Jennifer Beer

This course is designed to acquaint students with professional development issues that arise in the academic career with additional consideration of careers in industry. The class will focus on practical, "hands on" experience. The coursework consists of generating discussion, contributing peer feedback, talks, and grants more than reading of primary literature. The class begins with some general principles to keep in mind while in graduate school, then provides basic building blocks for effective grants, articles, research statements, and talks. 

Grant Writing for National Science Foundation

Mondays 9:30-12

Class Overview

This course is designed to acquaint students with grant writing for the National Science Foundation with a special focus on completing drafts of the components of the National Science Graduate Research Fellowship. The class will focus on practical, "hands on" experience. The coursework consists of generating discussion, contributing peer feedback, drafting and revising grant components, and participating in a mock study section.

Each class meeting will include a short lecture, class discussion, and writing time. The goal is to help students make as much concrete progress on their fellowship applications with the consideration that writing as well reviewing are important components in developing strong grant writing skills.

By the end of the class, students can expect to have improved (a) their writing skills, (b) their ability to write grants, articles, and research statements, (c) their ability to provide peer feedback in person and in written reviews, and (d) their knowledge about funding opportunities and procedures at the National Science Foundation.

The class meetings will be highly interactive. All students are expected to come with questions for discussion. 

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

This is a one-semester course designed to delve into the relationship between psychology and literature. The course addresses this relation in terms of character development, plot devices, and historical influences. For example, when an author creates a character, how much does the character’s psychological profile ‘ring true’ to what psychological science has learned about human nature? What makes a plot seem realistic and what makes us have to suspend disbelief and how is this related to whether the characters behave in the way psychologists would predict? Does enjoyment of a literary work require that we resonate with the characters and the choices they make? The course will pair literature with empirical and theoretical works from psychology.

This course is designed to acquaint students with professional development issues that arise in the academic career. The class will focus on practical, "hands on" experience. The coursework consists of generating discussion, contributing peer feedback, talks, and grants more than reading of primary literature. The class begins with some general principles to keep in mind while in graduate school, then provides basic building blocks for effective grants, articles, research statements, and talks.

Each class meeting with begin with a "Clarity in Thirty" session. The purpose of this session is to improve students' writing and ability to give peer feedback. In each session, a student will provide a paragraph from an article or grant they are working on. Students in the class will then provide feedback on how to improve the feedback.

By the end of the class, students can expect to have improved (a) their writing skills, (b) their ability to write grants, articles, and research statements, (c) their ability to provide peer feedback in person and in written reviews, and (d) their knowledge about issues to consider while on the job market and in early stages of postdoctoral positions or Assistant Professorship.

The class meetings will be highly interactive. All students are expected to come with questions for discussion. All readings are provided as a .pdfs and all lectures slides are provided as .ppts on Canvas.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

This is a one-semester course designed to delve into the relationship between psychology and literature. The course addresses this relation in terms of character development, plot devices, and historical influences. For example, when an author creates a character, how much does the character’s psychological profile ‘ring true’ to what psychological science has learned about human nature? What makes a plot seem realistic and what makes us have to suspend disbelief and how is this related to whether the characters behave in the way psychologists would predict? Does enjoyment of a literary work require that we resonate with the characters and the choices they make? The course will pair literature with empirical and theoretical works from psychology.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Seminars in Cognitive or Perceptual Systems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

This is a one-semester course designed to examine and evaluate the scientific literature on the psychology of human emotion. The course addresses a variety of questions to this end and draws on the perspective of both psychology and neuroscience.

What are emotions, anyway? Are they inherently related to facial expressions, to physiological processes, gestures, and other forms of behavior? What causes them to occur at a particular time and place? Are emotions inherently adaptive or maladaptive? Why is it difficult to concentrate when we are angry, disappointed, falling in love, grieving over loss, jealous or frightened? Why are emotions difficult to control? How are emotions related to psychopathology? Do different cultures have different emotions, express emotions differently or have different ways of talking and thinking about them? Do emotions change with psychological development? Are there sex/gender differences in emotion? What are the neurobiological bases of emotion?

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Course Description

This is a one-semester course designed to examine and evaluate the scientific literature on the psychology of human emotion. The course addresses a variety of questions to this end and draws on the perspective of both psychology and neuroscience.

What are emotions, anyway? Are they inherently related to facial expressions, to physiological processes, gestures, and other forms of behavior? What causes them to occur at a particular time and place? Are emotions inherently adaptive or maladaptive? Why is it difficult to concentrate when we are angry, disappointed, falling in love, grieving over loss, jealous or frightened? Why are emotions difficult to control? How are emotions related to psychopathology? Do different cultures have different emotions, express emotions differently or have different ways of talking and thinking about them? Do emotions change with psychological development? Are there sex/gender differences in emotion? What are the neurobiological bases of emotion?

Grading Policy

Grades are based on 3 midterm exams, a class project, and a take-home final exam.

Texts

None.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.

Seminars in Social and Personality Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.