Psychology Department at UMD

🎉 Congratulations to Victoria Harrison!

Victoria successfully defended her master’s thesis on June 5, 2026, titled "The Effects of Status Change on Social Perceptions in the Workplace" as part of the University of Minnesota Duluth Master of Arts in Psychological Science (MAPS) program.

Victoria is a second-year graduate student in the Industrial/Organizational Psychology track of the MAPS program.

👏 Committee members:
• Dr. Alexandra Luong, Chair (Chair/Psychology)
• Dr. John Blanchar (Psychology)
• Dr. Lin Xiu (LSBE)

Many congratulations on reaching this milestone, Victoria! 🎓

UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions

🎉 Congratulations to Reanne Dwyer!

Reanne successfully defended her master’s thesis on May 29, 2026, titled "Aging S*x: Do Implicit Theories of S*xual Knowledge Predict Young Adults' Attitudes Toward Older Adult S*xuality?" as part of the University of Minnesota Duluth Master of Arts in Psychological Science (MAPS) program.

Reanne is a second-year graduate student in the Experimental Psychology track of the MAPS program.

👏 Committee members:
• Ashley Thompson (Chair, Psychology)
• John Blanchar (Psychology)
• Abel Knochel (Social Work)

Congratulations on reaching this milestone, Reanne! 🎓

UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions

🎉 Congratulations to Shaelyn Hostager!

Shaelyn successfully defended her master’s thesis on May 28, 2026, as part of the University of Minnesota Duluth MAPS program.

Her project, “For Whom is Dietary Tracking Problematic? An Exploration of Moderators in the Relationship Between Dietary Tracking and Negative Outcomes,” examined how nutrition tracking apps can impact mental health differently across individuals, including effects on motivation, anxiety, depression, and disordered eating.

Shaelyn is a recent graduate of the Clinical-Counseling Psychology track of the Master of Arts in Psychological Science (MAPS) program.

👏 Committee members:
• Lara LaCaille (Chair, Psychology)
• Rick LaCaille (Psychology)
• Stephanie Ho**er (Senior Research Investigator at HealthPartners)

Congratulations on this major milestone, Shaelyn! 🎓

UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions

📣 We’re Hiring!

The Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota Duluth is seeking an Office Admin Service Supervisor to help support the daily operations of our department.

This full-time, continuing civil service position plays an important role in supporting faculty, staff, and students through work in:

✔️ Budget & finance
✔️ Course scheduling & faculty workload
✔️ Student support services
✔️ Office management
✔️ Staff supervision
✔️ Hiring & administrative processes

📍 In-person position based in Duluth, MN
💼 Full-time, 12-month appointment
💰 $24.00–$26.50/hour
📅 Priority review begins May 27, 2026

We’re looking for someone who is organized, collaborative, detail-oriented, and excited to contribute to a dynamic academic environment.

To apply, submit:
• Resume
• Cover letter

For questions, contact Dr. Alexandra Luong at [email protected]

Learn more and apply here: humanresources.umn.edu/jobs
Job ID: 373832

Our latest Synergy newsletter has officially dropped! 📣 This year, we're exploring CEHSP’s high-impact practices (HIPs) — the evidence-based methods we use to improve student outcomes and foster real engagement.🚀✨ https://z.umn.edu/cehspsynergy

Inside the issue:

📍 Read about a new scholarship to support future educators during their foundational student-teaching experience.

📍 Learn about a new student club where inclusion is integral to everything they do

📍 Find out about how inquiry-based learning is being used to tackle complex questions in science education

📍 See how graduate practicums and research projects are defining professional paths.

UMD Department of Applied Human Sciences Psychology Department at UMD UMD Department of Education University of Minnesota Duluth - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Faculty Publication Alert!

Dr. Savanna Westrom is a co-author on a newly published article in the Maternal and Child Health Journal—recently featured in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention newsletter.

The study examines how COVID-19 precautions, limited access to lactation support, and the infant formula shortage collectively shaped breastfeeding experiences among parents in the Midwest.

This work adds to a growing body of research focused on strengthening support systems for families—especially during times of public health disruption.

🔗 Read the article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10995-026-04237-4

UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions

So proud of our psychology students who graduated today. Congratulations on this incredible achievement! 🎓 🤩 🎉

UMD MAPS Industrial/Organizational Psychology students and faculty spent last week in New Orleans attending the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference. SIOP one of the leading conferences in the field of I/O Psychology.

Our students, alumni, and faculty proudly represented UMD by presenting research on emotional labor, emotion regulation, feedback, AI in hiring, employee well-being, and workplace behavior.

📊 Research presented included:

▪️AI User Aversion: Consequences for Applicants Who Use ChatGPT. Authors: Alexandra Luong (UMD faculty), Victoria Harrison, Lucas Kerin, Anne Cooke, Maame Ofori (undergraduate student), and Madison Gardner (undergraduate student)

▪️ Detection of AI Usage in the Applicant Cover Letter. Alexandra Luong (UMD faculty), Victoria Harrison, Lucas Kerin, Anne Cooke, and Maame Ofori (undergraduate student)

▪️Demands and Drive: A Multiphasic Response Surface Analysis of Display Rules. Authors: Kyle Mann (UMD faculty), Adrian Parenteau, Annabelle Fries, and Kimberly E. O’Brien (Central Michigan University faculty)

▪️Regulatory Toolbelt: Examining Emotion Regulation with Response Surface Analysis. Authors: Kyle Mann (UMD faculty), Mina Hammer, and Kimberly E. O’Brien (Central Michigan University)

▪️The Impacts of Feedback Styles on Job Satisfaction and Turnover in the Workplace. Authors: Jonathan “Pierce” Butler, Kyle Mann (UMD faculty), and Kira Dupont

▪️Appraisal Discrepancies and Their Effects on Well-Being and Innovative Work Behavior. Authors: Luke Pederson (MAPS I/O alum), Julie Slowiak (UMD faculty), and Kyle Mann (UMD faculty)

👏 We’re proud to see UMD Psychology represented on a national stage and to celebrate the outstanding scholarship and professional engagement of our students and faculty!

UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions

🎉 Congratulations to Pierce Butler!

Pierce successfully defended his master’s thesis on May 7, 2026 as part of the University of Minnesota Duluth MAPS program.

His project, “The Impacts of Feedback Styles on Job Satisfaction and Turnover in the Workplace,” examined how positive and negative supervisor feedback influence employees’ job satisfaction and turnover intentions, while exploring the roles of trust-in-supervisor, feedback receptivity, and coworker support in shaping these workplace relationships.

Pierce is a second-year graduate student in the Industrial/Organizational Psychology track of the Master of Arts in Psychological Science (MAPS) program.

👏 Committee members:
• Kyle Mann (Chair, Psychology)
• Julie Slowiak (Psychology)
• Jonathan Lee (LSBE, Organizational Behavior)

Congratulations on this major milestone, Pierce! 🎓

UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions

Undergraduate Research Spotlight

UMD student Emily Anderson (Biology/Pre-med) presented her UROP project at UMD’s Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Showcase on April 28.

Working with Dr. Madeline Harms, Emily’s project, “Mitigating the Effects of Childhood Adversity and Unpredictability: The Role of Future Orientation in Delay Discounting Behavior Among College Students," examined how early life experiences shape decision-making, and whether a stronger future orientation can help buffer those effects.

👏 Great work, Emily, on sharing this important and impactful research!

UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions
UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering