funds to attend psychology teaching conferences, with regional conference attendance encouraged. The division will fund 10 to 12 grants, with a maximum award of $500 per grant.

For more details, go to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website.

Register now for Div. 14 'Virtual Workforce' conference

"The Virtual Workforce: Designing, Leading, and Optimizing" is the topic of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology's Seventh Annual Leading Edge Consortium, Oct. 14–15 in Louisville, Ky.

The event will bring together leaders from academia and practice to focus on the virtual work force. Speakers will cover such issues as team structure, effectiveness, leadership and engagement and will apply the discussion to public, private and military settings. Keynote speakers are Courtney Hunt, the founder of the Social Media in Organizations Community, and Wayne Cascio, of University of Colorado at Denver.

For more information, visit the Leading Edge Consortium Web page.

Div. 17 conference focuses on 'The Greater Good'

The Society for Vocational Psychology, a section of Div. 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology), is hosting its conference "Forging Career Policy for the Greater Good," Nov. 4–6, at Boston University. The society is hosting the meeting to create a dialogue on career development policy, research and practice and to help psychologists learn how to shape their research to have the strongest impact on national, state and local policy.

The keynote speaker is Raimo Vuorinen, PhD, a professor at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland and coordinator of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network, which organizes communication on innovative career guidance policies and activities among 29 European Union countries.

Help Div. 17 gather data on counseling psych

The International Section of Div. 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) is gathering names and contact information of international counseling psychologists or scholars who earned their doctoral degrees in the United States and are providing professional services or training in their home countries. This database will enhance communication and collaboration among counseling psychologists worldwide. International counseling psychologists or scholars can identify themselves by taking the survey. For more information on the survey, contact Ayse Ciftci.

Div. 28 unveils its new website

Explore the new website of Div. 28 (Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse). The site offers extensive content for psychologists working in psychopharmacology and substance abuse at all career levels, but has a special emphasis for early career psychologists. Features for new psychologists include information about a first year of free membership in the division and the “Scientist Spotlight Series”.

Div. 50 changes its name

Div. 50 has changed its name from “Div. 50: Addictions” to the “Society of Addiction Psychology (SoAP).” The change reflects the growing recognition that treating addictive behaviors requires specialized therapies and speaks to a broader theoretical perspective within psychology.

Div. 54 hosts student research competition

Div. 54 (Society of Pediatric Psychology) encourages students to participate in its Annual Student Research Competition, which recognizes quality research on issues related to pediatric psychology and children's health care.

The winner receives $500. Applications are due Oct. 1.

All of the research must have been completed while the candidate was a student and the student must be the primary author. A cover letter describing the candidate's status at the time the research was conducted should accompany the entry, as well as a statement regarding student membership in the division. Applications must also have a letter from the student's faculty adviser that describes the student's involvement with the project objectives, design, data collection, data analysis and manuscript. Only empirical studies will be considered. For more information is available online.