Psychology Kingdom - Spring 2006 Schedule

SPRING 2006 Schedule of Events
DATE:	EVENT:	DETAILS:
Feb. 8 Wednesday 5:00-7:00 PM *Neuroscience Lab* *RSMC 223E*	*Social* 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off	SOME LIKE IT HOT! Join the psychology department for the 4th annual faculty chili cook off competition. The psychology faculty will be cooking up their best pot of chili and YOU will be the JUDGE! That's right, you get the chance to grade your professor's culinary skills. We will serve up bowls of chili along with side dishes and drinks.
Feb. 9 Thursday 11 AM RMSC 201E	*Academic* Student Interim Presentations	My Interim impacted my education as a Psychology Major! A panel of psychology majors will share how their Interim project experiences have impacted their education as psychology majors. Come and benefit by hearing what your fellow students experienced. You may find out about opportunities for you to design your own independent Interim next year!
Feb. 23 Thursday 11 AM RMSC 201E	*Academic* Dr. Dave Pittman Faculty Research Talk	Does Taste Play a Role in Obesity? Dr. Pittman will discuss the findings in his laboratory suggesting that the free fatty acid chemical components of dietary fat can be detected by the taste system and that the presence of free fatty acids can act to increase the intensity of other tastes. The significance of these findings in the role of over-consumption of dietary fat and subsequent obesity will be addressed. Each semester psychology professors will take turns giving a presentation of the research focus of their respective labs. These information sessions serve to inform psychology students about the spectrum of research opportunities available in the department.
March 4 Saturday Noon-3 PM *Parking lot between the soccer stadium and baseball field*	*Social* Tailgate Party at the Wofford / Youngstown State Baseball Game	Take me out to the ball game - PIZZA PARTY! Free pizza, chips, sodas, and fun. Find us in parking lot at the baseball stadium. Come cheer for the Terriers as they take on Youngstown State. We will have the pizza party tailgate beginning at noon so come join us for lunch and a game!
March 7 Tuesday 11 AM RMSC 201E	*Academic* Ms. Elizabeth Fletcher Graduate School & Career Options for Psychology Majors	Graduate School & Career Options in Healthcare Administration Ms. Elizabeth Fletcher graduated from Wofford in 2001 with a BS in psychology. She then attended the University of South Carolina graduating with a Master of Healthcare Administration in 2003. Following her graduation, Ms. Fletcher completed a residency program at Lexington Medical Center in Columbia. Currently, she is the Director of Planning and Business Development for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. Ms. Fletcher will discuss how to become competitive applicants to graduate level programs in Healthcare Administration as well as provide an overview of the career options in Healthcare Administration. Following Ms. Fletcher's talk, a light lunch will be provided for the participants.
March 17-18 Friday / Saturday	*Service* Relay for Life Service Event	The Psychology Kingdom is Sponsoring a Relay for Life Team Sign up to become a member of our Relay for Life team. More details to be posted soon. Contact Cameron Corbin to volunteer for this event.. Or go to our TEAM WEBSITE and sign-up directly.
March 23 Thursday 11 AM RMSC 201E	*Academic* Dr. Ben Rigby Graduate School & Career Options for Psychology Majors	Graduate School & Career Options in Clinical & School Psychology Dr. Rigby received his BS in psychology from Wofford College and earned the MS in clinical psychology and Ph.D. in School Psychology. He is currently working at the Center for Developmental Services in Greenville focusing primarily on learning issues in children such as diagnosing learning disabilities, ADHD, and processing disorders. Following his talk, Dr. Rigby will have lunch with an invited group of students. Contact Dr. Pittman if you are particularly interested in Dr. Rigby's areas of expertise to be included in this opportunity.
April 13 Thursday 11 AM RMSC 318E	*Academic* Dr. Monica McCoy Invited Research Talk	Examining the Impact of Extra-Legal Factors on Juror Decisions in Child Abuse Cases ABOUT THE TALK: Dr .McCoy will talk about 2 experiments. The first examined the sex of the defendant and their relationship to a female victim (parent or stranger) in a case of alleged sexual assault. Juror sex was also considered. The dependant variables were verdict, confidence in verdict, and ratings of witnesses’ believability. The second study examined defendant race (Black/White) and SES (lower/middle class) on sentencing recommendations in a case of fetal abuse. The effect of juror race was also examined. Finally, juror ratings of the defendant were explored in light of the independent variables. ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Dr. Monica McCoy is an associate professor of psychology at Converse College. She earned a BA in psychology from Grove City College, a M.S in experimental psychology from Villanova University, and a Ph.D. in Experimental/Developmental Psychology from the University of Wyoming. Dr. McCoy's research interest is in psychology and the law with an emphasis on jurors' perceptions of child witnesses; child maltreatment; jury behavior; media influence; and fetal abuse among others. Following her talk, Dr. McCoy will have lunch with an invited group of students. Contact Dr. Pittman if you are particularly interested in Dr. McCoy's areas of expertise to be included in this opportunity.
