March 2010 Archives

Tomorrow I am meeting with a group of Penn State alums to talk about about how we at the College of the Liberal Arts are using social media technology to enrich the liberal arts education of our students.

The main point of the presentation is to illustrate how technology can be used to reinforce the traditional virtues of the liberal arts: ethical imagination, excellence in communication, professional leadership, global perspectives and an openness to diversity. 



We have received written comments on the initial YouTube video, and via email from some of the alums with whom we shared the video prior to our meeting.  I have gathered some of these comments below.

It is striking that when the conversation is opened to the public by social media, the modes by which people respond is so varied: video, written comments, emails and even tweets (thanks @jeffswain). On one hand, it is difficult to follow a coherent thread of the conversation unless someone gathers them together - as I have tried to do here.  On the other hand, the variety of different modes of response and the different ways the ideas in this diverse conversation are shared adds a dimension to the conversation that extends beyond what might have happened had we limited ourselves to written or in person communication.

What does this teach us about the power and the limits of social media technology?  How are we to best prepare students and ourselves not only to live in, but more importantly to thrive in a world of such dynamic and variegated communication?

Response gathered from emails from alums

David Eltringham linked to three videos here:

I am a Junior in Schreyer Honors College with a major in Psychology and a minor in Business and the Liberal Arts. I am currently a Career Development Intern at the Schreyer Career Services Office. I was also recently accepted into FOX 29's Summer 2010 Internship Program in the Human Resources Department in Philadelphia.

As a student in the College of the Liberal Arts, it was critical that I be proactive and thoroughly employ all of the resources available to me in order to be successful in my pursuit of an internship for this summer. It is sometimes more of a challenge for Liberal Arts students to search for an internship position because their major might not lead to a specific career path, such as accounting or finance. For instance, there are very few "psychology internships" for undergraduates.

However, I believe that this was a blessing in disguise for the following reason: the breadth of courses that my Liberal Arts degree has permitted me to take, in conjunction with the Business and the Liberal Arts minor, provided me with the flexibility to apply for a variety of internship positions in different industries and enhanced my marketability as a desirable applicant. Courses prescribed by my minor, such as finance, accounting, and management, have greatly contributed to my overall professional development. I have also excelled in a variety of industrial organizational psychology courses (a field closely related to human resources), as well as communications courses.

I became knowledgeable about a plethora of internship resources by attending an information session entitled College of the Liberal Arts: The Internship Search. Students who attended the information session were permitted access to the PowerPoint presentation that was developed for the purposes of the session; therefore, students in attendance were supplied with many invaluable resources to assist them in their internship search. From my personal experience, Nittany Lion Career Network and internships.com were particularly useful because they not only enable students to conduct effective searches by narrowing their search results by an industry of interest, but also by geographic location.

I quickly became cognizant of the fact that most internship programs are very competitive, and many internship deadlines expire in March, some even earlier. Therefore, it is prudent for students to start their search early and to be aware of deadlines so that they do not miss out on opportunities. However, that is not to say that many wonderful internship opportunities are not still available for students who have just started their internship search. For instance, even if an organization does not have a specific internship program, it never hurts to inquire whether they have a need for an intern: students should try to create opportunities for themselves. It is beneficial for students to first research the organization of interest, contact the organization to express their interest, and inquire as to whether there are opportunities available. Typically, when I visited a company website, there was a link that said "Contact Us" that provided me with helpful contact information.

I will be writing a couple of additional posts in the coming weeks with more tips on searching for an internship. For now, I would like other students with experience obtaining internships to feel free to join the conversation: What advice do you have for other students who are still searching for a summer internship?

Amanda Craig, Liberal Arts Week Chairperson, and Geoff Halberstadt, LAUC Faculty Senator and AAC Delegate, join Associate Dean Long, Heather Summerlin, and Jillian Balay for Episode 5 of LAUS Radio.

In this podcast, Amanda discusses this year's Liberal Arts Week (LAW), an annual event organized by the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council. Amanda and LAUC hope that this week-long event will provide a space where CLA undergraduates, faculty, and staff can get to know each other while participating in a variety of activities. Amanda and her student planning committee have organized numerous programs including an undergraduate research panel, a cultural fair, and a trivia night. LAW begins next Monday, March 29th and is free to the public. Make sure to check out the LAUS Announcements blog for more information on LAW.

The group also talks about Associate Dean Long's recent video in which he asks how we can cultivate social media technology to enhance the traditional values of the Liberal Arts. They discuss some comments already posted in response to the video as well as how some of these ideas can be applied to LAUS' social media initiative. Associate Dean Long asks listeners what they think of LAUS' use of social media so far. Are you reading the blogs? Are you following LAUS on Facebook or Twitter?

