During the podcast episode, Self-Injury in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD), with Caroline Roberts, Roberts speaks about bridging the perception gap between self-injurious behavior (SIB) and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), including self-harm among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Roberts discusses how SIB and NSSI are often thought of as exclusive and shares her vision of an interdisciplinary study of self-injury that emphasizes their similarities to help identify individuals’ needs.
Check out the podcast to hear more from Caroline on this topic.
PRABA LEAP (PReparing Applied Behavior Analysts through culturally relevant LEArning and Practice) is designed to provide financial and mentoring support for 14 scholars to earn their Masters in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis. Funded scholars will be multilingual and from racially and ethnically diverse groups, including two cohorts from Puerto Rico. Jennifer McComas (pictured left) is the Project Director of PRABA LEAP; Rebecca Kolb is the Project Coordinator.
The MA in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis is a two-year degree program that prepares scholars to serve children and youth with high-intensity needs. The program is designed to prepare scholars to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and to provide socially valid, culturally and linguistically responsive, evidence-based services for students who have Autism or Emotional Behavior Disorder and high-intensity behavioral needs. Focus will be on rigorous preparation, collaboration with community partners, and multi-level mentoring to prepare scholars to support improved long-term outcomes for children from diverse backgrounds. Click here to learn more about this degree.
Department of Educational Psychology (Ed Psych) faculty Sherri Turner (left) and Carolyn Berger, along with their colleagues, recently presented their research at the American Psychological Association (APA) annual convention in Washington, D.C. Their work represents ongoing exploration of the impact of COVID-19 and subsequent emergence from the pandemic on college students’ academic, career, and social-emotional development. This fall, they will be joined by colleagues Seth Christman and Katie Niznik.
Turner, Berger, and Christman are faculty in the counselor education program in Ed Psych. Niznik is a recent graduate from the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development who currently works as a career coach in CEHD. Presentation titles were “The educational/career development of college students emerging from the pandemic: A cohort study” (Turner, Berger et al., 2023) and “Impacts of Asian hatred and COVID-19 on the educational/career development of AAPI college students” (Sim, Turner, Berger et al., 2023).
Dr. Kendeou participated in the APA’s Division 3 symposium, Reducing Reliance on Misinformation, where findings from psychology, education, and communication research on misinformation were presented by three speakers.
Dr. Kendeou’s talk was titled Education in the Age of Misinformation and Fake News. In it, she discussed current misconceptions and misinformation related to education and offered means to prevent and dispel them, as well as the importance of making decisions in education based on evidence. Visit the Reading + Learning Lab to learn more about Dr. Kendeou’s current research at the University of Minnesota.
Victoria Johnson and her poster, Perceptions of Scientists: The Influence of Trust and Expertise on Source Credibility, at the 2023 APA conference.
Victoria Johnson, a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology’s psychological foundations of education program, has been awarded the APA Division 15‘s Student Poster Award for her poster on Perceptions of Scientists: The Influence of Trust and Expertise on Source Credibility.
Johnson, whose advisor is Panayiota Kendeou, submitted a poster about the influence of trustworthiness and expertise on source credibility judgments about health and climate scientists at the 2023 APA conference and was one of two Student Poster Award winners.
Amanda L. Sullivan, Department of Educational Psychology Birkmaier Educational Leadership Professor and coordinator of the School Psychology Program, was awarded the Tom Oakland Mid-Career Scholarship Award by the Division of School Psychology at the recent conference of the American Psychological Association. The award honors scholars up to 20 years post-grad whose work merits special recognition for advancing the field.
Dr. Sullivan studies education and health disparities affecting young children and school-age youth and the intersections of ethics, educational policy, and research in treatment of individuals with disabilities. She is also the incoming co-editor for Exceptional Children and senior editor for School Psychology Review.
The Tri-Psychology Programs – Educational Psychology, Psychology, and the Institute of Child Development (ICD) – at the University of Minnesota are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Tri-Psych Graduate Student Diversity Fund grants. The goal of these awards is to build community and facilitate cross-departmental collaborations among Tri-Psych graduate students of color and/or student groups otherwise underrepresented in postsecondary education.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
Vanessa Wun and Andrea Wiglesworth (Psychology), Sarah Pan and Jasmine Banegas (ICD), Mahasweta Bose and Thuy Nguyen (Educational Psychology)
This project addresses a critical need for first-year PhD student mentorship by pairing first-year students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in psychology with experienced students within their program also from underrepresented backgrounds. This work builds on the unfunded graduate mentor program currently in ICD, as well as the Next-Gen Psych Scholars Program (NPSP). Importantly, it continues our efforts initiated through this funding platform in 2022, through which we founded the Diversity in Psychology Support (DIPS) mentorship program. DIPS aims to continue to increase a sense of belongingness and self-efficacy while also reducing imposter syndrome for incoming cohorts by pairing individuals with a more senior student who can provide support, answer questions, and encourage the mentee in their degree progress during the first year. Ideally, these mentorship relationships would last beyond the first year, and provide longer-term support for students throughout the program duration. These goals support our ultimate objective of retention of underrepresented students in graduate school.
