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Note fro m the Edito r
Message from the Chair
A Perspective on what we
“LIKE” on Facebook
Year in Review - 2015
Richard Velayo, Ph.D.
There are now about 1.55 billion monthly active users of Facebook
worldwide (65% of which are active daily users) and the number continues
to grow according to statista.com
(http://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-activefacebook-users-worldwide/)! Presumably, many of its users spend time
looking for postings to “like” on their newsfeed and/or checking how may
likes they receive from their own posts. I must admit that do such
behaviors intermittently. So what may be the rationale for such “liking”.
Obviously, one cannot just ask people on the street please ‘Like
me’. In the virtual world, your value could be measured by the number of
‘Likes’ on your social media posts. Some Facebook users enjoy seeing
many ‘likes’ on their walls. For them, it is more interesting to see 500
people ‘like’ their posts than 500 others who actually read or watch their
content without ‘liking’ it.
Several polling institutes and marketers use Facebook, Instagram,
and other websites as a measureable unit to study human behavior based
on the response of the ‘like’ button. I think that in for the past few years,
however, after the development of the Facebook “newsfeed”, Facebook
as well as its users have been increasingly using it to judge the relevance
of the content without resorting to the count of “likes”. Thus, the most
visited posts are the first ones displayed on the newsfeed. Calculations
( Note fro m the Edito r, co ntinued from pag e 1)
(Continued on page 2)
Sonia Suchday, Ph.D.
This year has been a wonderfully productive year for the
Department. We have tracks created in the Masters Program - namely
Social and Behavioral Sciences Research, International Research, and
Industrial and Organizational Behavior; a New Undergraduate Minor Neuroscience and a new undergraduate major - Biological Psychology;
and two new PhD programs - Clinical Health Psychology and School
Psychology. We will now work on registering these programs with New
York State and hope to offer them within the next twelve months. The
Neuroscience Minor is already being offered.
I want to express my heartiest gratitude to all the faculty and
staff who have worked tirelessly by my side to accomplish these goals.
In addition to this, all members of the faculty participated in
national and international conferences and there were several awards,
honors, and grants awarded to members of the faculty. In many of
these activities graduate and undergraduate students also participated
with faculty in these activities. My heartiest CONGRATULATIONS to all
faculty and students.
The Psychology Department will also be getting a facelift over
the break and we will come back to a freshly painted and carpeted
department in January 2016. We look forward to more achievements
and fun in the upcoming year and invite you all to join us.
Warm Regards,
Sonia Suchday, Ph.D.
Table of Contents
Faculty Announcements, 2 | Program Updates, 5 | Featured Faculty, 8 | Featured Alumni, 9 | Featured Students, 10 | Student Research
Opportunities & Upcoming Conferences, 11 | Featured Library Resource, 12 | Web Psyched! 12 | GSPA, Psi Chi, 13 | M.A. in Psychology Student
Group, 14 | Denise’s Column, 15 | Social Justice & Diversity Interest Group, 16 | PSYCH EYE Team, 17
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PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 2
are determined on the time spent viewing specific content in relation to the time spent viewing another. Thus, posts that are based on the ‘likebait’ are less relevant than the others. But for many, the Facebook ‘like’ is still meaningful.
From what I know about Facebook, ‘like’ does not necessarily influence the relevance of content. However, some content creators, including
marketers, the media, as well as celebrities and politicians, cannot effectively measure the relevance of their content unless they count their
Facebook ‘likes’.
I also noticed that some users click “like” based on sympathy with the creator of the content and even out of ignorance at times. Users do
not necessarily consult the content, especially when it comes to seriously newsworthy topics. In a number of underdeveloped countries, some
even click ‘like’ on deep intellectual topics to show support or agreement on a certain philosophical or social trend. “Likes” is also be an
identifier or a sign of presence for an individual, group, event, or some entity. In more developed countries, research shows that too much
sharing and ‘liking’ on social networks could reveal emotional stress. Interestingly, I couldn’t help but think that we live in a culture where it is
perfectly acceptable to ‘like’ everything without even knowing what it is about. This button has often been compared to a virtual spy of some sort,
due to the monitoring of user activity, resulting in targeted advertising - such as behavioral targeting - combined with personal data.
Another interesting phenomenon is that those who spend a significant amount of time ‘liking’ others’ posts also tend to be the ones sharing
others’ personal status on their own walls and constantly update their Facebook status. Perhaps such overuse can show a state of loneliness
and even anxiety. According to the NY Post, a study that appeared in “Human Behaviour in Computers” analyzed posts from more than 600
women Facebook users (http://nypost.com/2014/05/21/lonely-people-share-too-much-on-facebook/). This research showed that half of them
described themselves as “lonely”. What’s more, nearly 98% of lonely users share their relationship status on Facebook publicly instead of
restricting it to just friends, and they even share their home address online. In addition, the study also found that those who do not explicitly
state that they feel lonely on Facebook tend to share more about topics like religion and politics. According to a report, in 2010, on “The Impact
of Social Media on Children, Adolescents and Family”, overdependence on social networks can also lead to “Facebook Depression,”
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800).
Whether in developed or underdeveloped countries, ‘liking’ on social networks can certainly also indicated that the users are paying
attention and being engaged. “Liking” does not necessarily mean to actually enjoy something. For instance, a post on a sad event can also get
many ‘likes’ which shows empathy. Isn’t Facebook creator (Mark Zuckerberg) about to unveil a “sympathize” button? …instead of a “dislike”
button? (http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/facebook-isnt-just-getting-a-dislike-button/409678/). Well, there are also
those strange times in which ‘liking’ on Facebook could simply mean laziness or perhaps lack of knowledge to leave a comment.
Certainly, Facebook users who receive those “likes” do feel good about it and, in turn, a confidence boost. Not getting enough of these
“likes”, may a downer for some. According to the ‘Uses and gratification’ theory, people who are using social networks have a stronger desire for
instant gratification. Yes, social networks, despite being only virtual and populated with others we don’t really even know, can have a very real,
direct, and powerful effect on people.
Richard Velayo, Ph.D.
Editor, Psych Eye
Faculty Anno uncements
Dr . Baptis te Bar bo t’ s Lab group “Individual Differences in Development” (IDiD Lab) has been granted a research grant by the “Imagination
Institute” (on behalf of the John Templeton Foundation) for a project entitled “Measurement and Development of Narrative Imagination (NI):
Enhancing Imagination in virtual and simulated environments” in collaboration with Dr. Franck Zenasni’s group (Paris Descartes University).
Through this project, the IDiD Lab has appointed Dr. Catalina Mourgues (previously Post Doctoral associate at Yale University), as Associate
Research Scientist. She will be the main coordinator of the Imagination project. A virtual reality (VR) Lab (including several VR headsets,
dedicated computers, and 360cameras) will be set up as soon as space will be made available. This lab will focus on a program seeking to
improve imagination by providing users with unusual and unrealistic experiences. Since the last issue of Psych Eye, Dr. Barbot and the IDiD lab
have presented in several conferences including the APA2015 convention and published several book chapters and peer-reviewed articles in
journals including Developmental Science, Child Development, or International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. As always, updates
on the lab group, and publications are available on the IDiD lab webpage http://webpage.pace.edu/bbarbot/
!!!!!!
Dr . Flor e nc e De nm ark attended several meetings this past summer. She presented at the European Congress of Psychology held in Milan,
Italy in July. In August, Florence participated in three meetings in Toronto; First was the International Council of Psychology, which Florence was
reappointed main ICP representative to the United Nations. At the UN she is also serving as Chair of NGO Family Committee. Second, Florence
participated as a respondent in a Summit meeting focusing on a book proposal: From International to Transnational: Transforming the
Psychology of Women. Finally, Florence attended and presented at the American Psychological Association. In September, Florence was elected
to the American Psychological Foundation Board of Directors. She is currently co-editing the third edition of the Handbook on the Psychology of
Women (with Michele Paludi).
!!!!!!
