Mar 30, 2012

Study Coordinator position for PTSD Research!

Study Coordinator
Longitudinal Study of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Postra
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD


The Brain Assessment Research Laboratory in the Department of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, has an opening for a Study Coordinator to begin in May/June 2012.

Research Project Description:
The research project, directed by Dr. Connie Duncan, involves assessment of brain structure and function in injured service members with mild traumatic brain injury. Patients are followed over time to evaluate clinical outcome, with an emphasis on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brain indices include event-related brain potentials, neuroimaging, and neurocognitive performance.

Responsibilities:
Subject recruitment and consent, tracking and managing the flow of subject scheduling and testing, subject testing, maintaining patient records and datbases, supervision of staff, budgeting, purchasing, preparing amendments, tracking and reporting on recruitment and patient events, maintaining contact with staff of other TBI studies and clinical providers.

Requirements:
Excellent academic record and research experience
English fluency
Master's or Doctoral degree
A car and valid driver’s license
U.S. Citizenship
Previous experience with subject recruiting, institutional review boards, funding agencies, regulatory procedures, EEG/ERP recording, Microsoft Office, and statistical packages (e.g., SPSS) is highly desirable.

This position is ideal for an individual who seeks experience in clinical research before going on to graduate or medical school. The start date is the late spring/early summer of 2012, and we request a commitment of 2 years. A competitive salary and benefits package is offered and will be commensurate with qualifications. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, résumé, three letters of recommendation, and transcript by email to Dr. Connie Duncan at cduncan@usuhs.edu

Brain Injury/PTSD Research Assistant Opportunities at Walter Reed Medical Center


Research Assistants
Brain Assessment Research Lab
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD


The Brain Assessment Research Laboratory in the Department of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, has openings for two research assistants to begin in May/June 2012. 

Research Project Description:
The research project, directed by Dr. Connie Duncan, involves assessment of brain structure and function in injured service members with mild traumatic brain injury. Patients are followed over time to evaluate clinical outcome, with an emphasis on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brain indices include event-related brain potentials, neuroimaging, and neurocognitive performance.

Responsibilities:
Patient recruitment, scheduling, and interviewing; electrophysiological and neurocognitive testing; data entry, processing, and analysis; maintaining databases and files; word processing; purchasing; and other duties in support of research projects.

Requirements:
Excellent academic record and research experience
English fluency
Bachelor's degree
A car and valid driver’s license
U.S. Citizenship
Previous experience with EEG/ERP recording, Excel, MATLAB, E-Prime, PowerPoint, and statistical packages (e.g., SPSS) is highly desirable.
Demonstrated ability to work in a team-oriented environment is essential. Some weekend work and flexible scheduling will be needed.

This position is ideal for an individual who seeks experience in clinical research before going on to graduate or medical school. The start date is the late spring/early summer of 2012, and we request a commitment of 2 years. A competitive salary and benefits package is offered and will be commensurate with qualifications. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, résumé, three letters of recommendation, and transcript by email to the Study Coordinator, Elizabeth Perla at Elizabeth.Perla.CTR@usuhs.edu  

Mar 29, 2012

Research Assistants for Social Development Projects!

The Department of Human Development is seeking Research Assistants for several Social Development projects involving interviewing children and/or administering surveys to adolescents. Projects include moral development, social development, social exclusion, peer relationships, mind theory, group dynamics, intergroup relations,and prejudice, bias, and sterotyping.

For more information contact one of the following lab coordinators:
Shelby Cooley scooley1@umd.edu, Aline Hitti ahitti@umd.edu, Laura Elenbaas Elenbaas@umd.edu, or Kelly Lynn Mulvey klmulvey@umd.edu

Mar 28, 2012

Train your brain by participating in this "Cognitive Games" Study!

Are you interested in improving your memory and thinking?

If you answered “yes” then researchers at the University of Maryland are looking for you. The Decision, Attention, and Memory Lab is currently conducting a study examining “Brain Training”. The current study involves computer games and cognitive tasks. Participants will spend 30 minutes per day, 7 days per week, for 5 weeks engaging in cognitive games. Participants can do these games on their own computer via the internet. Cognitive tasks
will be completed at the University of Maryland, College Park campus before and after the computer games. If you are healthy, aged 22-50, and an English speaker you may eligible to participate.

For more information CONTACT:

Dr. Amber Sprenger
trainingcognition@gmail.com
(301) 405-8374

Sexual Assault Hotline Internship


National Sexual Assault Online Hotline Internship, Summer Internship, Internship (Fall or Spring Part-Time)- 44024RAINN, Washington DC
DESIRED START DATE: March 20, 2012/APPROXIMATE HOURS PER WEEK 15-40

The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline is the first secure web-based hotline providing live and anonymous support through an interface as intuitive as instant messaging. To learn more about the Online Hotline Internship please visit http://rainn.org/about-rainn/intern-at-rainn/online-hotline.

