PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

LinkedIn and PBS This year we will be increasing our presence on LinkedIn. We’ll be looking to increase the membership of PBS Department’s Group. We’re hoping to get undergraduates to join before they leave the University so they are connected with us after they graduate. Existing Alumni are also going to be a focus as well. Don’t know anything about LinkedIn? Here’s a link to give you a quick explanation.

November 18, 2016

Homecoming 2016 PBS hosted a meet-and-greet tent on MinuteFan Way prior to the UMass football game on Homecoming Weekend. The tent was hosted by Hal Grotevant, Rich Halgin, David Scherer, Becky Ready as well as several Psych majors. Current students and alumni stopped by to learn about recent developments in the department, with quite a bit of interest in discussing the department’s name change. The Committee on Alumni Relations and Development plans to expand PBS efforts to reach out to alumni both in personal contacts and via electronic communication. LinkedIn will receive increased attention so anticipate our reaching out.

New PBS Website! Matt Davidson and Michael McDermott have been very busy this past year to get our new website up and running. Congratulations to them and the committee for their hard work. Click here to check ithe website out!

We’re Hiring! We have an openings for a tenure track faculty position in Developmental Science and in Clinical Neuroscience. There are also two post-doc positions available in the NSB program. PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Jeffrey Blaustein Honored at Convocation

Jeff's well-deserved recognition is for his diverse research, studying the many effects of

estrogens and progestins on the brain. His lab has found that the effects of environmental factors (such as stress) also influence the effects of  hormones on the brain.   Learning how estrogens and progestins act in the brain and the many behaviors and aspects of mental health that they influence is possible thanks to the work done with animals.  The ovarian hormones that laboratory animals have are the same as those of women. The hormonal behaviors that can be researched include sexual desire, depression, anxiety, cognitive function, and sleep. Additionally, the researchers have seen how these hormones contribute to the relative preservation of neuronal structure and/or functions which are very helpful in the study of Alzheimer's disease.   As these hormonal cellular processes act in laboratory animals the same as those in women, it can and should be applied to an understanding of the impact in women's health.  

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

This knowledge can lead to therapies for the health problems influenced by these hormones. Jeff is interested in the possible negative effects of inhibitors of estrogens for women with breast cancer.  Although these inhibitors are prescribed for nearly all women with estrogen-sensitive, breast cancer, knowledge of the negative effects of these drugs on the brain, mental health, cognitive function, and sexual desire should be known and taken into account when assessing whether utilizing this kind of treatment in each case is warranted and worth the changes quality of life issues. This knowledge can lead to therapies for the health problems influenced by these hormones. Jeff is interested in the possible negative effects of inhibitors of estrogens for women with breast cancer.  Although these inhibitors are prescribed for nearly all women with estrogen-sensitive, breast cancer, knowledge of the negative effects of these drugs on the brain, mental health, cognitive function, and sexual desire should be known and taken into account when assessing whether utilizing this kind of treatment in each case is warranted and worth the changes quality of life issues. Although Jeff is stopping his research after running his own laboratory for 38 years, he plans to find as many outlets as possible to educate women and breast oncologists on the effects of estrogens on the brain.  As a known researcher in this field, Jeff has had many women write to him, sharing their stories of the negative effects of these estrogen inhibitors. Although inhibitors and the resulting quality of life changes are warranted in some cases, they may not be for women with a low likelihood of recurrence of the cancer.  It is Jeff's hope that quality of life issues are taken into account by breast oncologists and their patients. He will be working to get the word out and will be challenged to have breast oncologists listen and to get women informed and to listen. We look forward to seeing more from Jeff even in retirement.

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Nilanjana Dasgupta Honored at Convocation Nilanjana “Buju’s” research and outreach stand on their own. “Nilanjana (Buju) Dasgupta was drawn to the study of social inequality because of an interest in investigating its causes, and designing effective remedies using rigorous scientific methods. In particular, she’s interested in implicit bias—the automatic assumptions we make about groups of people without our realizing it. “Implicit biases are shaped by societal stereotypes or expectations about groups of people: who do we assume is dangerous, who is safe; who is smart, who is not; who is rational, who is emotional,” explains Dasgupta, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Director of Faculty Equity and Inclusion at the UMass Amherst College of Natural Sciences. “These assumptions are oftentimes unspoken and held in mind without awareness. They may ‘leak out’ in our actions and silently distort our judgments of, and behavior toward, others. Most of us hold them, to one degree or another.” One thread of Dasgupta’s research looks at how implicit bias exacerbates a problem with significant implications for academia, the American workforce, and U.S. competitiveness in the global economy. Called the “leaky pipeline,” it leads many girls and women to shy away from STEM fields or leave these fields prematurely, often despite good performance.” Read more of this article