Dr . Th alia Go lds te in, since Spring 2015, has published one article, entitled Evaluating drama therapy in school settings: A case study of the
ENACT program. Drama Therapy Review, with Diana Feldman, E, Ward, E., and S. Handley. She presented at the American Psychological
Association conference and the Association for Psychological Science conference. She hosted the one-day conference "Prosocial Development
and Kids" with 50 attendees and a roster of 5 highly regarded speakers. She joined the editorial board of Empirical Studies in the Arts as well as
becoming a domain agent (in theatre) for the International Society for the Empirical Study of Literature (IGEL). Her work was also featured in
three places: Backstage Magazine, (May 14, 2015). “How not to Psych yourself out pre-audition”. http://www.backstage.com/interview/how-notpsych-yourself-out-preaudition/.
!!!!!!
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PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 3
Dr . Me r ce de s A. M cCo rm ic k received a promotion in May 2015 to Adjunct Full Professor status. Professor Mercedes has been teaching
graduate and undergraduates students for over ten years in the psychology department at Pace University. During the 2105 fall semester, she
teaches Human Learning (PSY 617 and Social Psychology (Psy 304). She continues to be active in leadership positions at the international,
national and regional levels. In spring 2015 she was elected to the APA Division 52, International Psychology position as Member at Large (20162018). Recently in fall 2015 she was elected to NYSPA Division of Women’s Issues as Second Alternate Council Representative. Dr. McCormick
continues to be the Advisor of Pace Psi Chi Chapter. Her professional endeavors have taken her to the European Congress of Psychology (ECP)
held in Milan, Italy (July 2015). She was the Convenor of the ECP symposium-Building Bridges Between European Universities and Psi Chi, the
International Honor Society in Psychology. She also presented on this symposium – Building Bridges between Psi Chi and European Universities.
At ECP she was also part of a symposium- Emotions and emotional disorders: treatments and research. Her presentation was Mindfulness and
Yoga Therapy: Tools to build Resiliency in Young Adults dealing with Stressful Cultural Events. In August prior to the 123rd Annual APA convention
in Toronto, Canada, she participated in the Div. 35 –Society for the Psychology Women initial summit -From International to Transnational:
Transforming the Psychology of Women. Specifically she was in a working group focused on-Teaching the Psychology of Women from a
Transnational Perspective. At the 123rd APA convention she was a discussant on the symposium: Leadership Training for Global and Diverse
Leaders and co-chaired the symposium: Using Media Technology for the Benefits of collaboration Among Divisions and Associations.
!!!!!!
Dr . Nils M ys zkows ki’s recent work has focused on the development, prediction and understanding of "soft skills”, notably in in organizational
contexts. In a new publication, his works have focused on Managerial Creative Problem-Solving and its relationships with the Big Five personality
traits (1) ; he is currently working on gathering evidence on the psychometrical qualities of the Managerial Creative Problem Solving measure that
was used in this research. He also recently had an accepted paper on the psychometrical robustness of the French Ten-Item Personality
Inventory (2) ; he is currently working on a new statistical technique to further investigate its properties on an English and a French sample.
Additionally, he was recently involved in a cross-cultural study on the task specificity of creativity (3). His current projects also include the
development and selection of measures of imagination - for a grant funded research on imagination Virtual Reality based training - with Dr.
Barbot and the IDiD Lab, as well as the development of a stress measure for medicine residents (two articles submitted), which was previously
presented at the 28th International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP), and a study of the processing fluency of visual advertisements with
Prof. Franck Bournois, Dean of the business school ESCP Europe. He currently has 2 articles and 2 book chapters in revision. He is also working
on the development of Industrial and Organizational Psychology courses for the MA in Psychology program, and in the development of a
behavioral economics travel course to Paris during the Winter intersession. His recent publications are as follows: (1) Myszkowski, N., Storme,
M., Davila, A., & Lubart, T. (2015). Managerial creative problem solving and the Big Five personality traits. Journal of Management Development,
34(6), 674–684. doi: 10.1108/JMD-12-2013-0160; (2) Storme, M., Myszkowski, N., Davila, A., & Bournois, F. (2015). How subjective processing
fluency predicts attitudes toward visual advertisements and purchase intention. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32(6), 432–440. doi:
10.1108/JCM-10-2014-1187; and (3) Storme, M., Lubart, T. Myszkowski, N., Lau, S., Cheung, P. & Tong, T. (In press) A cross cultural study of
task specificity in creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior.
!!!!!!
Dr . W eihu a Niu is the recipient of the 2015 Diversity Leadership Award from Pace University. She was voted as the
recipient of this award by nine committee members from across the University who reviewed all 2015 entry nominations.
The Diversity Leadership Award is given to an individual or team that has demonstrated outstanding best practices and
commitment to diversity, which has resulted in enrichment of the learning or work environment. The diversity definition
reaches beyond race/ethnicity/nationality, to include the cultures of gender, gender identity, poverty, violence, differing
abilities and aging and including initiatives on inclusion, social justice, community building and empowerment, mentoring,
scholarly endeavors.
Criteria:
• Promote a campus environment that is welcoming, supportive and nurturing of cultural, ethnic, racial, class, gender,
sexual orientation, language and other human differences.
• Help recognize those who fulfill Pace University’s obligation to promote an environment and society characterized by
inclusiveness and acceptance.
• Display leadership in fostering diversity on campus and/or the surrounding community.
• Raise the general awareness and consciousness about diversity issues within the context of the University’s mission
and for the greater good of the campus community.
Dr. Niu was nomination letter from Qiqi Wang stating the following:
“Dr. Niu is dedicated to both her teaching at Dyson and the service at the Confucius Institute. She is working diligently
and cares so much about her students and colleagues. She initiated and led so many projects through Psychology
department and Confucius Institute that work for the benefits of Pace and Dyson College. Under her leadership, the Pace
Confucius Institute organized more than 30 cultural events each year and successfully helps promote cultural diversity
both on and off campus. The past Lunar New Year celebration has become a signature event of Pace that attracts guests
from United Nations, City Hall, Lower Manhattan Communities and Pace community. Under her leadership, the Pace CI
contributed a great deal to the cultural diversity of New York City and event Northeast America. Pace CI was awarded CI of
the Year in North America, Great Contribution Award by City Council and New York State Council. In 2014, Pace CI was
awarded Global CI of the Year, the only CI in North East America that received such distinguished award. We are so
grateful and feel lucky that Pace has such great talent and leader. She deserves the award.”
!!!!!!
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PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 4
Dr . Yvo nn e Raff er ty has submitted three articles that focus on aftercare psychosocial services for children who have been trafficked for
commercial sexual exploitation. They include: (1) Challenges to the Rapid Identification of Children Who Have Been Trafficked for Commercial
Sexual Exploitation; (2) Child Trauma as an Outcome of Child Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Human Rights Based Perspective;
and (3) Mental Health Services as Vital Component of Psychosocial Recovery for Victims of Child Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation.
Yvonne just returned from the Sexual Violence Research Conference in Cape Town where she presented her research on The Recovery and
(Re)integration of Children Who Have Been trafficked for Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Review of Promising Policies and Practices. Yvonne
continues to represent the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues at the United Nations – and is actively involved with committees
involving child rights, the girl child, trafficking, and mental health.
!!!!!!
Pr of . She ldo n Sipo rin, adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, New York City, has recently published an article entitled,
“Lighting the Darkness of Addiction: Can phototherapy enhance contingency management based treatment of substance related and addictive
disorders?” in the Journal of Addiction Nursing (October, 2014). To date, interventional phototherapy (exposure to high intensity light) is limited
primarily to the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a circadian based depressive illness that affects sufferers during low light
periods during the winter months. The article highlights recent findings that suggest that phototherapy may also have potential application to
addictive and drug abuse disorders. This is highly significant given the scope of the problem. Addiction is a major, treatment resistant disorder.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2012), estimates that 23.9 million Americans (aged 12 or older) have used illicit substances such
as marijuana/hashish, cocaine/crack, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants, or have abused prescription psychotropics. The physiological effects
of drugs may amplify the addict’s urge to use by altering circadian based (day/night cycle) reward systems in the brain. The article describes
research that indicates that light therapy may normalize these brain systems through effects on hypothalamic as well as mesocorticolimbic areas.
