RADFORD – Radford University psychology faculty and students played an important role in the American Psychological Association’s annual convention in Toronto earlier this month.

James Werth, director of RU’s Doctor of Psychology program, chaired a symposium on How Cultural Identity Can Help Explain Issues in Rural Areas. Two Psy. D. students, Joshua Bradley and Zetta Nicely, participated in the symposium by presenting Appalachian White Men: The Negative Implications of their Cultural Identity and Youth and Education: Perceptions of Opportunities and Possibilities, respectively.

Werth also led two continuing education workshops: Duty to Protect—Ethical, Legal, and Professional Considerations and Psychosocial Issues Near the End of Life—Considerations for Psychologists. In addition Werth presented a paper, Finding and Developing Resilience among People who are Dying.

Professor Valerie Leake presented a poster, Construct Validity of the Family Belonging Scale—Revised, and participated in a symposium titled Teaching Tips to Facilitate Student Learning at Colleges and Universities.

Bradley and fellow students Jana Moberg, Kevin Simonson and Alexandra Herren, presented a poster on Accessing Volunteer Opportunities: The Role of Personality, co-authored with professor Sarah Hastings. Hastings also presented a poster entitled College Satisfaction Among First-Generation African American Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions with student Dominique Boone in a session on diversity and multicultural issues.

Psychology Chair Hilary Lips and student Katie Lawson presented a poster on the Impact of Parental Status, Gender and Occupation on Applicant Evaluations, in an industrial/organizational psychology poster session.

Lips made a presentation on Economic Justice and the Psychology of Women: Teaching about the Gender Pay Gap as part of the Division 35 pre-convention workshop on Teaching the Psychology of Women.