Associate Dean Long also mentions the Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) next weekend. Specifically, he talks about the presentation he will be giving at TLT which will detail the experience his undergraduate philosophy class had with their own course blog.

Finally, Jillian Balay reminds undergrads to attend the CLA Affording Study Abroad Information Session this Wednesday and to pick up their copy of the student generated magazine Agora.

LAUS Radio: Episode 5

To subscribe to LAUS Radio through iTunes, click here.

The College of the Liberal Arts would like to recognize Queen Nworisara Quinn, INTPL '01, on her 2010 Gates Cambridge Scholarship.  

The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are funded by the Gates Foundation's donation to the University of Cambridge in England.  The scholarship is designed to pay the tuition for students completing their master's or doctorate's at the University of Cambridge.  Since 2000, 911 students from 91 countries have been awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.  This year, over 800 students applied for the award and Queen was one of the 29 American recipients.  

Queen currently works in the Office of the Vice President for Infrastructure, Private Sector, and Regional Integration at the African Development Bank in Tunisia.  At the University of Cambridge, Queen will work towards a master's degree in Innovation, Strategy, and Organization as well as a Ph.D. in Management.  Please visit the Gates Cambridge Scholarships website to view Queen's full length profile.  

Congratulations to Queen on this prestigious scholarship.  

This year we are encouraging faculty in the College of the Liberal Arts who are teaching First Year Seminars to consider integrating social media technology into their courses to engage students around learning objectives central to their academic success.

At three points during the Fall 2010 semester, we will be feeding case studies and vignettes to the Penn State Rock Ethics Institute blog intended to encourage a conversation about the Penn State Principles and academic integrity. Hopefully, students will comment directly on the blog, adding to a College-wide conversation on ethical issues relevant to undergraduate education.

We also plan on holding two information sessions for freshmen to learn more about the opportunities and resources available to them as students in the College of the Liberal Arts.
One presentation will cover call enrichment activities like internships, education abroad, undergraduate research, and involvement in student and community organizations. The other session will (tentatively) cover advising and university resources (learning centers, CAPS, disability services, etc.)

For those faculty interested in thinking more broadly about how to integrate technology into their course, we are planning a First Year Seminar Summer workshop. The workshop will introduce ways to incorporate such social media technologies as blogging, podcasting, wikis, twitter, and YouTube into the First Year Seminar experience.  FYS faculty interested in this workshop should contact me at: longc@psu.edu. (Or you can direct message twitter me @LAUSDeanLong).

In the spirit of the dialogue these initiatives are designed to cultivate, I thought I might conclude with a specific question to all faculty and students who have read this post to this point:

Can you think of specific examples of how social media technology could be used in a First-Year seminar to deepen the educational experience of students and faculty?

Mark Fisher from the Rock Ethics Institute and Sam Loewner LAUC President join Associate Dean Long and Jillian Balay for the fourth episode of LAUS Radio.

In Episode 4, Mark discusses the Rock Ethics Institute's new social media campaign. In particular, he shares how The Rock is hoping to engage the undergraduate student body with the launch of their new Speak Up blog. He encourages students to join discussions concerning a wide range of ethical questions and debates. The group talks about how social media might help to generate provocative and informative conversations related to these topics.

Also, Sam Loewner gives us a recap of THON 2010. Specifically, he talks about this year's fundraising results and reveals how LAUC dancers Chrissy Boggs and Lauren Perrotti managed the 46 hours of dancing.

Lastly, Jillian Balay thanks all those who helped to support last week's very successful United Way Book Sale. She also reminds listeners of a few important announcements, including Summer 2010 CLA online courses and the launch of LAUS' new The Education Abroad Experience blog.

LAUS Radio Episode 4

To subscribe to LAUS Radio through iTunes, click here.

Internship at Neurobehavioral Associates

Upon receiving an e-mail from the College of the Liberal Arts detailing an internship with Neurobehavioral Associates, a company dedicated to serving children, adolescents and adults with neurobehavioral disorders, Claire Semerjian (psychology) was immediately interested. When Penn State Liberal Arts alum and renowned psychologist Dr. Vincent Culotta offered her the position, she eagerly accepted and began commuting two days a week from Washington, D.C. to Columbia, Maryland.

Working as the only undergraduate intern in the office, Claire played was able to observe many patient services. Her various responsibilities included watching Dr. Culotta or his colleagues administer psychiatric tests, interacting with young children while they participated in testing, and accompanying Dr. Culotta on his visits to school board hearings. Additionally, Claire conducted research for Dr. Culotta's future book. Claire's day would begin with a meeting with Dr. Culotta in which he would walk her through the disorders they would be addressing that day with a power point presentation, followed by a full day of patient appointments. One aspect of the internship Claire found particularly interesting was the school IEP hearings she attended, where she observed Dr. Culotta asking the school board to allocate funding so his patients could have access to special education.