April 18 Tuesday 11 AM RMSC 201E	*Academic* Dr. John Lefebvre Faculty Research Talk	Catastrophic Worry and the Pain Experience Worry has been an important research topic in studies trying to understand the origins of anxiety disorders. Theory has proposed that worry can be both beneficial and detrimental depending on the individual and the situation. For example, researchers have proposed that worrying might be beneficial for some people because it motivates creativity and problem solving. For others, worry does not lead to creativity but to an expectation of negative. Catastrophic thoughts are often focused on personal inadequacies leading to doubts and fears about these potential outcomes. The research covered in this talk focuses on a series of studies that explores how the theory behind catastrophic worry can be applied to the experience of pain. The research that will be discussed was conducted at Wofford College in collaboration with students enrolled in the senior thesis class. Each semester psychology professors will take turns giving a presentation of the research focus of their respective labs. These information sessions serve to inform psychology students about the spectrum of research opportunities available in the department.
April 20 Thursday 6:15 PM Olin Theater	*Academic* Craig Roberts Research Talk	Setting Up cAMP in Taste Buds Craig Roberts graduated from Wofford with a BS in biology and is currently a doctoral student in the Neuroscience Program at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Craig works in a lab which examines taste transduction using physiological and molecular biological techniques. He will discuss a novel approach for measuring real-time cAMP dynamics in single living cells. He is applying this technique to investigate how mammalian taste buds function in response to sweet, bitter and umami taste stimuli. Contact Dr. Pittman if you are interested in speaking with Craig Roberts about his experiences applying to and attending a neuroscience doctoral program.
April 24 Monday 8 PM *Brusters Ice Cream*	*Social* Ice Cream Party	Spring has sprung and the temps are heating up! The psychology kingdom is splurging for a Bruster's ice cream party. Meet us at 8 PM at the Bruster's Ice Cream store located near Hillcrest shopping plaza, 1 block off of E. Main St. Click here for a map and directions from Wofford. Come out, eat, play, and socialize!
April 29 Saturday Set-up at 11:30 AM Noon - 4 PM *Lawn of Old Main*	*Service* Terrier Play Day	The Psychology Kingdom is Sponsoring a Booth for Terrier Play Day RAT RACE was a success last year so we will do it again in '06! Sign up to volunteer for a 30 minute slot! The sign-up sheet is on the psychology kingdom bulletin the main psychology office (Katie Sheorn's desk). Come help the Psychology Kingdom make Terrier Play Day a success for the children of Spartanburg. Contact Meaghan Crawley to volunteer to help plan and organize this event..
May 1-4	*Organizational* Position nominations due by Monday, May 1 at noon. E-mail ballot to be distributed by Monday, May 2 at 5 PM. Voting concludes by Thursday, May 4 at noon.	Election of 2006-2007 Psychology Kingdom Officers The positions of President, Chair of Events, and Chair of Public Relations are available to be filled. Here is a description of the job duties for each position: PRESIDENT - Responsibilities include working with Dr. Pittman and the chairpersons for events and public relations to coordinate the planning and implementation of events. CHAIRPERSON FOR EVENTS - Responsibilities include planning and coordinating events during the year including delegating specific events to other members. CHAIRPERSON FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS - Responsibilities include promoting and publicizing events during the year as well as being the liaison between the psychology kingdom and Wofford College student affairs. E-mail Dr. Pittman to be placed on the ballot for a position.
May 5 Friday 3 PM *Olin Theater*	*Academic* Student Research Presentations	Student Research Colloquium Students in the Spring 2006 PSY452 classes will present their senior research thesis projects. Come support your senior psychology majors and learn about the different options you have available for conducting your senior research thesis. Click here for a list of the Student Presentations!
May 5 Friday 7:00 PM - ??? *Pittman Residence*	*Social* End of the Year Cook Out honoring our senior psychology majors.	Come to the Pittman Residence for a Cook Out honoring our SENIORS! We will be serving Dinner, Side Dishes, Sodas, and Desserts. There will be room for playing football, Frisbee, and hanging out. Come relax before exams and say farewell to our senior students. Click here for a map and directions to the Pittman residence.
May 8 Monday 6:30 PM Neuroscience Lab	*Social* Exam Break Pizza Party	Take a Study Break! The psychology kingdom will provide pizza, drinks, and cookies for dinner on Monday of exam week. We will also have board games and cards available for your relaxation during this study break. Come out, eat, play, and socialize!
May 10 Wednesday	Honor Member Designation	Spring Psychology Kingdom Honor members notified. The designation of "Honor Member of the Psychology Kingdom" is determined by participation in both academic and social events sponsored by the Psychology Kingdom. The psychology faculty determine the participation criteria and award the designations via campus mail.

