Underrepresentation of diverse racial and ethnic groups continues to be prevalent in STEM fields across higher education and academia. The current Administrative Supplement aims to address this by funding Courtney Louis, a promising first-year Clinical Psychology graduate student from an underrepresented group (i.e., African-American), toward her goal of becoming a researcher at a major research institution. The Career Development Plan outlined in this application will substantially contribute to Courtney?s long-term career goal by providing her with the dedicated time, resources, training, and mentorship experiences necessary to become an expert in anxiety-related cognitive dysfunction, with a focus on detailing the neurobiological factors involved across levels of analysis. As an undergraduate and a post-baccalaureate research assistant at Hunter College, Courtney received invaluable training in Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary?s lab in utilizing electroencephalogram (EEG)/event-related potential (ERP) methods to examine relationships between anxiety and cognitive processes. In pursuit of obtaining comprehensive knowledge, she sought training in multiple areas, including becoming a psychological teaching assistant (TA) and volunteering at an in-patient psychiatric unit. During her first year as a graduate student in my lab at Michigan State University (MSU), she has begun to develop additional skills in advanced EEG signal processing analyses and hormone coding. Because Courtney received extensive EEG/ERP training prior to coming to MSU, she hopes to expand her methodological knowledge to include neurotransmitter and endocrine measures that have been shown to influence anxiety and neurocognitive processes. Adding these methodologies to her toolbox will significantly build on the foundational base Courtney had when coming to MSU. The rigorous training that MSU?s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program requires, however, places constraints on Courtney?s ability to engage in the integrative training plan and research outlined in this Administrative Supplement. Fortunately, due to receiving an Academic Achievement Graduate Assistantship (AAGA) upon admission to MSU, Courtney has made significant progress on her Master?s thesis and has been able to submit posters to two national conferences. This Administrative Supplement will allow Courtney to continue along this upward trajectory by providing her with the time, resources and mentorship needed to advance her training toward her ultimate career goal. Specifically, the proposal outlines a combination of comprehensive coursework, intensive summer training, execution of an independent research project, and publication and grant writing training that converge on helping Courtney build conceptual, methodological and analytic skills in mapping the involvement of neurotransmitter and endocrine system activity in the relationship between anxiety and working memory dysfunction. Three secondary mentors, Drs. D?Esposito, Thakkar, and Buchanan, will provide vital training and mentorship towards these aims. Drs. D?Esposito and Thakkar will mentor Courtney in cognitive neuroscience, with particular focus on neurotransmitter and endocrine factors that regulate working memory and cognitive control functions involved in psychopathology. Dr. Buchanan will provide professional development training for Courtney as a member of an underrepresented group. In sum, this Administrative Supplement will significantly contribute to enhancing ethnic and racial diversity in STEM fields in academia by supporting a burgeoning young scholar in pursuit of her goal to rise in the ranks as a clinical psychological scientist examining the role of neuroregulatory factors involved in anxiety-related cognitive dysfunction.
Underrepresentation of diverse racial and ethnic groups continues to be prevalent across higher education and a vast range of academic disciplines. The current Administrative Supplement aims to address this by funding a graduate student from an underrepresented group (i.e., African-American) in pursuant of her goal of becoming a clinical psychological scientist at a major research institution. The detailed career development plan will provide her with the training, research, and mentorship opportunities that will advance her toward her ultimate career goal.