Duties:
•Be on time for shifts scheduled using the Online Hotline website
•Complete 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training
•Follow computer safety best practices learned in the online training
•Remain supportive and engaged with visitors
•Provide accurate support using crisis intervention best practices
•Work on research and administrative tasks relative to the Online Hotline

Benefits:
•Develop and enhance crisis intervention skill set
•Learn best practices in the new field of online advocacy and intervention services
•Provide a safe and secure place for victims of sexual assault and abuse
•Flexible hours

Please note: This is an unpaid internship. This is also an ongoing volunteer opportunity and other training dates will be offered in the future, so applicants may begin the application process at any time. To apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, three professional references and two writing samples to the attention of Bethany Wichman Buescher, Training and Recruitment Coordinator, at bethanyw@rainn.org

Mar 27, 2012

Summer I/O PSYC Internship with AIR in DC!

Industrial/Organizational Psychology Intern, Summer Internship (58993
American Institutes for Research (AIR), Washington, DC
Hourly Wage

The American Institutes for Research’s (AIR) Workforce and Training group has been at the forefront of applied research to enhance the performance of individuals and organizations. AIR, a not-for-profit research organization, has focused on this critical need for over 60 years since our founder, John Flanagan, began developing combat pilot selection procedures to identify candidates who were best suited for these high-stress jobs. Through innovative research and the application of evidence-based practices, AIR’s Workforce and Training groups supports the development of high performance individuals, teams, and organizations. Our work encompasses the entire life cycle—workforce preparedness, recruitment, selection, performance management, training, retention, and more—and provides our public and private sector clients with unique insight and solutions. Our experts apply research-based principles in developing the knowledge, tools, systems, and programs required for maximizing human and organizational potential in the 21st century.

Responsibilities:
Support current and future project efforts in a variety of areas such as job analysis, personnel selection and certification, test development and validation, performance management, program evaluation, workplace surveys, training needs assessment, and training evaluation.

To read more about the position above, log into your C4T account (http://www.careercenter.umd.edu/) and paste the ID number (listed beside the position titles) in the “Search” box. Positions are constantly being added to the C4T database.
For more information on the American Institutes for Research go to:
http://www.air.org/

Interested in Human Intelligence? This I-Series course is just for you!


CMSC 289I Rise of the Machines (CMSC 289I) is being offered this coming Fall 2012. This I-Series course describes past attempts to produce machines that can simulate human intelligence, for example by reasoning logically, or by modeling human cognition or brain functions. The material is at a basic level that should be understandable to undergraduates in any major. No previous computer programming experience is needed, but students should know how to use a computer (Windows, Mac OS/X, or Linux), a browser, email, and
basic word processing (e.g., MS Word). High school algebra and a basic knowledge of probabilities are also needed. The course satisfies CORE requirements in Mathematics or Formal Reasoning.

Questions about this course can be directed to Dr. James A. Reggia at the following link: http://www.cs.umd.edu/~reggia/

Learn about coping with Adult Bipolar Disorder this Thursday, March 29th

Lecture: 
Becoming Successful – Coping with Mental Illness as an Adult
Dan Kelliher, Howard County Lawyer coping with Bipolar Disorder

Description: This Thursday, ACTIVE MINDS at Maryland will have Dan Kelliher, a practicing lawyer coping with BIPOLAR disorder from Howard County, come to speak with total HONESTY on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) about his experiences both and a young adult and in the professional world.

Date, Time, & Location:
Thursday, March 29
7:00 pm
Art & Sociology Building
Room 1117





Serve as a behavioral coder in the Child Development Lab this summer!

The Child Development Lab, under the direction of Dr. Nathan Fox, is currently investigating the development of the Mirror Neuron System in the first year of life. To do this, we collect video and EEG data from both infants and adults while producing simple motor acts, and while observing these actions performed by others. We are seeking highly motivated, upper-level students for Summer 2012 to help with detail-oriented coding of behavioral data. In addition, students may also assist with the running of infant and adult studies, data entry, and inspection of the EEG.

Requirements:
Minimum 3.0 GPA, 9 hrs/week, 2 semester commitment. Prerequisite: PSYC 200.

Contact information:
If interested, please contact Tanya Tavassolie at cdlactionstudy@umd.edu. For more info about this project, visit: http://www.education.umd.edu/EDHD/faculty/Fox/mirrorneurons.php

Mar 26, 2012

HealthGAP Advocacy Director to speak on HIV/AIDS pandemic

Fourth GBM
The American Medical Student Association

WHEN: Tuesday, 3/27, 7:00pm

WHERE: STAMP Pyon Su Room

Matt Kavanagh, advocacy director of HealthGAP, is coming to talk about the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. From this discussion, we hope to form a focus group of interested students, meeting to discuss HIV/AIDS, and participating in advocacy opportunities. Come out to meet some pre-meds from other campus organizations as well!

Learn about the Tripartite Model of the Psychotherapy Relationship at the Tuesday, March 27 Psi Chi Meeting!

The Psi Chi Meeting this Tuesday, March 27th will feature Dr. Gelso presenting on the Theoretical Work of the Therapeutic Relationship, or the Tripartite Model of the Psychotherapy Relationship. Students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in open discussion on this topic. The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm in 1142 BPS.

Undergraduate Psychology Student Staff Member position! Apply today!


Position Title: Undergraduate Psychology Student Staff Member
Application deadline: Friday, April 6

Position Description and Responsibilities:
The Department of Psychology is searching for an undergraduate psychology student to work with the Undergraduate Studies Office staff this summer and into the 2012-2013 academic school year in order to assist with a variety of Departmental processes. Specifically, the student staff member will:

- Present Department information at summer orientation events to new psychology students
- Assist our Academic Advisers during transfer orientation events by guiding new psychology students through the course sign-up process
- Lead the Psychology Undergraduate Peer Mentor team
- Create/update presentations used by Peer Mentors
- Scan course examinations using Scantron machine and Scantron software
- Assist office staff with various tasks as needed

This is an excellent position that offers the student the abilty to advance his/her public speaking, leadership, technical and professional skills due to the variety of tasks that will be completed.

Requirements:
- Undergraduate Psychology major
- Completed a significant amount of PSYC coursework
- Proven academic success
- Availability to work 20 hours a week over the summer

Additional Qualifications:- Passionate about being a PSYC major at UMD
- Professional demeanor
- PSYC program involvement
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to effectively communicate ideas and information to others
- Enjoys public speaking
- Ability to grasp new technical programs quickly

Compensation:
- Rate: $10/hour
- Hours: 20 hrs/wk (summer); 10 hrs/wk (during the fall/spring semester)

How to Apply:- Please attach your Cover Letter and Resume in an email and send it to Brandon Bowers at brandon.bowers15@gmail.com
- Cover Letter should address a majority of the points discussed in the “Additional Requirements” portion of the job annoucement. Application deadline is Friday, April 6.

Questions/Concerns:Please contact Brandon Bowers (brandon.bowers15@gmail.com) for any questions or concerns in regards to this job annoucement.

Stand out from the rest of the field! Pursue a professional skills building internship with Aflac!

Aflac in Fairfax, VA, seeks college students for a training program in the Washington, DC area. This unique internship program offers an intense experience that prepares college students/young adults for a professional career in corporate America. Our internships are broken down into four areas - marketing, sales, HR, and management. The program is geared towards giving students the opportunity to apply what they have been learning in class to the real world while developing new skills that will transfer over into any professional career after graduation. Successful candidates that complete our training program will have no problem separating their resumes from the other thirty-thousand students graduating in the Baltimore-Washington area! Learn from one of the top field forces in the Fortune 500. Get trained by state of the art systems like the Fast Start Training Program, as well as Aflac University.

For additional information please contact:

Donna Brogan
Aflac District Administrator
10400 Eaton Place, Suite 400
Fairfax, VA 22030
donnabrogan34@gmail.com

To learn more about Aflac go to: http://www.aflac.com/

Mar 15, 2012

CBPR Research Seminar

Seminar: CBPR in health disparities at UMCP-SPH

Description:
Interested in health disparities research? Want to learn more about community based participatory research (CBPR) approaches? Please join us tomorrow afternoon for a special seminar highlighting community based participatory research at our School to address health disparities

Location:
School of Public Health Building
Epidemiology/Biostatistics - Conference Room 2234CC

Date: Friday, March 16th

Time: 12:30-3:30 pm

Mar 14, 2012

Bugged you can't find an internship this summer? Pursue this behavioral neuroscience research opportunity!

Research Internship
Behavioral Neuroscience
Summer 2012

Position Description:
Opening for an undergraduate research student to work on a project combining neurophysiology and behavior in the auditory system of praying mantises. The student will learn microsurgery, neurophysiological recording techniques, and high-speed video analysis, among other skills. This will be an intensive research experience that will provide at least 20 hours of training per week throughout the summer. The student will be a member of the Emerging BSOS Scholars Program and will receive a stipend.