Chosen by the National Science Foundation SBE Distinguished Lecture Series 2015-2016, Buju gave her speech titled, “STEM-ing the tide. How female experts and peers act as “social vaccines” to protect young women’s self-concept in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math” “We usually think of performance as determining whether somebody pursues a field of study. But one thing I’ve learned from my research is this - for women in STEM, in particular- performance is not the ingredient that will tell me who is susceptible to PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

leaving. The critical ingredient is whether they feel they fit in. Belonging is just another way of saying, ‘Do I belong here?’” Buju was also interviewed on Morning Edition, NPR where she shared that women in these fields should work together in teams. That way they won’t be overwhelmed by the overwhelming number of males on a team. She also stated that having female colleagues helps boost confidence and self-esteem. This research brought up an interesting side story when a University of Cincinnati professor was said to be violating Title IX by segregating students by gender in his class. Professor Dasgupta’s research was cited stating that it was found that undergraduate women in engineering show less anxiety, participate more when they are in groups where women are in the majority. You can read more about this here. And to cap it all off, Buju has been selected as a Distinguished Faculty Lecturer for the 2016-2017 academic year..Her lecture is scheduled for Monday, March 6th at 4pm in the Bernie Dallas Room in the Goodell Building. Congratulations Buju! 3

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

REMEMBERING

Sy Epstein

Seymour Epstein, 91, died in his Amherst, Massachusetts home Friday, May 20, 2016 from complications resulting from severe aortic stenosis. He slipped away peacefully with family present. Known to his friends, colleagues, and family as Sy, he was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. After serving in the U.S. Army in France during World War II, Sy finished his B.A. in psychology at Brooklyn College and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Wisconsin in 1953. It was there that he met his wife, Alice Hopper, who was completing her master’s degree in mathematics. They moved to Amherst, where Sy began his career as an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts and they raised their two daughters.Alice and Sy were inseparable until her death in 2013 A professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts from 1953 to 1997. Across his career and even into his retirement,

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Dr. Epstein’s primary research interest, and what he considered his greatest professional achievement, was developing a unified theory of personality based on the brain’s dual-learning processes. His views in this area are captured in his book CognitiveExperiential Theory: An Integrative Theory of Personality, published by Oxford University Press in 2014. The following quote of Dr. Epstein’s (April 5, 1988 New York Times Science Times article by Daniel Goleman) captures the idea central to Dr. Epstein’s personality theory “In a sense, there are two minds. One, the experiential mind, has to do with how you react to the world emotionally…It has nothing to do with I.Q. The other, the rational mind, .. has little to do with success in living.” Prior to the availability of modern neuroscience techniques, Dr. Epstein posited that humans have two very different learning systems that are both adaptive, both have unique strengths and weakness and, together, influence all behavior. One learning system, shared with higher-order animals, is automatic, associative, learns directly from experience, and often operates outside of our awareness. He called this the experiential system. Starting with one’s individual genetic profile, the learning that takes place automatically via this system crafts each person’s unique identity, self-concept and world view. Of course, humans also have a sophisticated rational system that operates deliberately, rationally and verbally. Without this learning system, mankind could not have developed sophisticated language and tools that have enabled our greatest accomplishments. This is also the system that we tap to explain our behavior—sometimes called incorrectly. Dr. Epstein called this the rational system. 4

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter These ideas, captured in greater detail in psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman May 27th 2016 blog, An Ode to Seymour Epstein, Originator of Modern Dual-Process Theory (1925-2016), have broad implications including for education, psychotherapy, politics, decision-making , etc. In fact, his bestselling book “Thinking, Fast and Slow”, Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman distinguished between two separate decision-making systems. Many may not know that the distinction between those two systems is rooted in modern dual-process theory, pioneered by Seymour Epstein The concept of emotional intelligence can also be traced to Dr. Epstein’s dual-process theory. Dr. Epstein developed the Constructive Thinking Inventory, a test that measures success in living skills. Epstein’s research showed that one’s ability to manage one’s emotions determined how well one exploits one’s intellectual ability. Writing for the New York Times (April 5, 1988) Daniel Goleman summarized the finding as follows, “One factor emerging as crucial for life success is what might be called emotional intelligence.” (italics added). The rest is history, as the term “emotional intelligence” is now part of our collective vocabulary. Dr. Epstein wrote two books summarizing his research in this area and its implications: You’re Smarter Than You Think: How to Develop Your Practical Intelligence for Success in Living (Simon & Schuster, 1993) and Constructive Thinking: The Key to Emotional Intelligence (Greenwood Publishing, 1998).

