New Video Series Provides Students with a Glimpse into the Lives of Psychology Researchers
The series provides video interviews with leading psychology researchers as well as classroom materials to encourage students to engage with the latest research.
Many undergraduates don’t see publishing research as a possibility for their own careers. A new project, “Making Research Personal,” is working to change that. In the series, 10 psychology researchers share their personal career journeys with students. The project is also enriching classrooms by meeting the need for guest speakers in a time of virtual learning.
“The world of academic research can be intimidating for undergraduates,” said Dr. Allison Buskirk-Cohen, a Delaware Valley University psychology faculty member who co-directed the project. “We want students to engage with the latest research and, also, to think about research as an area where they can make valuable contributions. This series combines research with answers to questions students might have about career development.”
The video series is available online for students and educators to use at no cost. The project includes 10 video interviews and supplemental materials to use in the classroom to help students reflect on and engage with the videos and current research in the field.
The featured researchers include:
- Dr. György Buzsáki, professor of neural sciences at the NYU Neuroscience Institute
- Dr. Luke Chang, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Dartmouth College
- Dr. Katherine (Katie) Ehrlich, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Georgia
- Dr. Willem Frankenhuis, associate professor of psychology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands
- Dr. Daniel (Dan) Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University
- Dr. Thomas Joiner, the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the Florida State University
- Dr. Kristin Laurin, associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia
- Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Levy Paluck, professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University
- Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Rubin, professor of human development at the University of Maryland
- Dr. Stacey Sinclair, professor of psychology and public affairs, and an associated faculty member in the African American Studies program at Princeton University
The team hopes the project will help faculty in psychology and other disciplines with teaching online.
“One thing that influenced us was the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Buskirk-Cohen. “We wanted to provide faculty with resources to help them in the teaching and learning process and help make research come alive. Because of the pandemic, so many people are working from home, including us. So, in a lot of the videos, you will see the researchers in their homes. We hope that helps people connect with the researchers personally.”
The Making Research Personal project was supported through the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Teaching Fund Microgrants program, part of the APS Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science.
Dr. Buskirk-Cohen and Tanya Letourneau, who both teach in the psychology department at DelVal co-directed the project. Dr. Buskirk-Cohen is chair of the undergraduate psychology department and Letourneau serves as both an adjunct instructor and the University’s eLearning faculty liaison.
“We wanted to create something so that students could connect personally with what research is and, the life of a researcher,” said Letourneau.
Current DelVal students worked alongside the co-directors to make the project possible. Lisa Schell, a graduate counseling psychology student, assisted with preparation for the interviews, development of the educational resources, and evaluating the effectiveness of the project. Tyler Newman, a DelVal media and communication major, edited the videos.
“After seeing these interviews, we hope that students will have the inspiration and motivation to really go after their passions,” said Schell.
Watch a Video Introduction to the Series
To watch a video introduction to the series, please click here.
Access the Videos and Classroom Assignments
The videos and classroom materials are available at no cost to educators and students. To access the series, please visit making-research-personal.info.