Mirinda Morency and Norwood Glaspie (ICD), Jessica Arend (Psychology)
Paint Nite has emerged across the country as a creative way to bond with friends. Everyone in the class works towards creating their own version of the same painting while learning how to mix colors, apply paint on canvas, and create compositions. Last spring, ICD first years hosted a successful paint nite social, and attendees still talk today about their positive experience. Marginalized, underrepresented students are more likely to feel like they don’t belong at universities. Social belonging is key to success, so hosting events like Paint Nite can help address this issue. This also promotes Tri-Psych diversity initiatives in that it fosters a welcoming, affirming, and inclusive space to talk, spend time together, and participate in creating something unique. Doctoral programs in R1 universities are demanding, and so creative social events can also combat feelings of disconnection and burnout. The aims of this event are two-fold: (a) promote creativity, inclusivity and community, and (b) serve to sustain mental wellness and release stress.
Shujianing Li (Psychology), Thuy Nguyen (School Psychology), Romulus Castelo (ICD)
The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative sociopolitical, financial, and psychological consequences. As the general population experiences increased vulnerability to burnout, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students face additional distress from growing anti-AAPI racism. Moreover, conversations on mental health and racism are not normalized within the AAPI community, creating barriers for those needing psychological services and resources. To tackle these challenges, we will create a burnout prevention toolkit for AAPI undergraduate and graduate students. With the proposed toolkit, AAPI students will: 1) self-identify burnout, 2) discover grounding techniques and resources for immediate support, and 3) explore culturally informed practices that promote long-term psychological health. We will consult academic (e.g., peer-reviewed articles) and non-academic (e.g., advice from community advocates for other advocates) sources to inform the toolkit’s burnout prevention content. The final product is a wallet-size card deck, usable in electronic and physical forms. The toolkit will provide accessible and broadly applicable psychoeducation and actionable suggestions. While the toolkit could be beneficial for AAPI students in other departments, we will prioritize disseminating it to undergraduate and graduate students in the ICD, the Educational Psychology Department, and the Psychology Department.
Jessica Arend, Caroline Ostrand, Marvin Yan, Adrienne Manbeck, and Kate Carosella (Psychology); Mirinda Morency (ICD); Shayna Williams and Elizabeth Shaver (Educational Psychology)
We will deliver a three-part series on disability and inclusive access: 1) A guest speaker address on supporting students with disabilities and promoting accessibility in academia; 2) An affinity group discussion for self-identified graduate students with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and neurodiversity. This meeting will provide space for students with shared experiences to reflect on the address together; and 3) A discussion open to all students, faculty, and staff, promoting education and informed action. Informed by the address, we will discuss ways to promote accessibility and equity for disabled-, chronically ill-, and neurodiverse-identifying students. All meetings will be in hybrid format, allowing for accessible remote or in-person participation. From these events, two student “editors” will compile a comprehensive list of resources on disability and accessibility for students and instructors/mentors. We will establish this series as a yearly tradition, and we will recruit a focus group of 10-15 students who self-identify as having disabilities, chronic illness, or neurodiversity to provide feedback about events and future areas of advocacy.
Joseph Rios, Department of Educational Psychology, is the winner of the 2023 Jason Millman Promising Measurement Scholar Award. Rios, an assistant professor of quantitative methods in education (QME), was recognized for his contributions to the field and service to the National Council on Measurement in Education.
Rios was nominated for the award by Dean Michael C. Rodriguez, who, as a graduate student, worked with Millman. In his nomination letter, Rodriguez stated that Rios works in the Millman tradition, to improve the practice of educational measurement and the use of tests, especially on behalf of communities where such information is often misused or misunderstood. Rios is a perfect recipient for this high honor, particularly now—the 25th anniversary of Millman’s passing.