November 18, 2016 subjects, Sy had over one hundred fifty professional publications and presented his research findings at many national and international conferences. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provided research support for Dr. Epstein for an impressive forty-four consecutive years. His work was recognized through many awards including the Clarke-Lecky Memorial National Award (1981), University of Massachusetts chancellor’s Award as well as the University’s Faculty Fellowship Award. Additional awards include The Murray Award (2001) for contributions to personality psychology and four NIMH awards (two Research Scientist Awards and two Merit Awards). Dr. Epstein and his wife, Dr. Alice Epstein, also worked to preserve the land in their beloved South Amherst. They cut trails and built bridges over brooks on their land which later was sold to the Mt Holyoke Range State Park. Their enhancements to the land are now enjoyed by park visitors. In summer 2015, and orchestrated by the Kestrel Land Trust, an additional 20-acre parcel of the Epstein’s property became part of the Sweet Alice Conservation Area (named after Alice Epstein). Donations in Sy’s memory can be made to the Kestrel Land Trust, P.O. Box 1016, Amherst, MA 01004 or Dakin Humane Society P.O. Box 6307, Springfield, Massachusetts 01101 You will be missed Sy.

Dr. Epstein’s early research interests focused on stress and coping. Not satisfied with studying this in a fabricated setting, he used sport parachuting as a natural laboratory. He also made considerable contributions to methods in personality research. Spanning these and other

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Dr. Berhard Leidner wins NSF-BSF Grant

Program faculty Dr. Berni Leidner received a new grant to study how past collective trauma of suffering and perpetrating intergroup violence can facilitate or prevent intergroup violence in the present. Together with Co-PI Dr. Gilad Hirschberger from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel, Dr. Jiyoung Park (UMass), and students Mengyao Li and Quinnehtukqut McLamore (both UMass) and Mabelle Kretchner (IDC), Dr. Leidner will test a comprehensive theoretical approach that links collective trauma and future intergroup violence. The project will be funded by the U.S National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) for the next three years. The most defining feature of conflict between groups is also the most challenging to address: the suffering and perpetration of violence. Intergroup violence inflicts collective trauma for both victims and perpetrators, albeit in different ways. A growing field of research identifies such past experiences of trauma as an obstacle to conflict resolution. The collective memory of past trauma that implicates another group can PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

facilitate and escalate conflict with that group long after those events. Understanding such issues may help society develop more peaceful interactions between groups in conflict within a society as well as between nations. One aim of this new project is to understand how collective trauma perceptions can differ in ways that escalate or deescalate conflict. Among perpetrators, those who glorify their group should see their group's collective trauma of perpetrating violence as a threat to the group's image, whereas those who do not glorify their group should see it as a challenge. Among victims, those who glorify their group should see their group's collective trauma of suffering violence as a threat to the group's existence, whereas others should see it as a challenge and potential for growth. The second aim is exploring how historical representations of trauma affect motivation and intention to act. Cognitive representations of past trauma in terms of threat should make people defensive and take measures that ultimately facilitate future violence. Representing past trauma in terms of challenge should reduce defensive behavior and ultimately prevent future violence.

The third aim is testing whether individuals with different historical representations of trauma have cardiovascular responses that reflect threat versus challenge stress responses. The fourth aim is determining whether experimental manipulations can shift threat representations into becoming challenge representations. To test these aims, the investigators use multiple methods, including selfreport measures and impedance cardiography. This research will be conducted in multiple countries that have experienced collective trauma, and can generate knowledge that could improve societal outcomes related to large-scale conflict. In addition, the project may inform efforts to develop evidence-based interventions that deal with collective trauma and the violence that stems from it.

