In the classroom, through experiential learning opportunities such as working in research labs, and through involvement in clubs and activities, and pursuing independent Honors projects, our more than 1500 undergraduate Psychology majors are gaining important experience in the field. We are especially excited that our UB chapter of Psi Chi, the international Honor Society in Psychology, inducted 73 new students into the society. The UB Psi Chi society’s outstanding work was also recognized as a “Model Chapter” from the Psi Chi Board of Directors. You can read more about this recognition, and some of the other things our undergraduates have been doing, in this newsletter. I also highly recommend the piece by our own Tim Pruitt, who talks about the promise and pitfalls of online learning!

Our department’s Masters and Doctoral are crucial to the Department’s mission, and we are honored to mentor them, and support their professional development. These graduate students are active in research in faculty labs, publishing papers, presenting at conferences, and winning awards.  Please read more in this newsletter about some of our graduate students’ outstanding achievements this past year.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how structural inequities can undermine mental and physical health, creating stark disparities across racial, sexual, and ethnic minorities. Here in our department, we are more committed than ever to our work that seeks to understand the factors that contribute to mental health and wellness, and to addressing health inequities. In the spring of 2022, the Department of Psychology received a Disciplinary Excellence Investment from UB’s Provost that recognizes our department’s commitment to addressing mental health disparities as they occur across the lifespan. This investment includes three new hires for Psychology, all focused on faculty who do mental health equity research. The investment also will provide some funds for building infrastructure to support our efforts. This is an exciting time, and we are looking forward to building our department in ways that will help us to find solutions to some of the challenges we face in the 21st century. You can learn more about some of the many interesting projects going on in our department in our Research Highlights.

Also in this newsletter is more about Psychology Department’s participation in UB’s VITAL scholar program. This program brings early career faculty from historically underrepresented backgrounds to UB’s campus to share their research and to forge connections for the future. Our department hosted four scholars, who visited us for nearly a week, meeting with faculty, touring the city, and discussing research and career plans.

I hope that you enjoy reading more about our department’s activities and our plans for 2023. I thank you for your past generous donations.  Your support allows us to expand and move forward in new and meaningful ways. We are grateful for the opportunity to build our department with your help.  

In closing, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season. We look forward to connecting with you more in the New Year.

Best,
Jen Read

The Reischer lab found that couple’s relationships are more likely to thrive when their stories about coping with COVID-19 highlight feelings of control and positive regard for their families.

The Ashare lab is studying whether patients with cancer may use cannabis to manage pain and potentially reduce opioid use. The insights gained could inform guidelines for cannabis use in cancer pain and symptom management.

The Park Lab finds that people who base their self-worth on financial success report more work-family conflict and struggle with burnout at home and at work.

Recent research out of the Bowker lab suggests that young people find social interactions more enjoyable on days when they seek solitude or some time alone, unless they are seeking time alone to escape stressful social situations.

The Dent lab found age differences in how mice recover from the type of noise exposure humans attending loud concerts might experience. Older mice showed more damage and had less recovery in their hearing over time than their younger counterparts.

The Department of Psychology was excited to host 4 VITAL scholars for a week in October 2022. The Visiting Future Faculty (VITAL) program brings advanced trainees from historically underrepresented backgrounds to UB’s campus. The scholars who visited our department met with students, faculty, and staff, and shared their research in several departmental colloquia.  Mariela Faykoo-Martinez (University of Toronto) gave a talk describing the endocrine and genomic factors associated with pubertal suppression in naked mole rats. Juan Hernández (University of Arizona) discussed how acculturation impacts dietary habits, including disordered eating, among Mexican American youth. Termara Parker (Yale University) described insights gained from using neuroimaging methods to examine the social behavior of people with autism spectrum disorders. And Alberto Valido (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) talked about individual, social, and societal impacts on the mental health of LGBTQ+ people of color. In addition to sharing their research with us, the visiting scholars also attended professional development sessions with scholars visiting other departments, received academic mentorship, and explored UB and the city Buffalo. We are looking forward to welcoming a new cohort of visitors next fall!