Millman was a Cornell professor of education and an expert on standardized testing methods. The Promising Measurement Scholar Award is designed to honor Millman’s work by recognizing a scholar at the early stages of their career whose research has the potential to make a major contribution to the applied measurement field.
The Tri-Psychology Programs—Educational Psychology, Psychology, and Institute of Child Development—at the University of Minnesota are deeply committed to supporting underrepresented students in the psychological sciences. Together, we strive to create welcoming, affirming, and inclusive spaces and seek to foster respectful exchanges of ideas that allow us to embrace the power of diversity of perspectives and backgrounds to enrich our departments, our University, and the field of psychology.
Applications are now open for the 2022-23 Tri-Psych Graduate Student Diversity Fund. The goal of this award is to build community and facilitate cross-departmental collaborations among BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students in Tri-Psych departments and/or student groups otherwise underrepresented in postsecondary education. We seek innovative proposals from graduate students that provide opportunities to encourage and support your fellow students, gain insights from your shared and differing experiences, and build stronger relationships across the three Tri-Psych departments.
Award detail
Proposals must be collaborative and must clearly benefit all three departments.
Proposals must focus on BIPOC students and/or student groups otherwise underrepresented in postsecondary education across all three host psychology programs.
Preference for creative ideas that show promise for building long-term support structures for BIPOC students and/or student groups otherwise underrepresented in postsecondary education.
Awards will be made to teams of at least two or more graduate students; preference for teams that include collaborators across at least two of the Tri-Psych departments.
A summary of the completed project must be submitted by December 1, 2023.
Proposals will be reviewed up until January 20, 2023.
One large award ($2,500 max) and 3-5 small awards (up to $1,000 each) will be made: Large award: must include collaborators across all three Tri-Psych departments. Small awards: preference for teams that include collaborators across at least two of the Tri-Psych departments.
If you have questions about your application, please contact the individual associated with your department to learn more:
Gail Ferguson (Institute of Child Development) at gmfergus@umn.edu
Have an idea for a Tri-Psych Award Proposal?
Share, connect, and collaborate!
Since proposals must be collaborative (minimum of two students) and benefit all three departments, we’ve created a virtual space (or shark tank!) to share your ideas, connect with other graduate students, and build your proposal together.
Interested in applying for the Tri Psych award? Follow these simple steps:
October and November: Use the virtual space to post an idea that you have for the award proposal.
October, November, and December: Access the virtual space to learn about other ideas folks have shared.
November and December: Connect with individuals with similar interests, or ideas that resonate with you. Be sure to connect with folks outside of your department.
December and January: Collaborate as a team to complete the application. Submit the application by January 20, 2023.
In your post, please include the following information:
Tell us about yourself.
A brief description of your proposal idea.
What are the intended outcomes of your proposal idea?
Your contact information
You are welcome to share your ideas in any format (e.g., text, video, audio, powerpoint, etc.).
On September 15, 2022, the Department of Educational Psychology hosted the Inaugural Stan Deno Lecture & Panel Discussion. The conference honored the work of the late Stan Deno, a pioneer in the field of special education and the founder of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and co-founder (with Phyllis Mirkin) of Decision-Based Individualization (DBI). Deno was an emeritus faculty member in the department until his passing in 2016.
Lynn Fuchs and Doug Fuchs, both professors of special education at Vanderbilt University and Institute Fellows at American Institutes of Research, delivered the keynote, “What We Know and Still Need to Learn about Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and Data-Based Individualization (DBI).” (Watch a replay of their talk, and view the presentation slides.) CBM is a fast, easy way for teachers to measure student achievement as often as once a week and adjust teaching to help students progress.* Data-based individualization (DBI) is the systematic use of assessment data to monitor student progress and provide intensified interventions.* The researchers described CBM and DBI as two closely connected processes and—throughout their talk—demonstrated how the biggest improvements in student achievement occur when teachers engage both.
Later, a panel of researchers discussed the applications of data-based decision-making to current research, policy, and practice to meet the needs of diverse learners. While Dr. Lynn Fuchs and Dr. Doug Fuchs’ talk focused on students with disabilities, the panel extended the discussion around DBI into multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and general education as well.
Panelists included:
Kim Gibbons, PhD, director of the Center for Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI)
The authors analyzed educational psychology journals (Cognition and Instruction, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Educational Psychologist, Educational Psychology Review, and Journal of Educational Psychology) from 2015 to 2021. To do this, they used a formula examining the number of articles the authors published, giving more weight to a scholar the more they contributed to each article they authored or co-authored.
The Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota was ranked 18 among educational psychology departments in the United States.
Additionally, Reese Butterfuss, PhD, recent alumni of the Department of Educational Psychology’s psychological foundations of education program and research scientist at HumRRO, was included among early career scholars.
The program is sponsored by the UMN Department of Psychology and the College of Liberal Arts with support from ICD and the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education and Human Development.
The Diversity in Psychology Program is designed for individuals who are historically underrepresented in psychology graduate programs and who are interested in earning their PhD in psychology, developmental psychology, and educational/school psychology at the University of Minnesota.
As a participant in the program, you will learn, through formal and informal experiences, how to construct a successful graduate school application. You’ll also have the opportunity to get a sense of the graduate school experience in our departments.
If you are interested in applying for the Diversity in Psychology Program (or know someone who might be), please visit: z.umn.edu/PsychDiversityProg.
Applicants must provide the following information and materials by Wednesday, August 31 (5 p.m., CST):
A completed online application form at z.umn.edu/PsychDiversityProgApp As part of the application, you will need to upload the following documents as a PDF:
A narrative statement describing your interests, background in psychology, and educational/career objectives.
Copy of undergraduate transcript (an unofficial copy will suffice).
Curriculum vitae or résumé.
Please share this announcement with those who might be interested, and distribute it widely, to help get the word out about the 2022 Diversity in Psychology Program Virtual Event!
Direct any questions about the Diversity in Psychology Program to psyapply@umn.edu.
Shawn Girtler, PhD student in the special education program, presented her paper, “Using Behavior Skills Training to Promote Caregivers’ Generalized Skill Instruction With Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disorders.”3
Emily Unholz-Bowden, PhD student in the special education program, presented her paper, “Using Behavior Skills Training to Promote Caregivers’ Generalized Skill Instruction With Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disorders.”4
JENNIFER J. MCCOMAS (University of Minnesota), Thomas G. Szabo (Touro University), Yukie Kurumiya (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
ALEX PAULS (University of Iowa), Matthew O’Brien (The University of Iowa), Joel Eric Ringdahl (University of Georgia), Kelly M. Schieltz (University of Iowa), Jennifer J. McComas (University of Minnesota)
SHAWN NICOLE GIRTLER (University of Minnesota), Jennifer J. McComas (University of Minnesota)
EMILY KATRINA UNHOLZ-BOWDEN (University of Minnesota), Jennifer J. McComas (University of Minnesota), Rebecca Kolb (University of Minnesota )
ALEXANDRIA C. ROBERS (University of Minnesota), Bethany Schwandt (Ball State University), Jennifer J. McComas (University of Minnesota)
Nidhi Kohli, American Guidance Service, Inc. and John P. Yackel Professor of Educational Measurement and Assessment and program coordinator in the Department of Educational Psychology’s quantitative methods in education program, has been selected as the next editor for the Application Reviews and Case Studies (ARCS) section of the journal, Psychometrika.
According to Dr. Kohli, “The ARCS section is committed to highlighting the indispensable connection between data analysis and modelling methodology and its application to data in psychology, education, and related areas in the social sciences.”
Dr. Kohli will begin her editorship in January 2023.
Jiayi Deng (second year PhD student in QME) will be working as a psychometric intern and research associate at the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) for three months in the summer of 2022. In the Louisville, KY office, she will be assigned to the Validity Investigation for Education and the Workplace (VIEW) program. Her responsibilities will include performing literature reviews; assisting in developing surveys, testing, training, and data collection materials; collecting data; performing qualitative and basic descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses; and assisting in developing proposals to secure new research contracts. She believes this internship opportunity will provide her with an opportunity to leverage her skills and experiences to assist in solving real-world problems. These operational insights will also greatly direct her future research in this field.
Mohammed Abuela
Mohammed Abulela (third year PhD student in QME) has recently been offered a two-month summer internship from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) located in Philadelphia, PA. During his time with NBME, he will be working mainly on a predictive validity project. Specifically, he will collaboratively work with other senior psychometricians to collect predictive validity evidence for the United States Medical License Examination (USMLE), which has three steps and must be taken by all medical school students across the nation. He is so excited about this opportunity to diversify his experience and enhance his skill set. He also expects that this project will be a very useful applied learning opportunity to transfer his knowledge and skills in the field of medical testing.
Sam Ihlenfeldt
Samuel Ihlenfeldt (fourth year PhD student in QME) has been awarded a remote summer internship at Pearson with the Clinical Assessment Division. In his role, he will working on the development of the AimsWeb+ assessment, aiding to prepare the Winter and Spring forms while the test moves from linear to computer adaptive.
