REU Site: Training in Basic and Applied Psychological Sciences

Cuny Baruch College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project is funded from the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate. As such, it has both scientific and societal benefits, and it integrates research and education. Statistics from the NSF and the American Psychological Association indicate continual under-representation of African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and individuals with disabilities in the field of psychology. REU site at Baruch College offers advanced research training to undergraduate students who attend Baruch College, colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY), and other educational institutions in the New York metropolitan area. Baruch College and CUNY in general boast a diverse student body. Although the recruitment is open to any NSF eligible undergraduate students, this program is designed to increase the representation of minority, low-income, first generation college students, and disabled students in scientific psychology. Specifically, the program does the following: 1) identify early promising minority, disabled, and economically disadvantaged students throughout the New York metropolitan area, 2) increase psychological scientists exposure to cultural and minority issues in psychological research, 3) prepare REU students for advanced graduate training in psychology and ultimately for careers in academic settings, and 4) develop a pipeline to provide a pool of talented and diverse undergraduate students to become the research scientists of the future. REU students conduct independent research under the supervision of an REU faculty member working in an area that matches the student's expressed interests (e.g., developmental psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, or industrial/organizational psychology). Each student focuses on planning and executing studies with the intention of presenting papers at professional conferences and submitting manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. Specifically, REU students develop research questions and hypotheses that are grounded in the literature. In order to answer these newly developed research questions and hypotheses, REU students design research protocols and plan data collection. Then, REU students learn via hands-on experience the value of statistical analysis, use of statistical software to draw inferences about the data, and presentation skills to disseminate the findings gained in their research. Alongside with the conduct of their research projects, REU students complete a series of structured activities aimed at preparing them to apply to graduate school. These activities, such as attending weekly seminars, participating at colloquium in the field of psychology, listening to invited guest speakers from graduate program admission offices, are coordinated by the Baruch College REU program.