Summer Employment Opportunity: Research Assistant in Psychology
Faculty in the Psychology Department are pleased to announce an excellent summer opportunity. A
grant from the American Psychological Association (APA) provides funds to support a student research
assistant in each of four labs. Students who are keen to develop their research interests and skills but
who have not yet had extensive research experience are encouraged to apply.
Eligible applicants must:
 be full time undergraduate students;
 have successfully completed a course in Research Methods;
 be eligible to work in the U. S. (citizen, permanent resident, work-compatible visa);
 commit to work full-time for 8 weeks between May 31 and August 6, 2016, without additional
employment or summer school during this period; and
 have had minimal to no hands-on research experience in psychology (i.e., at most, experience
equivalent to one semester of supervised research in a laboratory, such as PSYC 295/395).

*Students interested in the rat lab assistantship must undergo a (free, confidential) health risk
screening by an Occidental College medical professional as part of the application process.
Participating Labs and Supervising Faculty
Interested students should check the Department website (OXY.EDU/psychology/people), explore the
PsycINFO® research database, or contact participating faculty directly for information about their
research programs.
Rat Lab (Experimental, Comparative, Behavioral Neuroscience Psychology): Nancy K. Dess, PhD (323259-2570, dessnk@oxy.edu), and Clinton D. Chapman, PhD (323-259-2723, clint@oxy.edu)
Developmental (Social Developmental): Andrea Hopmeyer, PhD (323-259-2788,
ahgorman@oxy.edu)
Industrial-Organizational Lab: Brian Kim, PhD (323-259-2750, briankim@oxy.edu)
Psychophysiology Lab: Anne Schell, PhD (323-259-2798, schell@oxy.edu)
Type of Work
The experiences in which research assistants will engage will be, consistent with long-standing tradition
in the Department and at Occidental College, a rich one in terms of scientific content and skills, with
extensive, meaningful peer and faculty interactions. The objective is not merely to help faculty conduct
research but also to promote every student’s development as a scientific thinker and responsible,
collegial member of a scholarly community and thus enhance their opportunities to pursue independent
research during college and after graduation, if choosing to do so.
Specific responsibilities will, of course, vary across labs. However, all research assistants’ primary
activity will be direct, hands-on involvement with a faculty mentor’s empirical research project(s). They
will collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data; these activities will add to their skill at quantitative
reasoning and in utilizing computer applications such as Excel, SPSS, and/or SAS.
Research assistants must complete free, online training for the Responsible Conduct of Research (CITI
program) before beginning work. They will review key background literature to understand the
theoretical and empirical foundation of the research. They will find several new journal articles relevant
to their research to enhance skill at searching literature databases (primarily PsycINFO®).
Finally, research assistants will participate in the research community on campus. They will attend allcampus Wednesday lunches, will participate in smaller weekly “area” meetings facilitated by faculty, and
will present the results of their work at the end of the period, at a student research conference organized
by our college’s Summer Research Program.
Compensation
Research assistants will be paid $12 per hour. They also will receive a complimentary student
membership in APA and one of its divisions. Occidental College students, if hired, will also be offered a
room/board subsidy if they wish to live on-campus during this 8-week period.
Application
To apply, submit the following materials in electronic form by e-mail to the Psychology
Department Chair (briankim@oxy.edu) by 5pm on March 1, 2016:
 a completed APA SUROG Application Form (below);
 a statement of purpose about your interests in psychology research / a psychology
career and explanation of any experiences that have prepared you to work in a
particular lab / on a particular project (3-page, double spaced);
 a writing sample from an academic course, paper from course in psychology or a
closely related field is preferred;
 a copy of your college transcript (unofficial copy is fine) showing coursework and
grades through Fall 2015; and
 one letter of recommendation (preferably from an instructor) e-mailed directly by
your recommender to the Psychology Department Chair.
Should it be necessary to send paper materials, you can mail them to the chair at:
Dr. Brian Kim
Occidental College
Psychology Department, F-11
Los Angeles, CA 90041-3314
Please contact the Department Chair if you have any questions (Dr. Brian Kim;
briankim@oxy.edu). Hiring decisions will be made and communicated to applicants by
March 15.
Application for APA SUROG Research Assistantship
Name:
Academic institution:
Phone:
Email:
Year in college: First
Second
Third
Work eligibility: U. S. citizen
Permanent resident
Work visa
Are you a full time undergraduate student? Yes
No
Please describe the amount and nature of any prior research experience:
For which faculty laboratory are you applying?
List any other courses that you feel helped to prepare you for this assistantship, including a
Research Methods course (required for eligibility):
Application checklist:
o this application form completed, signed, and dated
o writing sample (preferably from psychology coursework)
o statement of purpose
o letter of recommendation has been requested and will be received by March 1, 2016
I have read and agree to the terms and conditions of the position as described in the
position announcement. I also agree that information provided as part of this
application is accurate.
______________________________________________ _________________________________________ ___________
Print name
Signature
Date