Department of Educational Psychology MA and PhD students across our five programs have been awarded scholarships and fellowships to pursue their graduate studies during the 2022-23 academic year. Congratulations to all of our deserving recipients!
Russell W. Burris Memorial Fellowship in Educational Psychology
Ashley Hufnagle, psychological foundations of education
The Russell W. Burris Memorial Fellowship was established in memory of Russell Burris, professor emeritus of educational psychology. Dr. Burris studied what and how we learn, in particular “expertness,” focusing on areas that included trial advocacy, clinical medicine, and art history.
Joseph Rios, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology’s quantitative methods in education (QME) program, has been appointed to the ACT (American College Test) technical advisory committee. In this role, Dr. Rios will not only provide psychometric expertise but also deliver guidance related to diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in college admissions testing.
Dr. Rios’ experience on the technical advisory committee has influenced a proposed conceptual framework for making ethical decisions related to college admissions, which he delivered at the recent NCME conference in San Diego, “College Admissions Testing in the Land of Babel.”
Vimal Rao (R) receives QME’s Teaching Award from Associate Professor Robert delMas (L).Carlos Chávez (L) receives QME Service Award from Associate Professor and Program Coordinator Nidhi Kohli (R)Chelsey Legacy (R) receives QME Research Award from Senior Lecturer Andrew Zieffler (L)QME Associate Professor and Program Coordinator Nidhi Kohli (L) and Associate Professor Robert delMas (R) serve up pizza to QME students during year-end celebration.
Students in the Department of Educational Psychology’s quantitative methods in education (QME) program were recognized for their contributions to the program during the 2021-22 academic year on April 3. PhD student award winners included:
Teaching: Vimal Rao
Service: Carlos Chavez
Research: Chelsey Legacy
Congratulations to all of our QME faculty, staff, and students for an excellent year!
Three members of the Department of Educational Psychology, two faculty and one PhD student, received awards during the 2022 CEHD Spring Assembly on April 27.
Andrew Zieffler, PhD, senior lecturer in the quantitative methods in education program, was honored with the Distinguished Teaching Award (P&A instructional). In their nomination letter, Dr Zieffler’s former students shared what makes him deserving of the recognition.
“As former advisees, we had the privilege to grow as teachers, researchers, and members of the academic community under Dr. Zieffler’s authentically involved support and guidance. His approach went above and beyond the requirements for his job description and reflected a genuine desire to support and collaborate as a mentor and colleague. We know that we are academically, professionally, and personally lucky to have Dr. Zieffler as our teacher/adviser/mentor, and that his impact extends to countless more students.”
Jessie Kember, PhD—lecturer, fieldwork coordinator, and director of clinical placements in the school psychology program, as well as, chair of the department’s Diversity Committee—received the Outstanding P&A Achievement Award. Dr. Kember’s students reflected on what makes her a great instructor and leader in their recommendation.
“Dr. Kember is a rare combination of initiative and warmth; she is a firebrand for change and a truly kind individual who cares about others and wants to see them succeed. All of these qualities and more highlight Professor Kember’s strengths as an exceptional educator, P & A staff member, and all-around human being.”
Shelby Weisen, a PhD student in the psychological foundations of education program, was recognized with the Outstanding Student Worker Award. Weisen’s recommendation had the support of many faculty and students (shown in this video). In his nomination letter, Martin Van Boekel, a faculty member in Weisen’s program, described the dedication she has shown to the department.
“When COVID took over our campus, the head of the department (Kristen McMaster) asked Shelby to work closely with me to help redesign these classes in a manner that supports students through this difficult time. This is a very big ask of a student so early in their graduate program, but this is the level of trust we place in Shelby… In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the university (and world) reacted. Shelby was active in supporting students and faculty. She joined every committee created by our program and department (as previously mentioned the Anti-racist Action Council, Student Diversity Committee) related to addressing racism and prejudice in our university. Not only that, she took the lead in creating a student focused social justice book club…. Whenever I hear about a new initiative or project in the department that aims to support students, Shelby is likely involved.”
Pang Chaxiong, PhD student in the special education program in the Department of Educational Psychology, came in first during the final round of the CEHD Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) on March 24. Chaxiong presented an abbreviated version of her dissertation, “How can we enable Hmong parents to take steps towards autism identification?: Hmong parents beliefs about autism and their experiences in the identification process.”
In the fall, Chaxiong will go on the University-wide 3MT competition where the winner will move on to the national competition.
