Feedback from Research Mentees:
- “Towards the end of the spring semester of my freshman year, I decided to join a research lab to explore the field of psychology. At the time, I had barely begun the core curriculum of a psychology major. I was nervous about joining a lab but Meredith changed that for me. She was friendly and never got upset even when I asked her to walk me through how to conduct an interview with a participant for the 10th time. Summer passed and the fall semester of my sophomore year began. I was enrolled in statistics and was surprised to find out that one of my teaching assistants was Meredith. Had it not been for Meredith, preparing for my exams would’ve been much more difficult. She took time out of her already busy schedule to create PowerPoint reviews and games and to host supplemental instruction sessions―all to help prepare us students. And when I happened to send an email out to her the day before an exam, she replied promptly, addressing all my concerns. It has now been about a year since I first joined a research lab and now Meredith is helping myself and another fellow research assistant prepare posters to present in a competition. Even now, she takes time out of her schedule to work with the two of us separately and when I ask her to explain SPSS syntax for the third time in a row, she explains it differently each time, molding the explanation until it fits my understanding. Meredith has been one of the most kind and patient mentors I’ve ever worked with. Because of her, I’m not so afraid of the path I’ve chosen. “ –Christy Thai, undergraduate (See Christy’s poster: “Does Parenting Prevent Hopelessness in Low Income Youth?“)
- “My first year in the research lab, I met Meredith and other the other research assistant who had been in the lab for a few years. Being new to the lab, I needed a lot of help in learning how to work the computer and other general processes of the lab. Meredith regularly took time to help me learn the processes of the lab and even let me call her when she wasn’t in lab to answer questions. She was both helpful and happy to help. Now, two years later, her helpfulness continues. She is a head research assistant in the research lab that I work in and is helping me prepare a poster for an undergraduate psychological research competition. More than just showing me the ropes of how do work in SPSS and in designing a poster, she takes the time to truly explain the system in a way that I, a beginner, can understand. She is a wonderful mentor.” —Victoria Hirsch, undergraduate (See Victoria’s poster: “Bullying, Academic Performance, and High School Dropout in Adolescence“)
Feedback for PY 716-L:
- “This instructor (student teaching assistant) was very willing to help and explain concepts to students. You can tell that she cares about students’ learning. She was very responsive to email and questions and I really appreciate her nice demeanor in dealing with students. Unfortunately, I do not feel that the course was set up in a way that is conducive to learning at all. In each class period, we would go through syntax that was already written in the SAS statistical program. I actually found that I learned very little when it was set up this way. I think it would greatly improve the course to require students to write in the syntax as the class went each time.”
- “The instructor was available whenever I had questions, and she taught the course material well. My only complaint would be that she would deduct points when you had a correct answer and you chose a slightly different way to write the syntax. If different modes of doing something lead to the correct answer, I think that still warrants full credit.
- “I did not find this course helpful in learning how to effectively use SAS. She needed to incorporate problem solving and having us actually type out the syntax. I never felt like the lab was a good use of my time.”
New materials are being created to address students concerned for upcoming semesters.
Meredith A. Henry, Ph.D. 