This could improve addiction treatment outcomes which rely on behaviorally based, positive reinforcement contingency paradigms. Professor
Siporin previously was primary co-author of an article on drug abuse treatment along with Dr. L. Baron, chief addiction psychologist at Coney
Island Hospital. This semester, he is teaching Life Span Development at the New York City campus. Prof. Siporin has also recently published the
article, “Guide Dogs for the Mind” in the Fall, 2015 issue ofThe Bark, a publication focused on canine behavior (No. 83, p.50). The article
discusses the varied ways that dogs are employed for therapeutic purposes, including their use in Animal Assisted Therapy and as emotional
supportanimals. Anecdotal evidence supported by research hasfound that dogs can assist persons with phobias tocope in anxiety producing
situations. Trained human-canine teams can also help alleviate stress in college students during midterm or final exams, as well as provide
comfort to the elderly infirm in nursing homes. Organizations such as Pet Partners and the Good Dog Foundation in New York City provide
training for persons who believe their pets may be appropriate for therapeutic purposes. Sheldon Siporin is adjunct associate professorof
psychology at Pace University where he currentlyteaches Introductory and Cognitive Psychology. Professor Siporin has also assisted with pet
therapy training workshops, therapyanimal evaluations and canine socialization at a no-killanimal shelter in Manhattan.
!!!!!!
Dr . K . Mar k So s sin, in his role as Associate Chair for Strategic Planning, has, along with Department faculty, seen progress in attaining
University approval for the proposed Ph.D. Programs in School Psychology and Clinical (Health Emphasis) Psychology. Dr. Frances La Barre
continues to join Dr. Sossin in co-directing the Parent-Infant/Toddler Research Nursery, attended by community families, and the practicum
associated with it. The Mind, Movement, Interaction, and Development (MMID) lab continues to expand its principle database, and new studies
are emerging regarding the relationship between nonverbal/movement patterns and parent-infant relational patterns, parent-stress, parentpersonality, infant temperament, and emotional availability. Additional projects pertaining to trauma and to autism spectrum disorders are
emerging. Recent professional publications include: (1) Sossin, K. M. (2015). A movement-informed mentalization lens applied to psychodynamic
psychotherapy of children and adolescents with high functioning autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent
Psychotherapy, 14, 286-302.; (2) Loman, S. & Sossin, K. M. (2016). Applying the Kestenberg Movement Profile in dance/movement therapy: An
introduction. Chapter 14 in S. Chaiklin & S. Wengrower (Eds.), The art and science of dance/movement therapy, Second edition (pp. 256284/364pp). New York: Routledge. [ISBN: 978-1-13-891033-1]; (3) Sossin, K. M. (2015). Early childhood risk factors for autism and psychosis.
In J. McCarthy (Ed.), Psychosis in childhood and adolescence (pp. 60-89). New York: Routledge. ISBN-13: 978-0415821063; and (4) the
anticipated publication of a paper and chapter: Chazan, S., Kuchirko, Y., Beebe, B., & Sossin, K. M. (accepted for publication). A longitudinal study
of traumatic play activity using the Children’s Developmental Play Instrument (CDPI). Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy; and
Sandler, G. & Sossin, K. M. (in press). Age, circumstance, and outcome in child survivors of the Holocaust. In E. Fogelman, S. Kangisser Cohen,
and D. Ofer (Eds). Understanding the Judith Kestenberg Child Survivor Testimony Collection: Historical, linguistic, and psychological approaches.
Brooklyn, NY: Berghahn Books. Additional manuscripts are being considered. Over the next year, along with colleagues Dr. Janet Kestenberg
Amighi (anthropologist) and Professor Susan Loman (dance/movement therapist), Dr. Sossin will collaborate in writing the 2nd edition of the
1999 text, The Meaning of Movement, having recently received the go-ahead from Routledge. In addition to the Loman & Sossin (2015) chapter
noted above, different versions of this chapter have been published in English, Spanish, and Korean, and a Hebrew text is in press. On October,
24th, 2015, Dr. Sossin will be joined by Karolina Bryl, M.S., DMT, CMA, RSMT (a valued member of the MMID lab and a doctoral candidate in
Creative Arts Therapy at Drexel University) in presenting a paper at the 50th Annual Meetings of the American Dance Therapy Association in San
Diego titled: “A KMP Portrait of the Mother-Child Dyad: Correspondence among Movement and Empirically Derived Psychological Factors.” Other
recent professional presentations include: 7/24/15 Sossin, K. M. Panel Chair and Discussant: "The Changes in the Analytic Room" Presented by
Gabriella Vandi and Cinzia Carnevali. 49th International Psychoanalytical Association Congress. Boston, MA; 7/12-17/15 Sossin, K. M. Bridging
gaps between legal process and clinical psychology evidence. Panel on Reflections on inclusive dispute resolution. International Academy of Law
and Mental Health. Vienna, Austria. http://www.ialmh.org/template.cgi; 6/25/15 Sossin, K. M. “The Infant-Parent Interchange: Sequential
Movement Patterns and Embodied Intentionality: From Research to Practice.” Presentation at YCS Institute for Infant and Preschool Mental
Health, Dr. Helen May Strauss Outpatient Clinics, East Orange, New Jersey; and 5/30/15 Sossin, K. M. “Empathy, Trust, Attention, Affect-Sharing,
Pretense-in-Play, and Embodied Intentionality in Infants and Toddlers: Viewing Interwoven Somatomotor (Nonverbal), Developmental, and Psychic
Processes.” Nanjing Normal University, China; and the MMID lab generated the following presentation: 5/9/15 Wichter, K., Moskowitz, Y., Li, A.,
Forti, L., Wullanweber, C., Sossin, K. M. “Development of an infant-caregiver gaze behavior scale.” Presented at the Pace University Psychology
Conference. As per the presentation at Nanjing Normal University, Dr. Sossin traveled to China between 5/24 and 6/5/15, graciously sponsored
and guided by the Confucius Institute. He travelled with 3 Pace colleagues, including Dr. Sonia Suchday, meeting with faculty members at
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PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 5
Shanghai University, Nanjing Normal University, Tsinghau University, and the Institute for Psychology in Beijing. Spurred by this trip, Dr. Sossin
will be further formulating and planning a course in nonverbal behavior.
!!!!!!
Dr . Rich ard Ve layo was awarded the PRESIDENTIAL RECOGNITION AWARD (in recognition of Outstanding Service to the Division of
International Psychology (Division 52) of the American Psychological Association on August 8). His most recent publications are as follows: (1)
Takooshian, H., Gielen, U., Plous, S., Rich, G., & Velayo, R. (in press). Internationalizing Undergraduate Psychology Education: Trends, Techniques,
and Technologies. American Psychologist.; (2) Velayo, R., Persaud, S., Forti, L., Back, W., Marjieh, R., Trush, M., & Dong, S. (2015).
Internationalizing the Psychology Curriculum Through Mentored Student Research. The General Psychologist, 49(2), 24-26; (3) Kamenskova, Y.,
& Velayo, R. (2015). Internationalizing Psychology: The importance of student research. International Psychology Bulletin, 19(1), 46-47.; and (4)
Velayo, R. (2015). Congratulations to the New Fellows of Division 1. The General Psychologist, 50(1), 10. Among his recent scholarly
presentations are: (1) Velayo, R., Persaud, S., Back, W., & Bhatnagar, S. (November, 2015). Internationalizing Psychology Through Student
Research: Promoting Global Perspectives and Peace Through Curricular Transformation. Presented at the 27th Greater New York Conference on
Behavioral Research, St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, NY.; (2) Palermo, A., & Velayo, R. (November, 2015). Teaching Verbal Behavior
Through Applied Behavior Analysis Techniques. Presented at the 27th Greater New York Conference on Behavioral Research, St. Francis College,
Brooklyn Heights, NY.; (3) Velayo, R. & Suchday, S. (August, 2015). Going Global By Going Virtual: Internationalizing Student Psychology
Organizations. Presented at the 2015 Conference of the International Council of Psychologists, Toronto, Canada.; (4) Suchday, S. & Velayo, R.