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Michael Constantino Leads Study to Match Patients with Mental Health Providers A research team led by University of Massachusetts Amherst clinical psychology professor Michael Constantino will launch a study this month to enhance mental health care by scientifically matching patient needs to clinical providers’ strengths. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a federal agency, recently approved just over $1.7 million in funding for the plan.

Constantino will collaborate with researchers and clinicians at the University at Albany, SUNY, Outcome Referrals, Inc., and Atrius Health. They will compare the effectiveness of a new, scientifically based patient-provider match system for mental health treatment to the more traditional method known as “pragmatic case assignment,” which is based on provider availability, convenience or self-reported specialty.

November 18, 2016

Nilanjana Dasgupta Gives NSF Distinguished Lecture on Women’s Success in STEM Fields Nilanjana “Buju” Dasgupta, psychological and brain sciences and director of the College of Natural Sciences’ faculty equity and inclusion initiative, recently gave a distinguished lecture at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Va., as a guest of the agency’s directorate of social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Dasgupta’s research has focused in part on understanding the subtle ways in which stereotypes influence young peoples’ choices of academic majors and careers and identifying how to change them. In particular, she focuses on girls and women who have full potential to succeed in careers in science, technology, and engineering, and why they may choose not to pursue such careers. Read more

PBS Welcomes Susan Young as Director of Finance and Operations The Psychological and Brain Sciences Department is pleased to introduce Susan Young, the department's first Director of Finance and Operations. Reporting to the Chair of the Department, Susan will provide management and supervision for the financial and technical operations of the department and will be responsible for the financial and facilities activities that support the academic, research, and outreach missions. As Chief Financial Officer, she will provide strategic analysis and forecasting of financial scenarios and will make recommendations for the development of new income streams. Additionally Susan will oversee the planning, development, and implementation of departmentwide information technology tools and ensure that appropriate training is available for changing Read more

Read more PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Remage-Healey, Starns and Deater-Deckard Receive Tenure Congratulations to all!

Rich Halgin and Umass Minutemen Hockey Richard Halgin at a gathering of the UMass Minutemen Hockey coaching staff. The new coach of the Minutemen, Greg Carvel (front row, far left) has invited Rich to continue in his role as faculty mentor and consulting psychologist for the team, which Rich has done for the past 20 years. Why change what has worked so well for all these years. Congrats Richard.

Luke Remage-Healey

Jeffrey Starns

Joonkoo Park Speaks with Sy Becker on WWLP At the Umass Center at Springfield recently, UMass professors shared some of their long-term goals to improve the health of western Massachusetts children, including improving their attitudes around math. Joonkoo was interviewed and said that “basic negatives can come from a pre-school age.” He stated he now works with children as young as 3 years to help put a positive spin on teaching math.

Kirby Deater-Deckard PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Click here for the original piece. 8

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Gisele Litalien Named Associate Director of Center Sisele Litalien, an administrator with 20 years of experience leading, developing and supporting nonprofit organizations that work with youth and families, has been named associate director of the Center for Research on Families (CRF). She will oversee CRF’s daily operations, working closely with CRF faculty director Maureen Perry-Jenkins on a planned Springfield outreach initiative, supporting scholars in the CRF Family Research Scholars (FRS) program and developing more resources for the center.

Recent Publications in the Psychotherapy Lab

Litalien most recently served as director of the Northfield Mount Hermon Upward Bound program. While there, she helped families applying for college and provided students the skills and motivation necessary to succeed in high school and college, from SAT

Rebecca Spencer Writes about STEM Family Travel Initiative Bekki’s research was cited in an article about small business owners needing to get enough sleep. Along with Barbara Z. Pearson, linguistics and Office of Research Development, they write about the STEM family travel initiative at UMass Amherst that helps faculty parents travel and attend careerbuilding events such as conferences. (Association for Women in Science, Summer 2016) Read more

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Constantino, M. J., Coyne, A. E., & Gomez Penedo, J. M. (in press). Contextualized integration as a common playing field for clinicians and researchers: Comment on McWilliams. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. Constantino, M. J., Morrison, N. R., Coyne, A. E., Goodwin, B. J., Santorelli, G. D., & Angus, L. (in press). Patients' perceptions of corrective experiences in naturalistically-deliverev psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session. Constantino, M. J., Coyne, A. E., Luukko, E. K., Newkirk, K., Bernecker, S. L., Ravitz, P., & McBride, C. (in press). Therapeutic alliance, subsequent change, and moderators of the alliance-outcome association in interpersonal psychotherapy for depression.Psychotherapy. Constantino, M. J., Laws, H. B., Coyne, A. E., Greenberg, R. P., Arnow, B. A., Klein, D. N., ... Manber R. (2016, October 17). Change in patients' interpersonal style as a mediator of the alliance-outcome association in treatment for chronic depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ ccp0000149 9

