Dear Students,
Chair-Elect applicants
Nicholas Bremner
Statement of Intent: It is my intention to apply for the Chair-Elect position of the Student Section of the CPA. If elected, I believe that the following values are representative of the Student Section and are important to uphold when developing an effective plan: 1) service, 2) impact, 3) collaboration, and 4) flexibility.
Accordingly, my plan is to:
• Ensure that the Student Section of the CPA continues to be an invaluable resource to students by providing forums for student collaboration in and outside of the annual convention, providing counsel and up-to-date information to students who seek information about research and careers in Psychology, and offering recognition/awards to exceptional students.
• Increase the visibility of the CPA Student Section. This would involve working with the Graduate Student Coordinator to develop new initiatives and ensure that as many Canadian Universities have actively involved CPA student representatives.
• Promote effective communication between the Student Section and other Sections of the CPA and ensure that students’ ideas and concerns are acknowledged and acted upon. It is important to me that the voices of all students are heard.
• Maximize the impact of the student newsletter, Mind Pad. As Mind Pad is one of the primary methods of knowledge dissemination within the CPA that is available to student affiliates (in addition to the student section of Psynopsis), it is paramount to ensure that it is widely known among members and that high standards of quality are upheld.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current initiatives and improve upon them as necessary.
I would be the best person to implement this plan because I strongly believe that representatives of the CPA have a duty to serve its members first. I recognize the value of the position of Chair-Elect and the positive influence one can have in this role. I believe that providing student affiliates with the best experience possible is the key to developing future members of the CPA who are engaged, active, and dedicated.
Biography: I earned my BA in Honours Psychology and MSc in Management at the University of Ottawa in 2009 and 2011, respectively. I am currently in my first year of study at the University of Western Ontario pursuing a PhD in I/O Psychology. I became very drawn to the field of I/O Psychology during my time as an undergraduate student because of the applied nature of its research and the potential positive impact I could have on organizations and their people. My ultimate goal is to be in a position where I can make a significant contribution to both research and practice in I/O Psychology. To attain this goal I have strived to gain knowledge and experience in both domains.
My research interests span a variety of topics including leadership, followership, occupational burnout, employee engagement, and organizational commitment. I am also interested in how research can be more effectively disseminated and applied to better inform practice. In the past, I have conducted research in the private sector and in the healthcare industry. Currently, I’m involved in a number of exciting research projects with faculty at both the University of Ottawa and the University of Western Ontario.
Outside of work and school, I enjoy staying in shape through weight training and playing squash. I love to cook, and write and produce music. I am also very enthusiastic about coffee (yes, even more than the average grad student!).
Missy Teatero
Statement of Intent: I am applying for the position of Chair-Elect on the 2012-2013 Executive Committee. As a Student Representative of the CPA for 5 years and the Campus Representative Coordinator on the 2010-2012 Executive, I have the determination and experience to collaboratively advance the Section, advocate for student issues, and promote psychology. Scholarships, membership benefits, and student publications will take priority on my agenda.
I completed my B.A. at King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario. I obtained my M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Lakehead University. As a graduate student, I have actively promoted the CPA and helped to improve the Section, organized seminars at Lakehead and the annual Convention, and directed all levels of the Representative Program (undergraduate, graduate, and faculty). I implemented an annual campaign to ensure that every psychology-related program has CPA representation as well as a bi-monthly profile about the outstanding work of our representatives. As a senior Ph.D. student during the tenure of the Chair position, I will have the time and resources to meet all expectations.
I have completed clinical placements at the Sister Margaret Smith Centre – Youth Addiction Services and Regional Health Sciences Center – Adult Inpatient Unit in Thunder Bay. In addition, I was a member of the Learning Assessment Team at the Children’s Centre Thunder Bay for 4 years. While an undergraduate student, I did a brief practicum at Regional Mental Health Care, London and was a research assistant at the Child and Parent Resource Institute. My overall aim is to be a scientist-practitioner (working with adults and couples) or more specifically a professor and clinician.