(August, 2015). Dimensions of Globalization Among Urban Indian Youth. Presented at the 2015 Conference of the International Council of
Psychologists, Toronto, Canada.; (5) Velayo, R. (August, 2015). Importance of Psychology Day at the United Nations. Presented at the 2015
Conference of the International Council of Psychologists, Toronto, Canada.; (6) Velayo, R., (May, 2014). Paired Associate Learning as a Function
of Memory Strategy: Implications for Teaching. Presented at the 2014 Convention of the Association for Psychological Science. New York, NY.;
and (7) Velayo, R. (April, 2015). Using Preferred versus Imposed Memory Strategies: An Experimental Study on Learning Paired Concepts.
Presented at the 3rd Annual Pace-Wide Research Day, Pace University (New York City Campus) New York, NY. Dr. Velayo also served as a panel
speaker/presenter on the following conferences: (1) 1. Invited Speaker, “Relevant Issues in Conducting International Research”, Psychology
Department, Pace University, New York, NY (December 10); (2) Panel Presenter, “ICP Team at the United Nations”. A Conversation Hour and the
Role of ICP at the United Nations, 69th Annual Conference of the International Council of Psychologists, Toronto, Canada. (August 2).; (3) Invited
Speaker, “Strategies for Selecting Graduate Psychology Programs”, Psychology Department, Pace University, New York, NY (April 23).; and (4)
Invited Speaker, “Issues in Conducting International Research”, Psychology Department, Pace University, New York, NY (April 9). In terms of
service, Dr. Velayo was recently re-elected into Pace University’s Kenan Faculty Development Committee, and appointed as a member of the APA
Division of International Psychology’s Presidential Task Force on Global Leadership and Diversity.
Graduate (M.S.Ed. and Psy .D.) Pr ogram Updates
Welcome to the 2015-2016 academic year! There are 15 entering students in the M.S.Ed. and Psy.D. programs. Each
new student brings a wealth of academic preparation and enthusiasm for the provision of psychological services to
children, adolescents, and families through their preparation in school and clinical child psychology. In the introductory
seminar, these students are reading and discussing the foundational documents related to issues in psychology, such
as combined-integrated training in psychology professional practice, ethical issues from the American Psychological Association (APA) and the
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the APA Hoffman Report, credentialing and licensure in psychology associated with the
Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), and evidence-based practice in professional psychology. Students further along
in the program are developing their skills in assessment, consultation, and intervention. The fourth year doctoral students are especially focused
on developing their materials as part of the doctoral internship match process in conjunction with the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and
internship Centers (APPIC).
The Psy.D. program, which is accredited by the APA, received re-accreditation for the full seven years in 2014. That is, the program is now
accredited through 2021. However, there are some issues, which needed to be addressed subsequent to the re-accreditation process, which
occurred during the 2013-2014 academic year, including the competency based nature of the doctoral program. The Psy.D. program committee
worked on these issues during the last academic year and, to some extent, throughout the summer of 2015. As a result, the competencies
regarding the Psy.D. program were modified to be consistent with professional training in psychology regarding health service provision. The
development of strong competencies is not only consistent with the national conversation on doctoral training in psychology, but also this new
facet brings greater clarity to the various stakeholders (e.g., public policy makers, potential employers, prospective students) in the training of
psychologists. Moving forward, the Psy.D. program will be working toward integrating all aspects of training (e.g., foundation coursework,
clinically oriented courses, field training activities, training and preparation in the McShane Center for Psychological Services) under the recently
reformulated Psy.D. competencies. This effort, which is ongoing, will bring together the many aspects of the doctoral program under consistent,
overarching training competencies related to school and clinical child psychology.
Consistent with APA accreditation, the Psy.D. program is also approved by the NASP. This approval involves a process by which the NASP
reviews all materials associated with APA doctoral accreditation and decision-making, and then determines if the doctoral program incorporates
key elements associated with NASP approval. The Pace doctoral program does meet these criteria. Taken as a whole, the Psy.D. program is well
regarded within the professional psychology community in the New York metropolitan area as well as recognized as having the gold standard of
APA accreditation in the field of psychology. We are in the process of updating our admissions process for the 2015-2016 academic year and
will be highlighting the strengths of the M.S.Ed. and Psy.D. programs.
Barbara Mowder, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Psychology Programs (Psy.D. and M.S.Ed.)
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Doctoral Program in S chool-Clinical Child Psychology T raineeships
The Psy.D. Program in School-Clinical Child Psychology includes training and supervised experience in schools, community agencies,
health care, mental health care, and child welfare services that is organized sequentially from the second through the fifth year of doctoral
studies. In keeping with the Psychology Department and the American Psychological Association polices about the importance of the
development of professional competencies, these traineeships represent a sequential, cumulative exposure to the responsibilities of
professional psychologists which is fully integrated with the rigorous academic preparation. In the second year of the Doctoral Program,
students complete a one day a week School Practicum while they spend two to two and a half days a week doing a School Psychology
Internship in the third year of the Program. In the fourth year, students have a 20 hour a week traineeship (an Externship) in an agency,
community or hospital setting, and they are required to complete a full-time Internship in the fifth year as a degree requirement which must be
for a full calendar year.
Increasingly, graduates of the Program are also pursuing Postdoctoral Fellowships following the Internship year that provide specialized
training in both empirical research and applied clinical work. The following Training Reports outline the traineeships attained by the Psy.D.
Program students for the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 academic years.
James McCarthy, Ph.D.