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

NEW LOOK Enter the frosted glass doors of Tobin 123 and the waiting room for the PSC looks the same as it has for the past four or five years, with the exception of the classy room dividers that provide privacy for clients. There are changes to the physical structure of the PSC, however, that are apparent once one has gone beyond the waiting area into the clinic itself. Following the laborious asbestos abatement project, removing old soundproofing materials from the smaller therapy rooms, attractive new soundproofing was attached to the walls, giving the rooms a fresh new look. Attractive artwork in all of the therapy rooms, and colorful rugs have added warmth to all of the rooms where students work with clients for assessment or therapy.

In the PSC, we welcomed Dr. Christopher Martell as Director of the Clinic Dr. Martell is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and The Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT). He is a Past-President of

Psychological

Physical updates are not all that has occurred in the PSC since this past summer. In late May, the PSC welcomed Sarah Martin, as the Clinic Secretary. Sarah joined the staff just in time to help coordinate the temporary move during construction, and the return to Tobin 123. She has been a quick study, bringing years of experience to the position, and she is now a familiar face for graduate students and clients when they enter the main office. Sarah comes to us with years of experience the health care field including as Unit Coordinator for the Child and Adolescent floor of the Providence Behavioral Health Hospital. Sarah has B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Business Management.

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

the Washington State Psychological Association and of APA Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues). Since 1996 Dr. Martell has been involved in psychotherapy research teams as a research therapist, therapy supervisor, consultant or coinvestigator. He has conducted workshops for therapists around the world on behavioral activation (BA) treatment for depression and on LGBTaffirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapies. Dr. Martell is first author of three books and a coauthor of five other books including two major texts on BA Depression in Context: Strategies for Guided Action with Michael Addis, Ph.D. and Neil S. Jacobson, Ph.D., published by W. W. Norton in 2001 after Neil Jacobson's untimely death; and Behavioral Activation for Depression: A Clinician’s Guide with Sona Dimidjian, Ph.D. and Ruth Herman-Dunn, Ph.D. published in 2010. 10

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

NEW PEOPLE

With multiple health treatment centers on a large University campus, things can be confusing. The PSC plays a unique role in the Umass community. It has a distinct purpose from other clinics and services on campus.

For one thing, the PSC is a training center (practicum site) for PBS and School of Psychology doctoral students. Also, the PSC strives to meet the outpatient counseling needs of the wider community (Amherst and surrounding communities) as well as UMass students.. A very symbiotic relationship forms. Clients that can benefit from outpatient treatment are served while helping doctoral students to become competent psychological providers and at a rate that

Services Provided at the PSC General Adult Psychotherapy Outpatient - Short and Long-term therapy We work with the full range of mental health conditions with the exception of individuals who require acute or emergency interventions. Child, Adolescent, Family and Couples Therapy Services focus on individual psychotherapy for children and adolescents, parenting support counseling and parenting training, school consultations, family therapy or an integrations of any of the above.

Service Center is affordable.

Unlike other centers on campus, the PSC is a fee-forservice clinic and is not funded by student fees of any sort. Uniform low-rate therapy rates are charged to all clients (student or community). Note that the PSC is not part of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH) which is funded inpart by student fees and ins urance. The CCPH does offer some limited free services to UMass students. PSC also accepts referrals from CCPH and may be able to see clients for a longer term treatment if needed. PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program Over two decades of scientific research has shown that DBT is an effective treatment for clients struggling with emotion regulation difficulties, borderline personality disorder, self-injury or other self-destructive behaviors. Low-Fee Psychological Assessment Program Our low-fee assessment program provides reduced cost psychological assessments to members of the community, both on and off campus. The specialized clinical assessment teams can conduct full psychological assessment batteries (cognitive, emotional, and projective testing), neuropsychological testing, learning disability and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. Consulting services with parents and schools about educational accommodations and coping with academic difficulties is also available. Fees vary from $250-$1,000 determined by services provided and family income levels. 11