The internship at Neurobehavioral Associates helped Claire understand how important people skills are to the psychology field. It was important not only to understand the problems the patients were having in school and at home, but also to accurately communicate with the parents and the children. Claire's experience as a Lion Ambassador at Penn State helped her maintain poise when interacting with patients and their families. Ranging in ages from five to seventeen, the patients were Claire's favorite part of the internship. She had direct hands-on experience with patients diagnosed with various neurobehavioral disorders, from Asperger's syndrome to various levels of ADHD.

This internship was Claire's first experience in the neurobehavioral field. In addition to learning an incredible amount about neurobehavioral disorders and how certain tests are administered, Claire also received advice concerning graduate schools and pursuing a career in psychology. Claire's Penn State coursework helped prepare her to be a successful intern. She entered the internship with a strong background in certain disorders and disciplined study habits, which helped her when conducting research for Dr. Culotta.

Claire is currently applying to graduate schools, although she may take a year or so off to gain additional research experience before starting a program. She recommends this internship as a rewarding opportunity for students interested in neurobehavioral psychology. To learn more about her experience at Neurobehavioral Associates, please contact Claire at chs5013@psu.edu.

Profile written by Julia Smith, College of the Liberal Arts Communications Intern

Vincent Culotta, Ph.D., '81 Psych, strongly believes that in order to be most prepared for their future, students should experience an internship, in addition to excelling in their classes. For this reason, Vincent hosted a Penn State intern at his company, NeuroBehavioral Associates, in Columbia, MD.

Vince is a licensed psychologist with subspecialty training in clinical neuropsychology. He earned his 'Ph.D. from the University of Memphis and is the president and owner of NeuroBehavioral Associates, a specialty practice serving children, adolescents and adults with known or suspected attention, learning, or neurodevelopmental disorders. NeuroBehavioral Associates provides a broad range of clinical and forensic consultation and assessment services as well a training site for masters and doctoral level graduate students in psychology.

Prior to founding NeuroBehavioral Associates, Vince held clinical and administrative positions in medical, rehabilitation, and private facilities treating children, adolescents, and adults with neurobehavioral disorders. He has authored several publications concerning neurodevelopmental disorders in children and has previously served as director of Neuropsychology in the Neurosurgery Division at the University of Maryland's Shock Trauma Center.

Vince knew the value of a Penn State education, as a psychology graduate of the college himself, and was aware that a Penn State psychology student could handle his organization's work environment and focus in neuropsychology. He enthusiastically accepted Claire Semerjian, a rising senior, for a summer internship with NeuroBehavioral Associates in 2009.

Claire was quickly put to work in NeuroBehavioral Associates and was given many relevant tasks including direct observation and participation in neuropsychological assessment, treatment planning and family meetings. Claire also accompanied staff on visits to school IEP meetings, organized data collection, and assisted in research for an upcoming book. Vince found Claire particularly useful when he was interviewing families of younger clients. These clients, ranging from ages five to seventeen, found comfort in talking to Claire because of their closeness in age; she was a student like them as well.

One of the most beneficial lessons of Claire's internship was the real-life learning and connecting a person to the issues she studied in the classroom. It was one thing to read about autism in a textbook, but completely another to hear first-hand from parents about their difficult journey of finding the right treatment for their child for their autistic child.

In the future, Vince and his staff would like to expand undergraduate internships and engage interns in more research activities so that they may be able publish a research paper in an academic journal, which is a mark of high distinction for a student and their scholarly abilities. Overall, he found that hosting a Penn State student intern was a win-win situation for both parties involved. NeuroBehavioral Associates became more productive during the summer with another helping hand, and Claire gained valuable professional skills and insight for her future career and education.

To learn more about sponsoring a student intern in your company, contact the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network at (814) 865-1070 or lanetwork@la.psu.edu.

All Employer Profiles written by Tara Enzmann, Liberal Arts Alumni and Development Intern

Internship at Penn State LGBTA Center

The Penn State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Ally (LGBTA) Student Resource Center focuses on educating students on sexual orientation issues in order to encourage acceptance and awareness.  The LGBTA offers numerous internships for students in areas such as writing, programming and events, straight talks, office resources, Greek outreach, and racial and ethnic outreach.
 
Yvette Lerma (senior, sociology major) receives Penn State credit through LA 495 (Liberal Arts Internship) as a Straight Talks Pro and Assessment Intern at the center.  Yvette was first introduced to this internship when she enrolled in BBH 251, a course taught by the LGBTA office directors.  The course trains students to conduct straight talks, in which a student panelist runs an open dialogue forum on sexuality in Penn State classes.