Director of Field Training
Psychology Department
Pace University
Psy.D. Program in Schoo l-Clinical Child Psychology Training Report
2015-2016 School and Clinical Placements
2n d Y ear & 3r d Ye ar Sc ho o l Prac tic um & I nter ns hip Place m en ts
Ardsley Union Free School District
Bergenfield, NJ School District
Bryam Hills Central School District
Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District
Eastchester Union Free School District
East Meadow School District
Elizabeth, NJ Public Schools
Great Neck Public Schools
Hawthorne, NJ Public Schools
Herricks Union Free School District
Mahopac Central School District
Oceanside School District
Passaic, NJ City Schools
Pelham Public Schools
Pleasantville Union Free School District
Port Chester School District
Port Washington Union Free School District
Red Hook Central School District
Rye City School District
Scarsdale Public School District
Stamford, CT Public Schools
Valley Stream School District # 24
Valley Stream School District # 30
Valley Stream Union Free School District
Westbury Union School District
4th Ye ar Exte rn ships
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Children’s Evaluation Unit
JBFCS Ittleson Residential Treatment Center
Kings County Hospital Center
New York Center for Children
Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center
Saint Dominick’s Home
5th Ye ar Full-Tim e In ter ns hips
AHRC Department of Family & Clinical Services
Brooklyn College Counseling Center
Green Chimneys Children’s Services
Jacobi Medical Center
Jewish Child Care Association
Kings County Hospital Center
New York Center for Child Development
New York City Children’s Center-Queens Campus
Saint Christopher Ottillie Residential Treatment Facility
Columbia University School-Based Mental Health Program
Jewish Child Care Association
Maimonides Medical Center
New York City Children’s Center-Queens Campus
Saint Christopher Ottillie Residential Treatment Facility
Andrus Children’s Center
Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut (Stamford, CT)
Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack, NJ)
Jefferson Center for Mental Health (Denver, CO)
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Maimonides Medical Center
New York Center for Children
North Central Bronx Hospital Center
YCS Institute for Infant & Preschool Mental Health (East Orange, NJ)
6th Ye ar Pos td oc tor al Fe llo wsh ips
Adolescent Health Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center & School of Medicine
Brown University, Alpert School of Medicine (Providence, Rhode Island)
Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack, NJ)
National Institute for the Psychotherapies
New York Psychoanalytic Institute
NYU Child Study Center, New York University School of Medicine
Westchester Institute for Human Development, New York Medical College
Brooklyn Learning Center
Mount Sinai-Saint
Luke’s Roosevelt Department of Psychiatry
New Alternatives for Children
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PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 7
Psy.D. Program in School-Clinical Child Psychology
2014-2015 School and Clinical Placements
2n d Y ear & 3r d Y ear S ch oo l Pr acticu m & In te rn sh ip Plac em e nts
Ardsley School District
Bedford Central School District
Eastchester Public Schools
East Meadow School District
Great Neck Public Schools
Hawthorne, NJ Public Schools
Oceanside School District
Passaic, NJ City Schools
Pelham Public Schools
Port Washington Union Free School District
Rahway School District
Rockville Center Union Free School District
Rye City School District
Stamford, CT Public Schools
Valley Stream District #24
Valley Stream School District #30
Westbury Union School District
4th Ye ar Exte rn ships
Beth Israel Medical Center
Four Winds Hospital
JBFCS-Child Development Center
JBFCS- Henry Ittleson Center
Jewish Child Care Association
Kings County Hospital Center
Maimonides Medical Center
Mount Sinai Medical Center Adolescent Health Center
New York City Children's Center - Manhattan Campus
New York City Children's Center - Queens Campus
North Shore LIJ Lenox Hill Hospital Center for Attention and Learning
Riker's Island Mental Health Services-Rose M. Singon Correctional Facility
Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center
William Alanson White Institute
5th Ye ar Full-Tim e In te r ns hips
Baruch College Counseling Center
Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)
Center for Applied Psychology
Fordham University Counseling & Psychological Services
Jacobi Medical Center
Jewish Child Care Association
Kings County Hospital Center
Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center
Maimonides Medical Center
Mercy First Residential Treatment Center
New Alternatives for Children
New York Psychoanalytic Institute
Pacific Clinics (Pasadena, CA)
The School at Columbia University
South Shore Mental Health, Inc. (Quincy, MA)
St. Christopher's Ottalie Residential Treatment Facility
St. Peter's University Hospital Child Protection Center (New Brunswick, NJ)
University of Southern California Children's Hospital (Los Angeles, CA)
YCS Institute for Infant and Preschool Mental Health (East Orange, NJ)
6th Ye ar Pos td oc tor al Fe llo wsh ips
Beacon ABA Services/ Assessment Center (Milford, MA)
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center (Redwood City, CA)
National Institute for the Psychotherapies
Pace University Counseling Center
Saint Elizabeth's Hospital (Washington, DC)
Westchester Institute for Human Development, New York Medical College
Zucker Hillside Hospital North Shore-LIJ Health System
3
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 8
M.A. in Psychology Program U pdates
Greetings to you all! Since last spring, we have been busy working and coordinating with the Graduate
Admissions Office on recruitment of strategies for potential applicants and on the efficient processing
of applications to be considered for acceptance into the MA in Psychology program. This includes
several open houses, virtual information sessions, and the new brochure for the program, which may
be accessed at http://dysoncollege.uberflip.com/i/583434-ma-in-psychology.
We anticipate more new students entering the program this spring as well as the upcoming summer and fall semesters. Program orientations for
our new students are generally scheduled a week prior to the start of the fall and spring semesters. A social and meeting is scheduled during the
beginning of each of these semester to provide an opportunity for MA students (both incoming and current) and members of the psychology
faculty and staff to meet.
This 2015 fall semester presented many new opportunities and courses for applicants/accepted students to participate in the MA
program. These opportunities include: Professional Seminar, Mentored Lab, and courses in International Psychology and Psychology at the
United Nations. At time of advisement, MA students are informed about the track that are being submitted for approval with Pace and
subsequently the New York State Board or Education. These three tracks are as follows: a Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Track, an
International Psychology Research Track, and an Industrial/Organizational Psychology Research track. Courses for each track are already offered
in the MA program.
We also have two new MA student representatives (and now members of the MA in Psychology Committee). They are Brian Delgado (2 ndyear MA student) and Hana Siddiqui (1st-year MA student). They are terrific and the MA Committee welcomes their input as we move forward to
developing a bigger and better masters program. We also thank Wallis Back (outgoing MA Committee student representative) for her valuable
and active service since Fall 2014.
We encourage you to be more involved in the MA program and in our Department’s activities. We plan to regularly send you
announcements (by email and through our MA Blackboard Community). Thus, please so share your ideas and suggestions. Furthermore, please
do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.
Richard Velayo, Ph.D.
Associate Chair and Director of M.A. in Psychology Program
[email protected]
Mercedes A. McCormick, Ph.D.
Coordinator and Advisor, M.A. in Psychology Program
[email protected]
Fe atured Faculty
Nils Myszkowski, PhD
Assistant Professor, Psychology Department
W hat b rou ght yo u in to yo ur po sitio n h ere at Pace?
I received my Ph.D. in 2013 from Paris Descartes University in France. I did my PhD and MA dissertations on aesthetic sensitivity, its measure
and its relations with other constructs, notably creativity. The department I belonged to was also specialized in Industrial and Organizational
Psychology ; I developed a lot of interest in this field, and worked as a psychometrician for psychosocial risk assessment companies during my
PhD. At the end of my PhD, I was hired in a Business School, the ESCE. After one year there, I seized the opportunity of a full-time lecturer
position in quantitative methods at Pace University. I spent a wonderful year teaching at Pace. I found the Faculty, Staff and Students very
friendly and supportive. I applied for the Assistant Professor position, and here I am!
W hat is o ne of the m o st m e m orab le th in gs abo u t you r e xp erien ce h ere s o far?
Positive feedback about classes. When you teach statistics for non-statisticians, you know that most students would rather be anywhere else
than in the classroom. I understand it: It feels like stats are not what you signed for when you chose psychology. In addition to that, statistics are
loaded with perplexing concepts – yes, p-value, I’m looking at you – that are tricky to explain simply. So, you have to work hard to earn the
interest of students for such topics. The good news is that you’re all the more happy to get good feedback!
W hat is the m o st ch allen ging th ing yo u us ually f ace wh ile te achin g?
A challenging thing when teaching statistics or psychometrics is helping students overcome math anxiety. So, I bring my enthusiasm to the table,
and hope that it spreads in the room and replaces anxiety with curiosity. I think the advice that I can give to students is to be proactive when
learning statistics. Experiment on SPSS with datasets available online, crosscheck results with R or Excel or even hand calculation (just don’t
count on your fingers, it’s embarrassing), work in teams. Being in an active problem-solving mindset will make you better and less afraid of
statistics. When you feel it is difficult, take time to reflect and persevere, statistics are just as complicated as they are rewarding. And, as a
famous quote from a classical French play (Le Cid by Corneille) says, "Victory without risk brings triumph without glory” (sure, the character who
says it is killed in a duel in the next act, but still).
W hat is yo ur favo rite thin g ab ou t N ew Yo rk City?
Music paid a few of my student’s rents, and I still love to play music in my free time. I love the music community in New York. There are a lot of
places where you can listen to good music, guitar shops where you can try incredible 60-year-old vintage guitars, people playing in the street and
free summer shows. More generally, I find that there are many inspiring places and people here. Paris feels like a giant museum, but walking in
the streets of New York feels like being in a giant movie!
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 9
Fe atured Alumnae: Psy.D. Pro gram
Beth Wecksell, Psy.D.
Psy.D. in School-Clinical Psychology, Class of 2013
What brought you to the psychology program at Pace for your degree?
After graduating from Tufts University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I knew I was not yet ready to commit to a specific career.
So I set out getting “real world” experience to find out whether I really enjoyed working in the psychology field. I would recommend that
psychology undergraduate students do the same if they are not completely certain either. I ended up living in Europe and Costa Rica briefly, and
then working as a case manager at the Covenant House homeless shelter. I realized that I did indeed find it rewarding to help underprivileged
individuals in a direct care capacity, but I desired the expertise to do it more effectively. I decided either a Psy.D. or Master’s in Social Work
would be the best fit, and ended up choosing the Psy.D. (In retrospect, I would also have applied to Ph.D. programs because of the greater
financial assistance usually provided, but did not due to the false impression that they are too heavily research-focused.) Pace and Yeshiva were
my top picks because they were the only two schools nearby that offered the combined School-Clinical degree, and I wanted the flexibility of
working in either type of setting after graduation. The location and overall high quality of training offered by Pace eventually made it my first
choice. And looking back, the program delivered on its promise.