As a member of the Health, Hormones, and Behaviour Laboratory (HHAB Lab), I have published two studies and given over 20 peer-reviewed presentations. My research is in the areas of human sexuality, psychoendocrinology, women’s health, and evolutionary psychology, namely organizational and activational effects (e.g., digit ratio, the menstrual cycle, and hormonal contraception use) on behaviour, mood, and person perception. I was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council scholarship in 2008-2009 and Ontario Graduate Scholarships in 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. More recently, I received a Canadian Institute of Health Research doctoral fellowship. http://flash.lakeheadu.ca/~dmazmani/students.html
An Gie Yong
Statement of Intent: The purpose of my application is to demonstrate my sincere interest in the Chair Elect position. This position has piqued my interest because I would like to be part of a team that leads the dissemination of knowledge and ideas amongst psychology students. Even as an undergraduate student, I have been passionately involved in the psychological research sphere. My experience has made me aware of the importance of communication amongst psychology students in the progression of the theoretical and practical facets of psychology. In addition, I believe that students play a vital role in making psychological research more accessible to students and the general public. The qualities that I will bring to this position include effective leadership skills, and strong interpersonal and communication skills. My past experiences as a lab manager and a senior academic mentor have allowed me to develop my leadership skills. I was involved in many decision making, preparation, and organizational processes that ensure the progression and well-being of my team. Moreover, my strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate in several languages have allowed me to work with people from various backgrounds. Therefore, I will be able to communicate effectively with the members of Canadian Psychological Association while maintaining positive relationships. Being a conscientious person, I will be able to fulfill my duties as a Chair Elect punctually and competently. I believe that I am qualified to be the voice of psychology students and young researchers because of my dedication to both psychological research and my peers. If chosen to be the Chair Elect, I judge that I am able to perform above and beyond of what is required of me thus ensuring the development of psychology in Canada.
Biography: I obtained a degree in Honours B.Sc. Psychology Research Specialist and a minor in Biology from Wilfrid Laurier University. During my undergraduate, I was involved in research in social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. The foci of my undergraduate research was in social psychology; specifically, in understanding the influence of temporal selves on future goal pursuit for self-improvement. I completed my undergraduate thesis with Dr. Anne Wilson, an expert in temporal self-appraisal theory, on the effect of past selves on motivating future health eating goal pursuit. I was fortunate to be able to work with various intelligent individuals who have been great mentors and role models to me. I was also highly involved in my community both as a senior academic mentor and a volunteer for various organizations that seek to improve the welfare of others. I strongly believe in the importance of education and providing opportunities for students of various backgrounds to have an enriching academic experience. After my undergraduate, I decided to continue my pursuit in understanding human behaviour and mental processes in the domain of health at a graduate level. Currently, I am a MA-PhD experimental psychology student at the University of Ottawa. At the doctoral level, I will conduct my research under the supervision of Dr. Louise Lemyre who is an expert in psychosocial aspects of risk and health. I am interested in research in risk management decision-making, proactive health behaviour, and community resilience. Aside from completing my doctoral studies as one of my goals, I would also like to be able to make a positive impact in the domain of psychosocial approach to risk management and emergency preparedness. My personal interests include fitness, animal and human rights movement, and traveling. I enjoy meeting new people, learning about different cultures, volunteering, and living life to the fullest!
Administration and Finance Officer applicants
Meredith Bessey
Statement of Intent: My name is Meredith Bessey, and I am interested in holding the position of Secretary/Treasurer on the CPA Section for Students Executive, beginning in 2012/2013. I understand that this is a two year position, with the option for re-application, and am willing to commit the amount of time required for this position. I’d like to hold a position on the executive as it seems like an exciting opportunity to get involved with CPA, and it’ll be great to be able to help with the organization of events and activities for other members of the Student Section. I’m specifically interested in this position as it seems very much like something I would enjoy doing, and something I could do well. I am a very organized person, and would conduct my executive duties in a timely fashion. I have also been responsible for note-taking in the past, and I’ve been able to take clear, concise notes that are organized in a logical and easy-to-understand way. I think I also have valid and creative ideas and can provide valuable input into the decisions that the Student Section Executive will have to make. I can also relate easily to others, and am a very social and out-going person. Budgeting and the maintenance of the executive’s ledger is also something I can excel at; I’m very numbers focused and love math! I hope you will consider me for election to the position of secretary/treasurer for the year 2012/2013 – I believe I can do an excellent job!