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Kirby Deater-Deckard

Youngbin Kwak

Berni Leidner

PBS Grad Students and Faculty Connect with 
 Springfield Schools Students As part of the Healthy Development Initiative at UMass Center @ Springfield (http://healthydevelopment.org), faculty and graduate students from DeaterDeckard, Kwak, Leidner, Joonkoo Park, and Sanders labs led a series of workshops on brain development, learning, and technology with 225 elementary, middle and high school students from Springfield area schools. The workshops were offered throughout October as part of the Springfield UMass Center's College Matters for U program (https://umasscenteratspringfield.org/collegematters-u-0), as part of Springfield Public Schools' College & Career Awareness Month. There were many other UMass programs and departments that also participated. As part of the program, students interact with UMass faculty and graduate students, do hands-on activities in the Center's state of the art computer lab and classrooms, and learn about opportunities for advanced education and career preparation. The workshops will continue as part of the College Matters for U program throughout the academic year, as several school groups per month visit the UMass Center @ Springfield.

Joonkoo Park

Amanda Cremone, a doctoral student in neuroscience and behavior, writes a column describing her research into whether children with attention-deficit-hypractivity disorder might benefit from longer periods of sleep. Read more

Lisa Sanders PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Charisse Pickron Awarded SRCD Dissertation Proposal Award Charisse Pickron '15 MS, has been awarded the 2016 Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) Student and Early Career Council Dissertation Research Funding Award for her dissertation titled Examining Infants' Kindbased Individuation of Face Gender and Race. The $2000 award is awarded to less then 10 students and is "...for dissertation research proposals that merit special recognition and display the strong potential to contribute to the field of child development."

November 18, 2016

Rebecca Spencer Part of $1.23 Million NIH Grant Rebecca Spencer is to be part of the interdisciplinary team who will be working on a $1.23 Million NIH Center Grant to Study Management of Fatigue and Sleep in Chronic Illness. The grant was awarded to the College of Nursing. This just on the heels of a sleep fair where over 600 people attended. The fair was co-sponsored by the Center for Health Promotion and Campus Recreation. Rebecca Spencer, spoke later that day at an event titled “Sleepless at UMass” regarding sleep and its many benefits and challenges.

David E Huber Comments on Hurricane Matthew’s “skull” David E. Huber, psychological and brain sciences, comments in a story about why people tend to see faces in objects, such as a satellite photo of Hurricane Matthew that appears to show a skull. “Your brain is constantly trying to make the most out of just the tiniest thing,” he says. “You’re sort of in overdrive in imagining from limited information that there is a face.” He says humans are wired to see faces. Read more

Read more

Stellan Vinthagen and Leverett peace activist Paula Green travel to Jordan

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Stellan Vinthagen, sociology, who holds the Endowed Chair in Nonviolent Direct Action and Civil Resistance, helped local peace activist Paula Green train 10 former Israeli soldiers and 10 former Palestinian militants to work as “combatants for peace.” The long, ongoing conflict is showing signs of hopelessness and increased fear about the rising tensions, according to Paula Green. Even so, Vinthagen states he admires this group of “combantants for peace.” “This is a completely unique group. There’s no other area of the world where we have an ongoing world conflict, with ex-combatants from both sides united in one bi-national group fighting for a peaceful solution.” 13 Read more

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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November 18, 2016

Alumni Adam St. Jean is currently working as an operations manager for Match Beyond, a hybrid college and jobs program that seeks

unprecedented degree completion rates and employment outcomes. An entity of the innovative nonprofit charter school organization, Match Education, Match Beyond partners with College for America

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Miriam DeFant is newly appointed Project Director, Center for Professional and Community Education for the Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) Program at Clinical and Support Options,

ALUMNI

to offer low-income students in the Boston area an efficient and cost-effective way to earn college degrees. In addition, Match Beyond offers career coaching and supports students through the job obtainment process, with the ultimate goal of helping them progress along the career continuum. Feel free to contact Adam if you want to learn more about the program.

Inc in Northampton. This training institute offers educational programs to service providers, community partners, and the public on a variety of topics related to stress, trauma, wellness, and recovery. The STAR Program is funded through a multimillion dollar, multi-year SAMHSA grant for a Category III Community Treatment and Service Center. The STAR Program will be a node in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

NEWS

Tony McCaffrey's paper, "An Approach to Human-Machine Collaboration in Innovation," was just accepted for publication.