What are you currently doing in terms of your career? How similar or different is it from what you did at Pace?
For the past year, I have been working as a clinical psychologist at HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services, a foster care agency in Brooklyn. I conduct
therapy and assessments with foster care children and their families in the outpatient clinic, and work together with the foster care workers to
coordinate their care. This job is very similar to the education and training I received while at Pace, especially during my fourth year externship at
JCCA foster care agency, and fifth year internship at Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. However, last year I completed a postdoctoral
fellowship at the VA in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was quite different. While therapy with adults (and even veterans) has many similarities to
work with children, the depth and breadth of treatment can vary greatly. Though challenging, it was probably the year I grew the most (while
enjoying weekends at the beach), so I highly recommend seeking training opportunities outside of the northeast if possible.
Te ll u s a bo ut a m em o rable e xpe rien ce yo u had at Pa ce.
Walking with my classmates at the graduation ceremony in May of 2012 was very memorable. However, the memories were not all positive.
Like most of my classmates, I had not yet finished my doctoral project, so it was more of a “symbolic” graduation rather than a literal one. When
I arrived at Radio City music hall, I realized that I had forgotten the hood of my gown, which only added salt to the wound that I was not really
graduating. After recovering from this initial frustration and finding a hood replacement, I was able to soak in the momentous event with my
classmates. We took pictures in our gowns, hugged and cheered. Even though most of us were not really done yet, we had come a long way
together and that was reason to celebrate.
W hat h as be e n the m o st ch alle n gin g th in g/rea lizatio n yo u cam e to afte r gradu atin g?
Sadly to say, a psychology doctorate degree will not necessarily pay off. The pay scale for entering psychologists in school and clinical settings
often does not fairly match the time and money required to obtain a doctorate degree, nor sufficiently cover the cost of living in the NYC area.
However, the pay scale and work flexibility of a master’s degree seems to be even worse, so if you are committed to working in this field, then it
is worth it. With time, patience, and creativity, it is definitely possible to have a lucrative career in psychology.
H ow w ou ld yo u de scribe yo ur res ea rch a nd /o r clinical in te re sts?
Ever since living in Costa Rica in 2003 and becoming fluent in Spanish, I have become very interested in Latino cultural issues. For example,
during my fellowship, I co-presented a poster on the adaptation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Puerto Rican veterans with
similarity, and difference in all relationships. I am always seeking scholarly material, training opportunities, and personal experiences that
expand my understanding of diverse cultures.
If you are not currently in New York City, tell us a little about where you currently are located, and perhaps any unique cultural issues you may
face there.
I am currently located in New York City, but from 2013-2014 I did a postdoctoral fellowship at the VA in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Aside from the
loneliness of being an ocean away from home, it was a cultural adjustment to live in a bilingual United States commonwealth. My Spanish skills
are fluent but not perfect, so I found it frustrating that most Puerto Ricans spoke to me in English. I had to learn about the history of colonization
that understandably led to feelings of resentment towards the mainland US. The unexpected shutting off of running water and lack of road signs
were challenging too. However, all in all, it was an extremely enjoyable year, and I feel fortunate to have stepped outside of my comfort zone and
met very close friends and mentors in the process.
Do you h ave an y a dvice th at yo u wo uld give to a curre nt Pa ce psych olo gy s tude n t?
Self-care! Undergraduate and graduate school can be extremely overwhelming at times, so it is very important to find balance. Spend time with
friends, visit family, go on dates, walk in Central Park, meditate, play sports…whatever it is that brings you happiness and calm, make sure to
keep it part of your life.
1
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 10
Fe atured Stude nt: Psy.D. Program
Adrian Tworecke
Psy.D. in School-Clinical Child Psychology, 4th Year
H ow d id yo ur in tere sts in psych o lo gy f irs t be gin, a nd wh at h ave the y e volve d into tod ay?
I first became interested in psychological research as an undergraduate at The George Washington University. Living and learning in Washington
D.C., I was drawn to politics as well as psychology. Both because of my dual interests and to challenge myself, I created a special interdisciplinary
major - Political Psychology. During this process I studied under Dr. Jerrold Post, founder and director of the Center for the Analysis of Personality
and Political Behavior at The Central Intelligence Agency. With his guidance I wrote papers such as Gandhi: A Political Psychological Profile, and
Hamas: Violent Terrorism or Political Activism? and completed my Undergraduate Honors Thesis, On The Psychology of Suicide Terrorism. This
experience was a wonderful way to learn about the world’s diverse governments, NGO’s and cultures.
My continued interest in psychology led me to apply to the Master’s Program at the New School University. Whereas my previous research had a
more macro level focus, I became increasingly interested in the rich personal experience of individuals, which paralleled my increasing
involvement in therapy and theory. At The New School I published qualitative research on the support needs of sexual minority women recovering
from breast cancer, research that sought to make sense and order out of the phenomena of subjective experience. I presented this research at
both the American Psycho-Oncology Society Annual Conference and the Association for Women in Psychology Annual Conference. Further, I
developed an interest in the intersection of social and clinical psychology. Under the direction of Dr. Emanuel Castano I began research on selfobjectification in women and its potential relationship with self-esteem, depression, and disordered eating. The results from this initial study
were presented at The International Conference on Eating Disorders. Currently, my doctoral level training, which embraces the practitionerscholar model, has facilitated my growing research interests within both the social and clinical domains. With Dr. Florence Denmark I have coauthored social psychological chapters on topics such as older women’s encore careers and Hillary Clinton.
W hat a re you r cu rre n t res earch in te res ts ?
Participating in different research experiences and engaging in therapy with various populations has led me to develop my own personal
research ideas. I intend to expand my previous research and examine how social media affects the relationship young women have with their
body image. This research will seek to determine if social media has a similar effect that traditional media has on self-objectification and state
self-esteem. Being able to better understand these phenomena has significant clinical implications. I hope to contribute to the scarce
psychological research on objectification and social media and to examine variables that might facilitate or impede self-objectification and selfesteem as we increasingly engage with others in an online forum.
Fe atured Stude nt: Psy.D. Program
Sahiba Bhatnagar
MA in Psychology, 2nd Year
W hat m ad e yo u decide to co m e to Pace fo r yo ur Ma ster’ s de gre e ?
I chose Pace University for its master’s program because it is in the heart of Manhattan, which gives great opportunity to be attending classes
in such a big hub for networking. Additionally, I like that it is General Psychology program that gives your room to choose your own track. For
example I have been able to conduct an independent study for credit that allowed me to focus in on my own specific interests in the field.
Te ll u s s o me thin g m em o rable ab ou t yo ur time at Pace s o far.
The most memorable experiences to me at Pace have been the personalization I have with the professors. I come from a very large
undergraduate school that didn’t leave much opportunity for one on one time with professors; however, with my MA program I have been able
to personally engage with professors on every day.
W hat a re you r cu rre n t res earch in te res ts ?
I have two areas of research that are of interest to me. I really enjoy social psychology and studying the most effective ways to communicate
with different populations on mental health issues and I also am very interested in mindfulness practices and implementing them into mental
health. I currently run a blog along with fellow student Wallis Back related to my research interests at myndfulmatters.wordpress.com.
2
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 11
Many of our MA students look for places to eat around Pace. Do you have any suggestions for them?
My favorite place to get lunch is Open Kitchen (on William Street). If you go during lunch they give Pace students a 20% discount. They have a
large variety of foods to pick from.
What advise do you have for our MA students as they go through the MA program?
My advice for any undergraduate psychology student would be to pay attention to what specific aspects of psychology interest you the most
because it will greatly help improve your focus once you enter higher level programs. !
