For some people, holidays can mean a time of awkward family get-togethers. Professor Ambwani provided suggestions for handling difficult interactions in an interview with the local newspaper.

 Psi Chi continued its Speaker Series with Dr. Carolyn Black Becker, an associate professor at Trinity University in San Diego. She spoke to Dickinson students about eating disorder prevention; specifically addressing the use of cognitive dissonance in effective prevention programs.  The Reflections program, developed by Dr. Becker and one of her students, has been used by sororities to decrease dissatisfaction with one's body. 

Psi Chi members Meg Tobias, Olivia Lewis, and Jenn Chmielewski with Dr. Becker.

 Lebanon Valley College is hosting a conference for undergraduate research in the humanities and social sciences. 

The conference will take place on Saturday, Februrary 20, at Lebanon Valley College.  Faculty and students are invited to submit paper and poster proposals before Thursday, December 31. For more information (including submission and registration forms), go to http://sites.google.com/site/lvcconference. 

After working with the Office of Diversity Initiatives (ODI) and Professor Stephanie Gilmore (Women's Studies), Professor Megan Yost analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data from Dickinson's campus climate survey.  The survey assessed the perceptions that students, faculty, and staff have of the adequacy and appropriateness of Dickinson's policies and people with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity. Professor Yost travelled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the annual conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, where she and Professor Gilmore presented the results of the survey at a panel entitled, "Youth Negotiating Sexuality."  In the upcoming semester, they hope to conduct focus groups and interviews to further explore the campus climate for LGBT students, faculty, and staff.  On campus, some recommendations that were made based on the results (such as a sexuality studies program, a safe-space program, and LGBT library collections) are already being planned across the campus with help from ODI, the Women's Center, and the Assault and Sexuality Coalition.

Read comments from our majors who have studied abroad, as well as Professor Smith, the academic advisor for psych majors studying abroad

 Neuroscience majors Margaret Della Vecchia and Andre White presented a poster (The effects of noradrenergic antagonists on the unconditioned and conditioned hyperactive responses to methamphetamine in mice) at the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience poster session held during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago.

Dickinson's first Fat Talk Free Week, co-sponsored by the psychology department, featured speakers promoting a healthy body ideal as well as student activities which included trashing self-shaming body thoughts and pledging not to "Fat Talk" for a week.  The program was modelled after the successful Reflections: Body Image program, a peer-led eating disorder prevention program developed in part by Delta Delta Delta.  Dr. Carolyn Black Becker came to campus to present information about successful intervention measures for disordered eating behaviors.