Yvette typically works twelve hours a week, and deals specifically with the Straight Talks programming.  Depending on what part of the semester it is, Yvette's duties vary.  She schedules Straight Talks dates and speakers, and trains students to become panelists so they can run the program on their own.  In the beginning of the semester, Yvette runs the majority of the straight talks due to the fact that she is still training most of panelists.  When Yvette trains panelists, she focuses on introducing them to the idea of public speaking and sharing their personal story in front of large audiences.  The curriculum involves discussing social justice, practicing delivery of their personal statement, and going through an FAQ session with the trainees.  Twice a semester, Yvette also  speaks in BBH 251 about peer education.  In addition to teaching, Yvette has been in the process of creating a Straight Talks Pro Guide Book.  Yvette received the manual as a ten page guide when she first began her internship and transformed it into a forty-five page comprehensive guide to answering difficult questions for panelists.    

One of Yvette's memorable tasks over her two years as a Straight Talks intern was running a lecture for student affairs professionals about how to deal with transgender students and address gender questions.  This experience helped her realize this internship could lead her to a career in college student affairs and that she wanted her future to involve educating.  Through her internship, Yvette came to realize she greatly enjoys working with and educating college students, and hopes to attend graduate school and get a masters in College Student Affairs.  She aspires to one day be the director of an LGBTA center while simultaneously teaching LGBTA focused college courses.

Yvette recommends LGBTA internships to students who are patient and who are willing to develop strong public speaking skills through experience.  Additionally, Yvette mentions that it is important for all interns to be passionate about LGBTA issues.  Students interested in hearing more about Yvette's internship experience can contact her at yil5036@psu.edu. 

If you are interested in an internship with LGBTA for the 2010-11 academic year, see the recent LAUS Announcement post for details.  Please note that the application deadline is Friday, March 5, 2010.

Last week we celebrated the work and dedication of the College of the Liberal Arts staff at the CLA 2010 Staff Awards Reception. A few Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies staff members were recognized in particular for their various achievements.



Karen Sones, CLJ and SOC Lead Adviser was presented with the Liberal Arts Staff Employee Recognition (LASER) Award. The LASER Award is the highest award a staff member in the College of the Liberal Arts can receive. See our original blog post about Karen's award for more details. 

Next, Tracey Melnick, ENGL Lead Adviser was recognized for her thirty years of service to the College of the Liberal Arts. 

Lastly, several LAUS employees were presented with Staff Enrichment Awards in recognition of their continuing education. Heidi Shoemaker, daughter of LAUS staff member Holly Dickey, was awarded the Children of Staff Scholarship Award. Heidi is currently a freshman Nursing major at Penn State Altoona. Jillian Balay of LAUS received a Staff Scholarship Award to support her as she works towards her MA in Art History at University Park.

Congratulations again to all of our LAUS staff.  We appreciate everything you do!

Visit the College of the Liberal Arts web site for a complete list of the 2010 CLA staff award winners.

Greetings! Let me begin by telling you a little bit about who I am. I grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. I majored in History and Political Science as an undergraduate at Kentucky State College. Plus, I have graduate degrees in Counseling and Child and Family Studies. Currently, I am the Coordinator of Multicultural Equity Programs in the College of the Liberal Arts. My duties focus on recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in the college. One of my goals in the work that I do is to help students find ways to challenge themselves and to take risks that will positively impact their undergraduate education.

Now that you know a little bit about me, allow me to share a story that reflects how I learned to navigate my own undergraduate experience. My adviser Dr. Smith was a stern looking person but was also very communicative when engaged by students. Dr. Smith helped me to develop as a student by taking on academic challenges. I clearly recall seeking his input on my course selection one semester. I was interested in taking an upper level course that was rarely offered. He encouraged me to reflect on the class environment I would be entering, as a sophomore taking a course with upper level students. He wondered if I would I be up to the challenge of mastering material without much prior exposure. He asked me to explain how I planned to overcome that potential challenge, since I expected to earn an A in the course. Dr. Smith equipped me to become an educated problem solver through this exercise of 'what if'. I assessed what I perceived to be the essential challenges that could occur and proposed possible solutions, thereby refining my risk taking skills. Based on my proposal he acquiesced to my request. In this course, I was thrust into a cohort of students that allowed my interpersonal and critical reasoning skills to evolve. I started examining materials beyond their surface meanings, seeking alternative explanations, proposing new directions to explore, and I developed a willingness to ask questions.

It is my belief that Liberal Arts students are uniquely gifted when they fully engage with the array of experiences offered at the University. Students should constantly ask what kinds of risks they can take to challenge and broaden their undergraduate experience.

What have been some of your growth producing experiences during your enrollment? What risks have you taken? Allow others to learn from your ventures.