Student Research Opportunities
Psycholo gy D epa rt ment F acult y Re se arch Inter ests
http:/ /www.pac e .e du /dyso n/ acade m ic - de par tm e nts-and - pr og ram s/ psyc ho lo g y- --nyc /fac ulty-re s ear ch - inte re sts
Psycholo gy D epa rt ment Re sea rch Gr oups
http:/ /www.pac e .e du /dyso n/ acade m ic - de par tm e nts- and- pr og ram s/ psyc ho lo g y- -- nyc /re s ear ch- g ro ups
Supporting Evidence-Based Practices for Diverse Youth (STEADY)
Research Group
The Su ppo rting E vide nc e- Base d Prac tic e s fo r Diver se You th ( STE AD Y) Res e ar c h G ro up focuses on the dissemination and
implementation of evidence-based practices in school and community settings for underserved children and adolescents. Led by Dr . Pre r na
Ar or a, the STEADY Research Group is open to all Undergraduate, Masters and Psy.D. students and meets once a week on Th ur sdays (1p m2pm ) to discuss ongoing projects. Students are supported in determining their areas of interest and are encouraged to submit efforts to
national conferences, as well as for publication.
Cur re nt re se arc h pro jec ts in c lu de: the adaptation of an evidence-based treatment for depression in schools; examining mental
health help-seeking in Asian American youth; and supporting collaborations between mental health providers and primary care providers to
address youth behavioral health needs. Please contact Dr. Arora at [email protected] for more information.
Upcoming Confer ences
So c ie ty fo r Cro ss -Cultur al Re se arc h www.sccr.org
February 17 - 20, 2016, Portland, Oregon
E aster n Ps yc ho log ical A ss oc iatio n www.easternpsychological.org
March 3 - 5, 2016 at the Marriott Marquis, New York City
So u th eas te r n P sych olo gic al Con ven tio n www.sepaonline.com
March 30 - April 2, 2016 at The Sheraton New Orleans, Louisiana
Ro cky M o untain Psyc ho lo g ic al Co nve ntion www.rockymountainpsych.org
April 14 - 16, 2016 at The Renaissance Hotel Denver, Colorado
So u th wes te r n Psych olo gic al Con ve ntio n www.swpsych.org
April 8 - 10, 2016 at the Omni Dallas Hotel, Dallas, Texas
M id wes te r n Psych olo gic al Con ve ntio n www.midwesternpsych.org
May 5 – 7, 2016 at Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
W es ter n Psyc ho lo g ic al Co nve ntion www.westernpsych.org
April 28 – May 1, 2016 at the Westin Long Beach, Long each, California
APS A nnu al Co nve ntion www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/convention/
May 26 - 29, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois
I nter nation al Cou nc il of Ps ych olo gists http://icpweb.org
July 22 – 25, 2016, Yokohama, Japan
I nter nation al Con gr es s o f Ps yc ho log y http://www.icp2016.jp
July 24 – 29, 2016, Yokohama, Japan
APA An nu al Con ven tio n www.apa.org/convention/
August 4 - 7, 2016 in Denver, Colorado
Submitted by:
Richard Velayo, Ph.D.
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 12
Fe atured Lib rary Resource
Pace University is a member of METRO--a network of academic and public libraries in New York City and Westchester County. If there is
a need for access to other libraries within the METRO area to a particular resource or subject area that is not available at Pace, see a reference
librarian to obtain a referral. For more information, please see the Reference Desk. For a listing of METRO libraries, visit the METRO website:
http://metro.org/corporatememberships/applications/search/
Janell Carter, M.L.S., M.M.
Instructional Services Librarian
Pace University
Birnbaum Library
1 Pace Plaza
New York, NY 10038 212-346-1051 x2
[email protected]
Web Psyched!
Here are three website of interest to those interested in learning about psychology and keeping up with current issues of interest.
#1: Abo u t. co m Ps yc ho log y (http://psychology.about.com)
This website is part of the About.com network, and offers easy-to-read articles on psychology. Many different topics are covered from theories
and sub-fields to career and education.
#2: Ps yc ho log y To day (https://www.psychologytoday.com)
Psychology Today is the website of the bi-monthly magazine. The site focuses on mental well-being and is geared towards therapy and treatment
for mental illnesses. The content is easy-to-read and focused on non-professional laypersons.
#3: Ps yBlog (http://www.spring.org.uk)
Maintained by a researcher Jeremy Dean, this blog is based on scientific psychology and is one of the best individual psychology blogs. Articles
focus on understanding how our minds work and why we think and act the way we do.
Submitted by:
Richard Velayo, Ph.D.
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 13
GSPA
(Graduate Stud ent Psychology Associatio n)
The GSPA is proud to announce that they have three new members who joined this year: Monique Hawthorne, Christina Trivelli, and Rochelle
Friedman. For Fall 2015, GSPA hosted a welcome breakfast and a program on Mindfulness. They plan to end the semester with a end of the
semester social for everyone to destress before the holidays. For Spring 2016, GSPA has plans to host a DBT workshop (TBA, but possibly in
February), a program on Psychopharmacology (TBA, but possibly in May), and other various social events. GSPA members can be reached at
[email protected].
Psi C hi
Ps i Chi E-Boar d :
President: Jennifer Trujillo-Armijo ([email protected])
Vice President: Nicholas Mediate ([email protected])
Secretary: Lindsay Hartman ([email protected])
Treasurer: Laura Rodriguez ([email protected])
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mercedes McCormick ([email protected])
Email: [email protected],
Facebook: www.facebook.com/psichipacenyc
Instagram: @psichipacenyc
Website: www.psichipacenyc.tk
From October 8 – 11, 2015, Psi Chi executive board along with Psi Chi members traveled to Fitchburg, MA and participated in the New
England Psychological Association (NEPA) annual meeting. The executive board presented on how to run a successful Psi Chi chapter, which
included tips on how to get involved on social media. They got to meet Deborah Harris O’Brien, the Vice President of Psi Chi Eastern Region and
also participate in a focus group geared towards improving the grad school application process. Along with that, they got to meet other Psi Chi
chapters such as the Lehman College chapter located in Bronx, NY! Psi Chi hope to keep promoting Pace University Chapter and hope to be able
to attend EPA in March 2016!
Invitation to you-Pace Psi Chi Chapter members and Psychology Cub meet 2015 Fall semester on Wednesdays at Common Hour in Room
E-320. An interesting program with food is presented. See you this semester!
Psi Chi at NEPA. From left to right:
Marina Trujillo, Laura Rodriguez, Jennifer Trujillo-Armijo, Giuliana Depalmer,
Carly Gottfried, Kirsten Dagrosa, Alejandro Cervantes, Nicholas Mediate, Lindsay Hartman.
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 14
M.A. in Psychology Student Gro up
M e et Yo ur Ne w Stud en t Re ps!
Brian Delgado
My name is Brian Andres Delgado. This is my second semester in the MA program at Pace University. I
live on Long Island, where I grew up. My family is from Colombia and I am fluent in Spanish. In 2013, I
received my Bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University in philosophy. During my senior year as an
undergraduate, I was elected to be a senator in the Stony Brook University Undergraduate Student
Government. During my first semester in the MA program, I joined Dr. Mowder’s Parent Child Institute.
Currently, the lab is looking to integrate grit and self-control with parenting behaviors. I have been reviewing
the research literature on grit to help formulate my own research questions.
In my first semester in the program I started a Facebook group for the MA program. This group has
given both current students and alumni a way to communicate with one another. The group has been used to
provide Information on conferences, class schedules, textbooks, study guides, surveys, and jobs. Currently the
MA Facebook group, so far, has 34 members. I am interested in discussing a Facebook group that includes
students from every graduate psychology program at Pace.
Hina Siddiqui
Hi all! My name is Hina Siddiqui, and I am a fairly new student to the MA Psych Program at Pace. I
began my journey at Pace last year when I first met Dr. Velayo at a graduate open house and he believed I
would be a good fit to the program. He told me that they were offering a Psychopathology course over the
summer, and that caught my attention. Seeing as Psychopathology was my favorite topics in undergrad, I was
ecstatic to take this course and get a feel of Pace. There I met an inspiring instructor, as well as some vibrant
personalities, and I was sold!
