APSSC Presidential Candidates

The Student Affiliates spoke, and the APSSC listened. On behalf of the current APS Student Caucus Executive Board, I am pleased to announce that online voting opens Friday, April 1, 2005, for the 2005-2006 Student Caucus Executive Board positions. (In previous years, the election of incoming board officers was held at the Annual Convention.)

To review candidates’ position statements and vote, go to www.votingondemand.com/aps. You must be a current Undergraduate or Graduate Student Affiliate in order to vote, so have your membership number handy when you login. Online voting closes at midnight, Eastern Time, on Friday, April 15, 2005. The elected officers for the 2005-2006 Student Caucus Executive Board will be announced by Wednesday, April 20, 2005, and you will have the opportunity to meet current and newly-elected board members at the 17th Annual Convention in fabulous Los Angeles.

I am pleased to announce two very qualified candidates for the position of APSSC President: Fabio Leite and Jennifer Thorpe. Both are current Executive Board members (a requirement to run for President), and they have each served APSSC well in their respective positions. By taking the time to read their position statements and voting for next year’s Student Caucus Executive Board members, you are actively participating in the largest organization dedicated to psychological science.

See you at the convention.

—Michele L. Borynski
APS Student Caucus, President

Hi. I’m Jennifer Thorpe, a doctoral candidate at New York University and the current APSSC Notebook Editor. I am qualified to be APS Student Caucus President because of my extensive experience with leadership roles in organizations. My experience as Notebook Editor has shown me how rewarding helping psychology students can be. Through my position, I have had the privilege of working closely with not only the wonderful and inspiring APSSC Executive Board, but also with well-known professionals in psychology and the APS staff. I have conducted Champions in Psychology interviews with esteemed professors, which are designed to offer students useful knowledge in our academic pursuits. As chair of the “How to Get Published: Guidance From Journal Editors” event at the upcoming 17th Annual Convention, I have worked with the respected editors who will be presenting to put together the best event we can, making sure the event is tailored to help students learn more about how to get our research published. Finally, I have learned about some of the formal workings of APS from its dedicated staff members.

Outside of APS, I also have much experience that would enable me to serve you well as APSSC President. As a graduate student, I am the treasurer for my doctoral program’s Graduate Student Council funds. As an undergraduate, I was president of the Columbia Undergraduate Psychology Society and was responsible for gaining the group independent recognition. I was also president of a political group on campus and secretary and treasurer of another political organization. I received two awards, the Gold and Silver Crown Awards, in recognition of my leadership ability within these student organizations. In high school, as well, I was president of a poetry club and publication. I also have experience working in a mentoring role as a psychology peer advisor, which will serve me well in helping APS Student Affiliates get the most out of their academic lives.

I feel that my extensive experience makes me well suited to the role of APSSC President. I would be honored to have this responsibility and would use my experience as well as my passion for psychology and working with others to make the APSSC do all it can to be a valuable resource for students. If you vote for me, I promise that you will not regret it.

Hello. I am Fabio Leite, a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. As the current APSSC Marketing & Membership Officer, I have been coordinating both the Travel Assistance Program and the Hotel Match-up for the 2005 Annual Convention.

In addition to my training in mathematical psychology, I hold a master’s degree in business administration. These marketing and organizational skills have been invaluable to APSSC efforts in several capacities. For example, in conjunction with the Communications Officer, I devised strategies to recruit new Student Affiliates and reward convention participation. Moreover, in collaboration with APS staff members and the APSSC President and Past President, I coordinated the last joint meeting between the APSSC Executive Board and APS student liaisons, held in Miami.

As APSSC President, one will, among other duties, oversee all APSSC activities, coordinate all APSSC Executive Board projects, and serve as a liaison between APSSC and APS. The skills and experience I outlined above would serve me well in performing those duties. But, as you may imagine, there is more to it. The President also needs to assist all Board members and to ensure that the Board, which does not meet often, operates well as a team. What gives me confidence to accept such responsibility is my experience as the president of the graduate student association in the Irvine campus (2004-2005 term). In this capacity, I have overseen the activities, projects, and events of three standing committees, and I have coordinated the activities of four other executive officers and over 30 council representatives, who act as the voices of well over 3,000 graduate and professional students.

In short, I believe that the next APSSC President should be ready to help bring out the best in every officer, via a combination of guidance and stimulating team performance. In my mind, organizational skills, attention to details, the ability to delegate and coordinate, and the enthusiasm to work hard are necessary for an APSSC President. In the course of recent years, I have been extensively tested in the former three. As to the latter, I feel I am ready to go.

Student Events
17th Annual APS Convention
Los Angeles, California
May 26-29, 2005

In case you haven’t heard, the APS 17th Annual Convention is in beautiful Los Angeles, California. This year’s student programming schedule includes extremely popular activities designed especially for APS Student Affiliates, as well as a new program for Undergraduate Student Affiliates. Check out the program descriptions at www.psychologicalscience.org/apssc.

Make no mistake, though, all convention activities are open to Student Affiliates. Check out all of the events at www.psychologicalscience.org/convention.

Student activities include:

• APSSC Convention Kick-Off: An informal introduction to other student affiliates and the convention.
• Student Research Competition Symposium: Featuring the most cutting-edge research by Graduate and Undergraduate Student Affiliates.
• How to Get Published: Guidance From Journal Editors: One of the most popular events, with presentations from three of the most well-known editors in psychological science.
• Champions of Psychology: An up-close-and-personal setting with the best and brightest researchers in psychological science.
• Student Social at Century Club: Dance the night away in one of LA’s hottest nightclubs.
• RiSE-UP Symposium: Research on Socially and Economically Underrepresented Populations: Featuring the most cutting-edge research from Graduate and Undergraduate Student Affiliates.
• Grad School: The Naked Truth: A new event for Undergraduate Student Affiliates where you can ask the questions you were always afraid to.