Biography: I am currently in my fourth and final year of a Bachelor of Science, in Psychology (Honours) at Dalhousie University. I’ve been quite heavily involved in research in the department up to this point. So far, my research has focused on measure development, parental beliefs and attitudes surrounding children’s sleep problems, as well as sleep hygiene in children with ADHD. My honours thesis project will be focusing on how children with ADHD adapt to the sleep lab environment, in comparison to their typically developing peers. Broadly, my interests in psychology are developmental psychopathology, differential diagnosis, and the relationships between mental health problems and problematic sleep in children. I am currently in the process of applying to graduate programs in clinical psychology across Canada, with the goal of beginning a graduate degree in the Fall of 2012. Ultimately, I hope to employ the scientist-practitioner model and work in a university setting upon completion of my academic work, conducting research and maintaining a practice as well. Outside of academics, I have been quite involved at Dalhousie during my undergraduate degree; I am in my third year on staff in residence this year, and have also been involved with various organizations, including Dal Allies, the Dalhousie Chapter of Golden Key Honours Society, the Dalhousie Women’s Centre, the Peer Partnership Program, and Students Offering Support, as well as Habitat for Humanity. In my spare time, I enjoy running, practicing yoga, trying out new restaurants, reading, baking and cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Helen Lee
Statement of Intent: I am running for the Administration/Finance Officer position of the CPA’s Section for Students Executive. Being part of the executive would be a great way to help my peers make the most of what CPA has to offer. The CPA student executive has done a great job of offering opportunities for students to share their research and experiences as graduate students, obtain advice, and network with other students and professionals. With that said, I am open to hearing from students across Canada about what improvements can be made, and hope to give my input into making decisions to put these suggested changes in place.
Based on speaking with other students, there is a need to disseminate accurate and current information to students with regard to career opportunities/prospects in both academic and applied contexts. One way CPA can help students learn more about careers they plan to pursue is to ask professionals affiliated with CPA if they would be willing to hold informational interviews once or twice a year to answer career-related questions to students studying in their field. Additionally, undergraduate students studying psychology may benefit from networking with graduate students from different disciplines of psychology, given the diverse array of psychology programs. A yearly networking event could be held at university campuses and organized by campus student representatives to help students make an informed decision about applying to graduate school in psychology.
I would propose these ideas as part of the student executive. Furthermore, I believe I have the skills to be an effective record-keeper which I have obtained from work experience. For two years, I was an invigilator at the AccessAbility Resource Centre at the University of Toronto (Mississauga) where I was required to record my observations and interactions while administering exams.
Thanks for considering me for this position!
Biography: I am currently in the second year of my Master’s in the Industrial/Organizational Psychology program at the University of Western Ontario. I plan to pursue a doctorate degree under my current supervisor, Dr. Natalie Allen. I have not yet decided whether I would like to pursue a career in academia or a career as a consultant in an applied setting (or both).
My research interests involve examining teams and work groups. My master’s thesis involves an examination of possible factors that affect the convergence of mood among team members. As a member of the TeamWork Lab at the University of Western Ontario, I have been involved in leading team building workshops with engineering student teams where I have helped students develop strategies on how to be an effective team member.
The Student Section Executives would like to update you on what's coming up for our section.
1.Elections
We are getting ready to launch the election for next year's executive. We received a handful of applications for the chair-elect, admin & finance officer, and the graduate student affairs officer. We aim to have elections running by mid-February.
2.Call for Mindpad Editors (Revised Deadline!) and Submissions
*Please note the revised date for editorial application deadline.
MindPad is recruiting for one undergraduate and one graduate editor for this coming year. Getting involved is an opportunity for students to gain familiarity with the formal reviewing process that every psychologist (and psychologist in training!) must go through. Submit to rana.pishva@gmail.com by April 15th
MindPad is also recruiting for article submissions. We are looking for submissions that are 800 to 2000 words in length. The content of the newsletter should be of interest to all who are practicing and studying psychology, but the primary audience of the newsletter are students of psychology. Please submit references (not included in word count) and use APA formatting. Graphs and tables are acceptable. Submit to rana.pishva@gmail.com by February 17th
3. Call for Psynopsis Submissions on Evidence-Based Practice
We are recruiting submissions for our national magazine that is distributed to every CPA member. The upcoming edition is devoted to evidence-based practice in psychology and is a great outlet to post articles related to the researcher-practitioner gap in any field such as clinical, I/O, education, and criminal justice. We welcome a broad range of submissions and if you have any questions, contact the acting chair at: jfeeney3@uwo.ca
4. Psychology Month
The Executive Committee of the Section for Students would like to invite you to participate in an annual campaign to fill all vacant campus representative positions across Canada! During Psychology Month, all new recruits will receive a piece of CPA gear; there are pens, pads of paper, hats, and leather bags to be won! Every new CPA representative during the month of February will receive a prize drawn at random.