So here I am now, I have had the opportunity to become even more acquainted with my colleagues
from this past summer and have met more awesome people already as well as staff. As one of the MA reps, I
hope to better voice the opinions of all of the students in the program and work closely with staff in order to
ensure everyone's satisfaction. My main focuses in the field of psychology are neuropsychology,
psychopathology, and international psychology. I look forward to flourishing at Pace among my fellow peers,
and professors throughout the next year!
If we have not met yet, I would love to meet you!
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 15
DENISE’S COLUMN
Hi everyone,
I hope this semester is treating everyone well. As you are finishing up midterms, writing papers and getting ready for
finals please do not forget to register for Spring 2016!
Registration is now ongoing for both Undergraduate and Graduate. Make your appointments to see your advisors with
plenty of time.
We are pleased to announce that the department will undergo construction during the Winter break. Beginning Friday December 18, 2015 the
department will be officially closed until Monday January 4, 2016. Throughout this time the department will have a paintjob and new carpet
installed.
The goal of the YES Award is to provide special recognition to Pace staff
and student workers for simple achievements in their everyday roles.
This is intended to be a customer generated recognition with minimal investment,
which will improve both internal and external customer service.
*S tu de nts are als o elig ib le f or a “S tu de nt T extbo ok Sc ho lars hip A ward” *
HR has created a new scholarship fund to provide an annual textbook scholarship
to YES (Your Excellence Shows) award-winning student workers.
The Fund will be established with proceeds raised from selling
student-designed bookmarks at faculty and staff events and/or contributions from parties
with an interest in providing textbook assistance to student workers.
Every year, one annual scholarship will be awarded to a YES award-winning student worker.
To nominate a staff member or a student please visit:
http://appsrv.pace.edu/HR/EmployeeRecognition/
For more information on the program please visit:
http://www.pace.edu/human-resources/employee-labor-relations/employee-recognition/YES-recognition-program#studentTextbook
Go o d lu ck to ev eryo n e on yo ur f in al s an d H appy Hol id ays!
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 16
Pace Psychology & Diversity Interest Group
The Pace Psychology Social Justice & Diversity Interest Group, a collaborative initiative between faculty, students, and staff in the department,
continues their series of programming and meetings, surrounding the following issues:
• Keeping an ongoing conversation about how diversity issues can be integrated into course curricula and class discussions
• Helping to connect students with research and education opportunities linking psychology with social justice
• Advocating about issues students find important for faculty, staff, and peers to be aware of through projects, events, student-only
meetings, and through fostering open spaces for advocacy between faculty, students, and staff.
• Connecting students to share their experiences surrounding diversity issues during their course of study at Pace
Events for Fall 2015 included:
• Discussion led by Dr. Lisa Rosenthal and Dr. Leora Trub: "Understanding The Hoffman Report and APA's Involvement in Interrogations:
Ethical Implications for the Field of Psychology"
• Colloquium talk by Dr. Malena Vinocur and Dr. Carolina Franco: "Working with Latinos in Therapy"
• Colloquium talk by Paulina Davis, Esq.: "The Great Divide: Inequality in Education"
We hope to continue to encourage student, faculty, and staff collaboration in this area!
Contact Dr. Trub ([email protected]) or Dr. Rosenthal ([email protected]) for more information.
Psyc holo gy and Political Correctness:
Ho w Language Unites, Divides, Controls
Sarika Persaud
As clinicians, we understand that language is powerful. There are many ways we communicate, but what a therapist chooses to say,
how they say it, when they say it, and who it is spoken to can have lasting implications on how insight and personal growth does or does not
develop for a patient. As researchers, we may come to understand the divide in accessibility that grows between those who write research, and
those who can probably benefit from being able to understand the results of research. Academic language, in its efforts to make vast webs of
ideas and data clear and concise, can easily strike others as elitist and distant. How and what we speak matters.
However, whether or not you are a clinician or a researcher, when it comes to diversity-related issues, we often feel at a loss for
words. We are afraid to say the wrong thing, because those who lack political correctness are easy targets for attack. On the other hand, not
speaking or asking questions only breeds more ignorance. So, those who “speak the language” become the only ones who speak up, and
become the default spokesperson for sensitive issues within a work or school environment once they are labeled as The One Who Knows.
Those who are outside remain on the outside, language remaining as a seemingly impermeable, possibly unimportant, barrier.
Is there a difference between being African-American and Black? Are Native Americans still “Indians”? Is it okay to say “poor people,”
and is that the same as “low socioeconomic status”? What does it mean to be “queer,” and is it okay to say that word in an academic setting?
Why do we sometimes say “sorry” before we’ve even begun to speak? People’s anxieties over using certain terminology can often halt
conversations before they happen. Those who do not belong to a particular group may feel the unfamiliar texture of words associated with that
new group as a weight upon their tongue. They may completely avoid even referencing those for fear of offending others with misuse of
language. The apprehension with speaking of a particular group can easily be read as erasure.
Indeed, the language used by those involved in working with any minority or marginalized group can often exclude those whom they
seek to help. To the average person, how accessible are terms like “decolonized spaces” and “systematic oppression”? When do we use words
to empower and serve others, and when do we use language to serve ourselves?
But the language developed by marginalized groups is often significant and important to them. Words can often be reclaimed from
popular vernacular as signs of empowerment or resistance. When we discard words simply because they are uncomfortable for us to work
with, we ignore the history and power that words hold within a community. Meanings are rarely static over time, and we can view that as an
opportunity to keep with the flow of how groups mold and flex to their current challenges, rather than as an opportunity to dismiss issues we
are privileged enough to ignore. When you’re really committed to creating change, you can’t afford to lose yourself in translation.
An effort to educate ourselves on the words used within certain communities and movements that we may find ourselves
encountering is imperative if we are to shift beyond our prosaic sphere of existence. Questioning and exploring language is an excellent way to
reach into communities we are curious about. How do people speak about their stories in art, literature, social media, blogs, essays, articles?
How can we make simple, sustainable efforts to educate ourselves in the nuances within and without the languages of groups we do not
belong to?
This effort towards education must also be balanced with an environment of acceptance, understanding, and tolerance. People will
make mistakes. Mistakes are a natural part learning. Hopefully, we can foster collaborative learning environments where honest criticism is
enfolded in compassion and understanding from both sides. Every correction is not an attack, and every mistake one notices is not an
opportunity to reaffirm your superior position on the hierarchy of language. We can seek to learn when we do not understand, just as well as
we can be aware of when others might benefit from extra clarification. In the heart of every interaction should be the intention to promote
accessibility, understanding, acceptance and growth.
Sarika Persaud, M.A.
Associate Editor, Psych Eye
PSYCH EYE, FALL 2015 | 17
Psy ch Eye Team
C o-Edit ors
Richard Velayo, PhD and Lisa Rosenthal, PhD
Asso cia te E ditor
Sarika Persaud, MA
C irculat ion Dire ctor
Denise Moreno
Regula r Co ntributo rs
Jannette Cardona
Janell Carter
Mercedes McCormick, PhD
Denise Moreno
Barbara Mowder, PhD
Sarika Persaud, MA
Lisa Rosenthal, PhD
Sonia Suchday, PhD
Richard Velayo, PhD
Michele Zaccario, PhD
GSPA
PSI CHI
For more information about the newsletter,
to be added to the newsletter mailing list:
or to submit to the Spring 2016 edition of PsychEye,
contact Dr. Velayo at [email protected].
The newsletter may be accessed online at
http://www.pace.edu/dyson/academic-departments-and-programs/psychology---nyc/student-activities-and-resources
The next issue of the Psych Eye newsletter will be made available in March 2015.
P sycholo gy D epa rt ment
Pace University
13th floor, 41 Park Row
New York, NY 10038
[email protected]
(212) 346-1506