Senior Psi Chi co-presidents win 2014-2015 Thelma Hunt Research Grant

October 24, 2014 – Shannon Reilly and Christina Sharkey, senior Psi Chi co-presidents, won the 2014-2015 Psi Chi Thelma Hunt Research Grant for their proposal entitled “Efficacy of a Psi Chi Peer Advising Network at Georgetown University,”  

Recognizing that the major, and the discipline as a whole, can be overwhelmingly diverse, they wanted to help students interested in psychology 1) navigate the major or minor, 2) learn how to get involved in research opportunities at Georgetown, and 3) become informed about professional development opportunities for graduate school and careers in psychology. To do this, the Psi Chi Peer Advising Network will harness the knowledge and skills of upperclassmen psychology majors and enable them to foster relationships with and pass on information to younger students interested in the discipline.

The proposed efficacy study seeks to investigate how effectively this program increases access to information about and engagement across the three program objectives (academics, research, and professional development) for advisees. For advisors, outcomes include reports of leadership skills and acceptances to internships and/or graduate school in psychology. Finally, the study examines whether these increases are mediated by participants’ satisfaction with the program.