Department of Psychology
Undergraduate Advising Office

While voting wasn’t always a guaranteed right in the U.S., today citizens aged 18 or older can participate in one of the most hallowed practices foundational to the American experience, regardless of race, religion, sex, disability or sexual orientation. Whether this is your first election or your 25th, take the time to ensure your voice is heard and honor the suffragettes, civil rights workers and countless others who have fought to make voting accessible.

Additional details regarding voting, registering to vote, and volunteering can be found here.

The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for our 65th Annual Lecture Series Talk. Attend in person in room 1008 in the Cathedral of Learning (10th Floor)  or visit our live stream on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
Colin Klein
Friday, October 11th  @ 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
Transformers, Representational Structure, and the Language of Thought

Transformers are an extraordinarily powerful computational architecture, applicable across a range of domains. They are, notably,  the computational foundation of contemporary Large Language Models (LLMs).  LLMs’ facility with language have led many to draw analogies between LLMs and human cognitive processing. Drawing out the consequences of what seems like an innocuous step—the need for positional encoding of the input to LLMs—I argue that transformers are broad precisely because they have so little built-in representational structure. This naturally raises questions about the need for structured representations and what (if any) advantage they might have over mere representation of structure. I develop this in particular in the context of the contemporary revival of the Language of Thought hypothesis.
A reception with light refreshments will follow the Talk in The Center on the 11th floor from 5-6pm.

The Pre-Health Bi-Weekly Announcements provide a wealth of information and resources. Archived newsletters can be found on their website.

Interested in tackling a real-world global health challenge? Register now for the 2024 Global Health Case Competition (GHCC), where you'll collaborate in an interdisciplinary, fast-paced competition designed to push your problem-solving skills to the limit. You and your team will dive deep into a meticulously researched health-related case, crafting a multidisciplinary solution within a set budget and timeframe. With expert-led sessions on key topics like program planning, budgeting, and research, you’ll be equipped to excel.

Not only will you compete for cash prizes, but the top team will also have the chance to represent Pitt at the prestigious Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition. Past Pitt teams have consistently ranked in the top 3, with last year's team taking 2nd place among over 50 competitors.

Undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines are welcome. You may register for 1 credit hour OR earn OCC and Global Distinction credit. Undergraduates in Pitt’s Honors College can receive Honors OCC credit for participating in the competition.

Registration closes October 5 and the case is revealed on October 19. Ready to make your mark? Register today!

There are several scholarships currently accepting applications through the David C. Frederick Office of National Scholarships.

More details can be found on their website. 

We are inviting you to participate in a study about your identities and experiences at the University of Pittsburgh!

For participating in this study, you can earn up to $100!

This study will involve a brief screening survey to determine whether you are eligible, a 1-hour session where you will come into the lab and complete a survey, and a number of very brief (i.e., < 1 minute) surveys you will complete from your phone throughout the day for two weeks. As part of this study, you will also install an app on your phone that you will use to complete the surveys.

To sign up for the study, you can take a brief screening survey by following the link below! You will be paid for completing the screening survey regardless of how you answer.

Screening survey: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6flzjkKK1rcvZIy 

This study has been reviewed by the University of Pittsburgh’s IRB.

If you have any questions, please contact the lab manager, Nalanda Ray, at IIRLAB@pitt.edu.

Not every student finds their way to the right advisor, and many don’t have options to get enough faculty mentorship given work or family obligations, among other practical limitations, while attaining their undergrad degree. I realize I can’t reach all students myself, yet I remain dedicated to diversifying the profession and equalizing student access to the common wisdom about applying to clinical PhD programs—so I making a stronger effort to get answers to more students.

These free 1-2 minute instagram video clips offer some perspective about the consideration of applying to clinical PhD programs. 

Instagram @virginiaconstiumclinicalphd or YouTube at www.youtube.com/@VirginiaConsortiumClinicalPhD.

Psychological scientists have unique training and subsequently many skills that are valued in a wide range of positions, not just in academia. Psychological scientists are needed everywhere. Most all critical societal issues and grand challenges for our culture involve human behavior, and psychological scientists’ expertise is an extremely valuable asset for a wide range of diverse job opportunities.

Choosing a career for satisfaction and success can lead you down a path to a more meaningful work life that matches your interests and meets your needs, values, desired lifestyle, and goals.

This guide offers insight into career paths in academia, business and industry, nonprofit organizations, and government.

More information can be found at the program webpage (https://education.virginia.edu/academics/programs/school-psychology-eds-education-specialist) or they can contact Interim Degree Coordinator Katy Zeanah (klz9v@virginia.edu).Enter your description

The Stigma, Health Equity, and Resilience (SHER) Lab here at CMU (PI: Michael Trujillo) has an opening for a part-time research assistant position (up to 30 hours per week) to begin the Fall/early Winter of this academic year (2024-2025). The appointment will be for 1 year, with additional years contingent upon performance and availability of funding.

The SHER Lab uses experimental paradigms, intensive longitudinal designs, and psychophysiology to examine the underlying mechanisms that link stigma and health as well as big data to identify the factors that promote health equity for stigmatized populations, especially as they related to sexual, gender, and racial/ethnic identity. The research assistant will work closely with the lab manager to help coordinate participant recruitment, data collection, and work with student research assistants on a number of projects at the intersection of stigma and health.

Job descripton and additional details found here.

Click here for Announcement Archive page.