SPRING 2006 Schedule of Events

DATE:

EVENT:

DETAILS:

Feb. 8
Wednesday
5:00-7:00 PM
Neuroscience Lab
RSMC 223E

Social
4th Annual Chili Cook-Off

SOME LIKE IT HOT! Join the psychology department for the 4th annual faculty chili cook off competition. The psychology faculty will be cooking up their best pot of chili and YOU will be the JUDGE! That's right, you get the chance to grade your professor's culinary skills. We will serve up bowls of chili along with side dishes and drinks.

Feb. 9
Thursday
11 AM
RMSC 201E

Academic
Student Interim Presentations

My Interim impacted my education as a Psychology Major! A panel of psychology majors will share how their Interim project experiences have impacted their education as psychology majors. Come and benefit by hearing what your fellow students experienced. You may find out about opportunities for you to design your own independent Interim next year!

Feb. 23
Thursday
11 AM
RMSC 201E

Academic
Dr. Dave Pittman
Faculty Research Talk

Does Taste Play a Role in Obesity? Dr. Pittman will discuss the findings in his laboratory suggesting that the free fatty acid chemical components of dietary fat can be detected by the taste system and that the presence of free fatty acids can act to increase the intensity of other tastes. The significance of these findings in the role of over-consumption of dietary fat and subsequent obesity will be addressed.

Each semester psychology professors will take turns giving a presentation of the research focus of their respective labs. These information sessions serve to inform psychology students about the spectrum of research opportunities available in the department.

March 4
Saturday
Noon-3 PM
Parking lot between the soccer stadium and baseball field

Social
Tailgate Party at the Wofford / Youngstown State Baseball Game

Take me out to the ball game - PIZZA PARTY! Free pizza, chips, sodas, and fun. Find us in parking lot at the baseball stadium. Come cheer for the Terriers as they take on Youngstown State. We will have the pizza party tailgate beginning at noon so come join us for lunch and a game!

March 7
Tuesday
11 AM
RMSC 201E

Academic
Ms. Elizabeth Fletcher
Graduate School & Career Options for Psychology Majors

Graduate School & Career Options in Healthcare Administration Ms. Elizabeth Fletcher graduated from Wofford in 2001 with a BS in psychology. She then attended the University of South Carolina graduating with a Master of Healthcare Administration in 2003. Following her graduation, Ms. Fletcher completed a residency program at Lexington Medical Center in Columbia. Currently, she is the Director of Planning and Business Development for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. Ms. Fletcher will discuss how to become competitive applicants to graduate level programs in Healthcare Administration as well as provide an overview of the career options in Healthcare Administration.

Following Ms. Fletcher's talk, a light lunch will be provided for the participants.

March 17-18
Friday / Saturday

Service
Relay for Life
Service Event

The Psychology Kingdom is Sponsoring a Relay for Life Team Sign up to become a member of our Relay for Life team. More details to be posted soon. Contact Cameron Corbin to volunteer for this event.. Or go to our TEAM WEBSITE and sign-up directly.

March 23
Thursday
11 AM
RMSC 201E

Academic
Dr. Ben Rigby
Graduate School & Career Options for Psychology Majors

Graduate School & Career Options in Clinical & School Psychology Dr. Rigby received his BS in psychology from Wofford College and earned the MS in clinical psychology and Ph.D. in School Psychology. He is currently working at the Center for Developmental Services in Greenville focusing primarily on learning issues in children such as diagnosing learning disabilities, ADHD, and processing disorders.

Following his talk, Dr. Rigby will have lunch with an invited group of students. Contact Dr. Pittman if you are particularly interested in Dr. Rigby's areas of expertise to be included in this opportunity.

April 13
Thursday
11 AM
RMSC 318E

Academic
Dr. Monica McCoy
Invited Research Talk

Examining the Impact of Extra-Legal Factors on Juror Decisions in Child Abuse Cases

ABOUT THE TALK: Dr .McCoy will talk about 2 experiments. The first examined the sex of the defendant and their relationship to a female victim (parent or stranger) in a case of alleged sexual assault. Juror sex was also considered. The dependant variables were verdict, confidence in verdict, and ratings of witnesses’ believability. The second study examined defendant race (Black/White) and SES (lower/middle class) on sentencing recommendations in a case of fetal abuse. The effect of juror race was also examined. Finally, juror ratings of the defendant were explored in light of the independent variables.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Dr. Monica McCoy is an associate professor of psychology at Converse College. She earned a BA in psychology from Grove City College, a M.S in experimental psychology from Villanova University, and a Ph.D. in Experimental/Developmental Psychology from the University of Wyoming. Dr. McCoy's research interest is in psychology and the law with an emphasis on jurors' perceptions of child witnesses; child maltreatment; jury behavior; media influence; and fetal abuse among others.

