School of Education & Social Sciences SUMMER 2015
> Psychology Program Celebrates 10 Years and a New Degree Alumni, students, faculty and psychology advisory board members gathered to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Psychology program at RMU in April. The “PsychoVersary” celebration featured reflections by alumni Ashley Wagers, Brad Jump, and Rachel Ragozzino, a video contribution by alumnus Eric Levine, as well as a magic performance and “mind games” challenges. There was a lot to celebrate, starting with the growth of the program: from 2 students graduating in 2007 the number has jumped in 2015 to 43. A clinical concentration was added in 2008 and sports psychology concentration – one of only three in Pennsylvania – in 2009. The Psychology Club was founded in 2006, and Psi Chi, the national honors society in psychology, inducted its first students in 2008. Many psychology students have presented their research at the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference – in 2009 the annual conference was held on RMU’s campus – and the past few years have seen the very successful “Psychology in a Box” event, run by Dr. Stephen Paul. Since 2013, over 200 High School students have come to campus to learn about Psychology from RMU students. The evening also saw a big announcement: the creation of a new Master’s in Counseling Psychology Degree, a two-year cohort program that will prepare students for graduate-level careers in professional psychology or counseling. It begins in May of 2016, with a curriculum that provides a foundation in counseling skills, program evaluation, and group therapy, with a counseling practicum and internships developing necessary skills. Graduates of the program will meet the core educational requirements for professional counselor licensure in the State of Pennsylvania. “We are very excited to be one of the few universities in our area to offer the MS in Counseling Psychology,” said program coordinator, Liam Kelly. “This field is unique in its combined emphasis on alleviating distress associated with both normal developmental issues and emotional and mental disorders. We look forward to helping fill the ever-growing need for high quality, well-trained mental health professionals.”
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> Education Conference a Big Success This March over 100 people from 23 various school districts and organizations attended the annual RMU Education Conference, “Creating Innovative Classrooms.” Sessions included “Building Learning Ecologies and Pathways,” “Science with All Children,” and “Infusing Creativity into the K-2 Classroom.” The Keynote Address “Learning in the 21st Century” was given by Kyle L. Peck, professor and research fellow in the College of Education at Penn State University. The conference was given very high ratings. One participant wrote, “I attended three amazing sessions. The take-aways were impactful and really made me think about how I can structure my classrooms to further the development and mastery of my students. Thank you!”