February 14, 2020 Baylee Jenkins and Alexis Le Grand presenting their graduate research. Photo Credit Alexis Le Grand The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the Department of Psychology is pleased to announce that Alexis M. Le Grand (‘20 MA Psychology) and Baylee Jenkins (‘20 MA Psychology) have received admissions to The University of Kentucky’s Social Psychology doctoral program in the College of Arts & Sciences. Both students have been granted teaching assistantships and will continue their research in psychology and law. Read more about their research areas and experiences within our psychology graduate program. Alexis M. Le Grand Glen Burnie, MD Tell us about some of your accomplishments during your time at UAH During my time at UAH, I was the supervisor of the laboratory and involved in multiple research projects. This involvement has led to many opportunities such as co-authoring a book chapter and submitting three papers for publication. Under Dr. Neuschatz’s supervision, I have also had the opportunity to assist him in consulting on actual criminal cases. These experiences have afforded me a unique understanding of the intersection between psychology and law. Additionally, I've presented research at national conferences. I was also awarded the Graduate Administrative Assistantship (GAA) for the Chair of the Institutional Review Board. My main role is to process IRB applications and facilitate communication between the principal investigators and the IRB throughout the application process. How do you think UAH prepared you for entering your doctoral program? I believe UAH prepared me well for entering a doctoral program. The experimental master's program provided me a strong foundation in research methodology through the coursework and working directly in the lab. Second, the faculty are able and more than willing to give individualized attention to each student. Attending UAH was extremely beneficial for me because my education was personalized to my research interests and professional goals (earning a Ph.D). I was offered many opportunities at UAH to conduct research and get teaching experience. Through the support and encouragement of the department and my advisor, I was able to publish research and attend conferences which made me a competitive applicant for doctoral programs. Attending conferences was instrumental in applying to Ph.D. programs because I was able to network and meet potential doctoral advisors. What are some of your goals in your doctoral program? My research interests are in psychology and law. During my tenure as a doctoral student, I hope to accomplish conducting, publishing, and presenting original research. I equally hope to develop and refine the skills necessary to be a successful instructor. I would love to give a shoutout to my family, the psychology faculty, my cohort, labmates, and my advisor Dr. Neuschatz. I can't express the gratitude I have for the psychology professors or how impactful they were in my education and preparation for a doctoral degree. For potential grad students, I strongly recommend attending UAH! Baylee Jenkins Brooksville, FL Tell us about some of your accomplishments during your time at UAH During my time here, I have served as a lab supervisor and worked on multiple research projects. I have been able to co-author a book chapter about jailhouse informants, I've submitted two papers for publication (one of which I am the first author), I am going to be presenting my thesis this March at the annual psychology-law conference (AP-LS), and I have been able to help consult on and attend multiple in-court trials in which I have been able to see the type of research that I conduct be applied to a real-world setting. Additionally, I have also served as the GTA for the introductory psychology classes. How do you think UAH prepared you for entering your doctoral program? I feel that UAH has prepared me for a doctorate program in many ways; the high standards set by the faculty have helped to keep me motivated and focused, and my mentor, Dr. Neuschatz, has set me up for success by setting hard but attainable goals and helping to keep me involved in multiple projects. All of these things have contributed to increasing not only my skills in research, writing, and teaching, but my confidence in my own abilities as well. What are some of your goals in your doctoral program? The program is the University of Kentucky's Developmental, Social, and Health doctoral program. It's a combined program, but my focus will be in Social psychology - specifically psychology and law research. With this, I have been offered a graduate teaching assistant position, which is very exciting. My overall goal is to learn the research and teaching skills that I need to earn a position in academia, hopefully teaching and researching at a university. My research area is primarily concerned with jury decision making, but more specifically, jailhouse informants. To potential students, if a doctoral program and research are your primary interests, I could not recommend the experimental master’s program enough. The faculty goes above and beyond to help students achieve their goals. I’d also like to make a shoutout to my friends; both lifelong and the ones I’ve gained in the program, my family for the constant support, and Dr. Neuschatz for the continued guidance throughout this process.