Following her talk, Dr. McCoy will have lunch with an invited group of students. Contact Dr. Pittman if you are particularly interested in Dr. McCoy's areas of expertise to be included in this opportunity.

April 18
Tuesday
11 AM
RMSC 201E

Academic
Dr. John Lefebvre
Faculty Research Talk

Catastrophic Worry and the Pain Experience

Worry has been an important research topic in studies trying to understand the origins of anxiety disorders. Theory has proposed that worry can be both beneficial and detrimental depending on the individual and the situation. For example, researchers have proposed that worrying might be beneficial for some people because it motivates creativity and problem solving. For others, worry does not lead to creativity but to an expectation of negative. Catastrophic thoughts are often focused on personal inadequacies leading to doubts and fears about these potential outcomes. The research covered in this talk focuses on a series of studies that explores how the theory behind catastrophic worry can be applied to the experience of pain. The research that will be discussed was conducted at Wofford College in collaboration with students enrolled in the senior thesis class.

April 20
Thursday
6:15 PM
Olin Theater

Academic
Craig Roberts
Research Talk

Setting Up cAMP in Taste Buds

Craig Roberts graduated from Wofford with a BS in biology and is currently a doctoral student in the Neuroscience Program at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Craig works in a lab which examines taste transduction using physiological and molecular biological techniques. He will discuss a novel approach for measuring real-time cAMP dynamics in single living cells. He is applying this technique to investigate how mammalian taste buds function in response to sweet, bitter and umami taste stimuli.

Contact Dr. Pittman if you are interested in speaking with Craig Roberts about his experiences applying to and attending a neuroscience doctoral program.

April 24
Monday
8 PM
Brusters Ice Cream

Social
Ice Cream Party

Spring has sprung and the temps are heating up! The psychology kingdom is splurging for a Bruster's ice cream party. Meet us at 8 PM at the Bruster's Ice Cream store located near Hillcrest shopping plaza, 1 block off of E. Main St. Click here for a map and directions from Wofford. Come out, eat, play, and socialize!

April 29
Saturday
Set-up at 11:30 AM
Noon - 4 PM
Lawn of Old Main

Service
Terrier Play Day

The Psychology Kingdom is Sponsoring a Booth for Terrier Play Day
RAT RACE was a success last year so we will do it again in '06! Sign up to volunteer for a 30 minute slot! The sign-up sheet is on the psychology kingdom bulletin the main psychology office (Katie Sheorn's desk). Come help the Psychology Kingdom make Terrier Play Day a success for the children of Spartanburg.
Contact Meaghan Crawley to volunteer to help plan and organize this event..

May 1-4

Organizational
Position nominations due by Monday, May 1 at noon.

E-mail ballot to be distributed by Monday, May 2 at 5 PM.

Voting concludes by Thursday, May 4 at noon.

Election of 2006-2007 Psychology Kingdom Officers The positions of President, Chair of Events, and Chair of Public Relations are available to be filled. Here is a description of the job duties for each position:
PRESIDENT - Responsibilities include working with Dr. Pittman and the chairpersons for events and public relations to coordinate the planning and implementation of events.
CHAIRPERSON FOR EVENTS - Responsibilities include planning and coordinating events during the year including delegating specific events to other members.
CHAIRPERSON FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS - Responsibilities include promoting and publicizing events during the year as well as being the liaison between the psychology kingdom and Wofford College student affairs.
E-mail Dr. Pittman to be placed on the ballot for a position.

May 5
Friday
3 PM
Olin Theater

Academic
Student Research Presentations

Student Research Colloquium Students in the Spring 2006 PSY452 classes will present their senior research thesis projects. Come support your senior psychology majors and learn about the different options you have available for conducting your senior research thesis.

Click here for a list of the Student Presentations!

May 5
Friday
7:00 PM - ???
Pittman Residence

Social
End of the Year Cook Out honoring our senior psychology majors.

Come to the Pittman Residence for a Cook Out honoring our SENIORS! We will be serving Dinner, Side Dishes, Sodas, and Desserts. There will be room for playing football, Frisbee, and hanging out. Come relax before exams and say farewell to our senior students. Click here for a map and directions to the Pittman residence.

May 8
Monday
6:30 PM
Neuroscience Lab

Social
Exam Break Pizza Party

Take a Study Break! The psychology kingdom will provide pizza, drinks, and cookies for dinner on Monday of exam week. We will also have board games and cards available for your relaxation during this study break. Come out, eat, play, and socialize!

May 10
Wednesday

Honor Member Designation

Spring Psychology Kingdom Honor members notified. The designation of "Honor Member of the Psychology Kingdom" is determined by participation in both academic and social events sponsored by the Psychology Kingdom. The psychology faculty determine the participation criteria and award the designations via campus mail.