November 18, 2016

Hillary Hadley accepted a job as a Post Doctoral Fellow at Northeastern University.

Felicia Romano is now Project Coordinator for Mike Constantino’s Lab here at Umass Amherst. Specifically she

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is working on the PatientCentered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funded project, “Enhancing mental health by scientifically

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‘16 matching patients to providers’ strengths.

Tessa Lundquist accepted The paper contains a mathematical proof that there are limits to how creative a computer can be all by itself. This proof has implications for what can be achieved by artificial intelligence and machine intelligence. Instead of relying on the machine to be creative by itself, the paper presents an alternative model of how humans and machines can work together to help each other overcome their cognitive weaknesses to creativity. Specifically, the paper presents a new problem solving grammar and graphical method that are both human- and machine-friendly and thus permits easy collaboration between the two. Also, Rowman & Littlefield offered a contract to Tony McCaffrey to write a book tentatively entitled "Overcome Any Obstacle to Creativity." The book begins with the new theory of innovation articulated in Tony's dissertation and then describes many new techniques based on the theory that help people become more creative and better problem solvers. The book will be published in 2017.

PBS Fall Newsletter 2016

a job at Child and Family Psychological Services in Boston. Her title is Geropsychologist.

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Mindi Rock, 
 Behavioral Scientist, AmazonSmile, Amazon in the greater Seattle area.

Dr. Rebecca Ametrano, former graduate student in

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‘12 the Psychotherapy Research Lab, has accepted a position as a Health Behavior Coordinator in the Office of Patient Centered Care at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

AUTISM & SPORTS

There are many treatments for the high levels of behavior problems seen in people with autism. What if an intervention as simple, inexpensive and safe as a jogging program reduced behavior problems in this population? Research done this summer by Ashley Woodman at the Boston Higashi School revealed that junior high students benefited from 20 minutes of daily jogging. Not only did jogging reduce the students' behavior problems, but it improved time spent on task in the classroom.

Findings from this study were featured in a 60 Minutes Sports special on autism and sports (aired 11/1/16). Recent alumna Shelby Ripa and current seniors Emily Starratt (left) and Emily Breviglia (right) contributed to this project.

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Ashley Woodman Earns Public Service Endowment Grant

Spencer Examining Sleep’s Role in Memory and Learning

Ashley Woodman, Psychological and Brain Sciences, is one of five faculty that has received a Public Service Endowment Grants (PSEG) from a special campus fund designed to boost outreach and extend the campus resources into the surrounding community. Woodman, Director of the concentration in developmental disabilities, is receiving $5,800 to develop and implement a respite care curriculum for people with disabilities in Hadley. In conducting surveys, focus groups and interviews, she will give undergraduate research assistants a chance to participate in community-based research and create a database of respite care providers that staff can draw upon when making referrals to families of children with disabilities. 
 Read more.

Rebecca Spencer says a new study that looks at factors such as heartrate variability during sleep may provide new insights into how sleep and memory are connected. The new study looked at electrical activity in the brain during sleep but also measured variations in heart beats. “There is a good possibility that this additional measure [heart-rate variability] may help account for discrepant findings in sleep-dependent memory consolidation literature,” Spencer says. She also says sleep researchers may be depending too much on sleep physiology from the central nervous system. (The Scientist, 6/13/16)

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Jakob Attends Higher Education Resource Services Institute (HERS) Beth Jakob, professor and associate dean for student success at the Graduate School, is one of four faculty members chosen to attend the Higher Education Resource Services Institutes (HERS), a leadership development program for women. The four join a cadre of more than two dozen other administrators and faculty members who have attended the intensive residential leadership and management training institutes that are offered at the University of Denver, Bryn Mawr College and Wellesley College. Since 1976, more than 5,000 women from more than 1,200 campuses in the U.S. and abroad have participated in HERS institutes. “HERS is dedicated to creating and sustaining a community of women leaders through leadership development programs and other strategies with a special focus on gender equity within the broader commitment to achieving equality and excellence in higher education.”Read more 17

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

IMMIGRATION AND NATIVE RELATIONS In light of heated public debates and continuing immigration to the U.S., it is as important as ever to understand how racial, ethnic, and immigrant communities relate to each other. Surveying hundreds of the U.S.-born and foreign-born populations in Philadelphia, our research examines the nature and consequences of contact between these communities, investigating questions such as:

Left to right: Okamoto, Marrow, Tropp, Jones-Correa

- How much contact do different U.S.-born and immigrant communities have with each other? - Where do they encounter each other, and how do they feel about their interactions? - How much are they willing to trust and welcome each other into local communities? - How do their social relations affect civic life, and what factors are needed to build trust and increase participation in civic life among both U.S.-born and immigrants? For more information about the study, please visit: http://philadelphia-atlanta.weebly.com /

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

The four joint Principal Investigators on our project "Immmigrant-Native Relations in 21st Century America: Intergroup Contact, Trust, and CivicEngagement" (including Dina Okamoto, Sociology, Indiana University; Helen Marrow, Sociology, Tufts University; (Liinda Tropp, PBS, UMass Amherst); Michael Jones-Correa, Political Science, University of Pennsylvania). Linda and the team traveled back to Philadelphia (one of their field sites) to share preliminary research findings with city officials and non-profit organizations at Philadelphia's City Hall this past September. Opening remarks were from Deputy Managing Director of Community Services and the Director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs for the City of Philadelphia.

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

Umass Student Adoption Advisory Board (USAAB)

The mission of the UMass Student Adoption Advisory Board (USAAB) is to advise professionals and non-professionals in the field of adoption about how to best support those who are adopted and their families. In addition, the group will engage in adoption related advocacy by raising awareness on campus about the lived experience of those who are adopted. Students pictured from left to right are: Ashley Boudreau, Peter McGinn, Zoe Rowe, Emma Sander (kneeling), Victoria Griswold, Scott Seskevich, Micki McGinnis, Joe Gomolson.

[email protected]

Any student who is adopted and would like to learn more about USAAB or the Adoption Mentoring Partnership (AMP) can contact Emma Sanders at

Michael Constantino President Elect of APA Division 29 Congratulations to Mike! He is president elect of the APA Division 29, Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy. This is a tremendouss honor for Mike.

Nicholas Morrison Nominated Nicholas Morrison, a graduate student in the Psychotherapy Research Lab, was selected as one of two nominees to be on the slate for the position of Chair of the Student Development Committee for Division 29 (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy) of the American Psychological Association. PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Rebecca Spencer’s research cited Bekki’s researchh wes cited in an article about small business owners needing to get enough sleep. Read more 19

PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

New Faces

Zachery Salander 
 Developmental

Sarah McCormick
 Developmental

Diego Lopez
 Developmental PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Jeffrey Durbin
 Cognitive

Ian von Falkenhausen
 Cognitive

Joel Ginn 
 Social

Deborah Wu
 Social

Quinnehtukqut McLamore
 Social

Michael Broggi
 Clinical

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

November 18, 2016

New Faces

Alexandrea Craft
 Clinical

Lindsey Conkey
 Clinical

Miriam Munoz
 NSB

Melis Ulug
 Social Post Doc

Maggie Bruce
 NSB Grad Students not pictured Brendan Abbott - NSB
 Matias Andina - NSB
 Ramiro Reyes - NSB
 Idil Tuncali - NSB

Sungha Nielsen
 Clinical PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

Linda Tropp Publishes a Letter-To-TheEditor in the Wall Street Journal Linda R. Tropp published a letterto-the-editor to the Wall Street Journal where she says increased racial diversity on college campuses can reduce prejudice and foster understanding between different groups of people. “Our review of more than 500 studies shows that greater mixing across racial lines can reduce prejudice, and such benefits can be achieved even when the groups interact under less than optimal conditions.”

November 18, 2016

Beth Jakob’s Eye-Tracker for Spiders Valuable Tool for Researchers Research conducted by Elizabeth M. Jakob, psychological and brain sciences and associate dean of the Graduate School, looks at the eye movements of jumping spiders. She has developed an eye-movement tracker for studying the tiny spiders that is now being used by other researchers Read more.

Ervin Staub Helps New Orleans Police Training Ervin Staub, emeritus professor of psychological and brain sciences, has helped the New Orleans police develop a program to teach officers how to intervene when they see fellow officers on the verge of unethical behavior. The program builds on Staub’s research into bystander behavior and how people respond to violence and intimidation. (Orange County Register, 8/28/16)

Read more

Buju Dasgupta Selected as a Distinguished Faculty Lecturer for 2016-2017

Congratulations! PBS Fall 2016 Newsletter

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