Conference Information for Students

GSC Co-sponsored Preconference: Bridge(s) Over Troubled Waters: Traditional and Non-Traditional Careers for Personality and Social Psychologists

Dwindling support from state legislatures, shrinking investments and endowments, hiring freezes, and delays in the retirement plans of senior academics—to name but a few consequences of the downturn in the U.S. economy—mean that graduate students may be forced to consider alternatives to traditional career trajectories. This pre-conference is designed to provide attendees with information on both traditional (i.e., postdoctoral positions and tenure-track positions in research universities and four-year colleges) and non-traditional career options for personality and social psychologists, including academic appointments outside psychology departments, appointments in universities outside the U.S., and work in both the public and private sectors. A number of distinguished personality and social psychologists who have pursued both traditional and non-traditional career paths will speak of unique challenges and opportunities, both inside and outside academia. Among the topics to be covered: the work demands of traditional and non-traditional careers for personality and social psychologists; similarities and differences in securing professional positions; and the skills that it takes to succeed. In short, this pre-conference should be valuable and relevant for both junior psychologists who face immediate career challenges, and for senior psychologists for whom information will be valuable as they train the next generation of personality and social psychologists.

Given the intended training orientation of this pre-conference, ample time is reserved for questions and audience involvement. In particular, a roundtable lunch hour will present pre-conference attendees with the opportunity to discuss and receive feedback from speakers about career options. In addition, to round out the day, there will be panel discussion in which audience members can ask the speakers about the ins-and-outs of pursuing both traditional and non-traditional careers informed by expertise in personality and social psychology.

Graduate Student Party at Blush Nightclub

Free admission and free glass of champagne for all graduate students!

GSC Symposium: A Graduate Student's Guide to External Funding

External funding is a topic of critical interest to graduate students and faculty alike. Yet for many academics, applying for grants and fellowships is a somewhat daunting task. In this symposium, our goal is to make that task more manageable by outlining the funding application process from several perspectives. Jenessa Shapiro will share lessons she learned as a graduate student applying for grants from various agencies and offer tips for success. Amber Story will explain the funding process at the National Science Foundation and give advice from the agency's perspective. Laura King will draw on her experience as a grant review panelist to provide insights as to what grant reviewers are looking for and the value of the proposal-writing process. The session will conclude with a discussion panel to address audience members' questions. This symposium will benefit both graduate students—by informing them of the ins and outs of graduate funding—and faculty—by arming them with knowledge they can pass on to their graduate students.

GSC Mentoring Lunch

The mentoring lunch offers graduate students an informal opportunity to discuss their research interests and career development with an established professional in the field. The mentoring lunch will be held both days, providing over 300 students the opportunity to participate. Pre-registration for this event is necessary.

GSC Poster: What Graduate Students Want Faculty to Know

Do you ever wonder how your graduate school experience is similar to or different from the experiences of other graduate students? The SPSP GSC asked, and approximately 250 graduate students answered, providing their feelings and opinions about their advisors, their departments, their graduate coursework, their teaching requirements, their career aspirations, and more! Check out what we found. It is sure to be enlightening!

GSC Student Poster Award

The GSC is hosting the Student Poster Award (SPA) again for the eighth year! Contenders submitted their poster abstracts for consideration last fall, and peer reviewers selected finalists to be judged in Las Vegas. Finalists are interviewed by secret judges throughout their poster session, and these judges select the winners. Three awards will be given out in each poster session—one First-Place award and two Runner-Up awards—to students whose poster presentation reflects excellence in research, clarity in presentation, and personal knowledge in a discussion with the judges. Award winners receive a small monetary prize, hardware and software provided by Empirisoft, and public recognition for their achievement.