The Section for Students is the largest section of the CPA. The main goals of the Section's Executive Committee and the Campus Representative Program are to provide information, support, and representation to student affiliates of the CPA. Currently, the program has approximately 40 graduate representatives, 30 undergraduate representatives, and 30 faculty representatives. Nonetheless, numerous positions remain vacant. As members of the Section for Students, let's work together to ensure that every psychology-related department in Canada has CPA representation!
If you're interested in becoming a campus representative, first check to see if the position at your institution is vacant (see below). If it is, please send an email of intent as well as a CV to the Campus Representative Coordinator (Missy Teatero, mteatero@lakeheadu.ca). If you are not personally interested in being a representative or the relevant position is filled, we would greatly appreciate if you could help us fill vacant positions at the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty level. For example, you may have professors, colleagues, or friends that may be interested in becoming a Campus Representative and thus, you could refer them to the Campus Representative Program.
Up-to-date listings of the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty campus representative positions available can be found at www.cpa.ca/students/studentrepresentatives/campusreps/ and www.cpa.ca/students/facultyrepresentatives/current/. If a psychology-related program is not listed, we still welcome CPA representatives and will add the institution to the website.
Let's work together and make our Campus Representative Program even more successful! The campaign will run throughout Psychology Month.
5. CPA Section Awards
Make sure to browse the CPA sections that are relevant to your research (e.g., CSIOP for I/O). Many of them provide student awards for conference funding and best paper.
www.cpa.ca/aboutcpa/cpasections/
The SWAP section has asked us advertise a mentor award. The purpose of the SWAP Mentoring Award is to recognize feminist supervisors who have promoted the advancement of their students through exceptional mentoring. If your supervisor has been instrumental in this regard, see: www.cpa.ca/aproposdelascp/sectionsdelascp/SWAP/awardapplications/
Cheers,
Justin Feeney
Acting-Chair
--- CONVENTION: IMPORTANT DATES ---
CPA’s 73rd annual convention will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 14-16, 2012 at the World Trade and Convention Centre. Pre-convention workshops will be held on June 14, 2012 at the Delta Halifax.
We’d like to remind you of a few important dates:
May 13, 2012: Last day of early registration
May 14, 2012: Regular registration and hotel group rate cut-off
The Student’s Section is working toward putting together a great convention program for the convention, and we’re aiming the Student Social to be the biggest and best ever his year; so we’re looking forward to seeing you!
For more information on the Convention, visit: www.cpa.ca/convention
--- CONVENTION: TRAVEL TO HALIFAX ---
We understand that depending on where you live, beautiful Halifax might be a long way away. Here are some tips on trying to keep your costs down.
Be on the lookout for seat sales. You can subscribe to be notified about upcoming deals, or can check out various offers:
o Air Canada: https://preferences.email.aircanada.com/CAEN/Login.aspx
o WestJet: www.westjet.com/guest/en/deals/jetmail.shtml
o Via Rail: www.viarail.ca/en/deals
o Greyhound (offers special student fares): www.greyhound.ca/en/dealsanddiscounts/default.aspx
Halifax also, with its many universities, will have a number of dorms available for low rates. If you’re going to stay in a hotel, CPA recommends using the CPA group rate at its designated hotel (details will be available at the Convention website, closer to the convention: www.cpa.ca/convention). But if you’re looking for a cost-saving option other than a hotel, dorm rooms from Dalhousie University (www.ancillaries.dal.ca/default.asp?mn=1.5.72) can be an inexpensive option.
Our Section is hoping to bring CPA students from across the country closer by featuring Student Representative profiles on our website. See our profiles at
www.cpa.ca/students/studentrepresentatives
Don't forget to renew your CPA membership! Visit https://web.cpa.ca/renewal/index.php to renew at the reduced student rate.
Represent your college/university as a Campus Representative. Learn how!