Qualifications:
Applicants should be a PSYC major, have 30-60 credits completed, a GPA of at least 3.5, and a strong background in biology.

The deadline for applications is March 26th.

How to Apply:
If interested, please submit a statement of interest, cv/resume, and an unofficial transcript to Dr. David Yager at ddyager@umd.edu

Mar 13, 2012

Curious about the interactions between hormones and behavior? Be sure to register for PSYC 489G next fall!


NEW COURSE!!!

PSYC489G Advanced Special Topics in Psychology: Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology

Professor  Dr. Erica R. Glasper
Fall 2012
Mondays and Wednesdays 3:30 – 4:45pm
3 credits

How does stress affect the brain? Do hormones alter aggression? Do male and female brains really differ? Can you visualize “love” in the brain? If you find any of these questions interesting, you’ll enjoy this course!

PSYC 489G is a study on the interactions among hormones, the brain, and behavior – known as behavioral endocrinology. The field of behavioral endocrinology is an exciting, interdisciplinary field, involving the study of phenomena ranging from genetic, molecular, and cellular levels of analysis to the study of individual and social behaviors. The course will be presented in a lecture-style format, with the aid of wonderful videos and animations that will help illustrate some of the behavioral and physiological concepts discussed during the lectures. The goal of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the interactions between hormones and behavior.

Prerequisite: PSYC 301

Mar 12, 2012

Positively impact at-risk youth as an intern through "The Mayhew Program"


Island Program Facilitator
POSITION TYPE: Entry Level (Full-Time), Summer Internship (55563)
Mayhew Program, Bristol, New Hampshire

Become part of a uniquely positive community this summer. Mayhew is a not-for-profit organization that challenges and helps at-risk New Hampshire boys to believe in themselves, work well with others, and find their best. At our summer facility located on Mayhew Island in beautiful Newfound Lake, New Hampshire, the boys are challenged to help create a positive, supportive, and sustainable community both within their cabin groups and in the greater Island community as a whole.

LOCATION: Mayhew’s summer program is lucky enough to call Mayhew Island home: an idyllic private island in Newfound Lake, New Hampshire.

SIZE: With a counseling staff of 20 charged with working with just 42 boys during each of two summer sessions, you’ll be an integral part of uniquely supportive and cohesive community. There’s a genuine camaraderie and shared sense of purpose among everyone at Mayhew.

PHILOSOPHY: Mayhew’s been around since 1969 and over the past 40+ years we’ve managed to create a very well-defined, well-practiced, and effective approach to working with the boys of the program. Everything we do is centered on the notion of working for the good of the group and the community. We emphasize the ideals of Respect, Responsibility, Community, and Challenge in everything we do.

Past experience working with children is ideal but not required. Interest in working with at-risk youth is vital.

SALARY LEVEL- $2800 summer salary plus full room and board in a beautiful island setting
JOB FUNCTION- Education/Teaching, Social Services, Other
DURATION- Ten weeks, June 9-August 14, 2012

To learn more about "The Mayhew Program" including application procedures please go to the following link:

http://mayhew.org/index.php?/mayhew/employment_summer_positions

Help and support individuals with mental health issues. Apply to become a Relief Crisis Counselor

Relief Crisis Counselor
St. Luke's House, Inc., Montgomery County, Maryland 

POSITION TYPE: Off-Campus Part-Time         

St. Luke's House Inc. is a Recovery Focused Mental Health Agency, located in Montgomery County, Maryland. Our mission is to support individuals through their recovery process by providing integrated comprehensive mental health services to residents of Montgomery County.
St. Luke's House Inc. currently has openings for Relief Crisis Counselors to work per diem, (as needed) at Fenton House, which is a short-term crisis stabilization program for people who are in acute psychiatric crisis. Its mission is to reduce unnecessary admissions to inpatient mental health facilities and it is also used to provide support to clients transitioning back into the community immediately following psychiatric hospitalizations. The position requires working 24 hours shifts. (Sleeping for 5 of those hours)

Responsibilities include the following duties;
- Assess and stabilize clients in psychiatric crisis
- Support clients on developing and achieving stabilization goals and subsequent life skills
- Maintain and submit client records, reports and forms as needed
- Monitor medications as prescribed
- Transport clients to appointments as needed

For more information about St. Luke's House, please go to www.stlukeshouse.org

Mar 9, 2012

PSYC489A Advanced Special Topics in Psychology: Human Factors


PSYC489A - Advanced Special Topics in Psychology:
Human Factors Psychology

Tuesdays & Thursday 6:15pm-7:45pm

Dr. Ian Reagan
Research Psychologist
U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

This course is designed to be an overview of Human Factors Psychology, which is an applied science that incorporates principles of human behavior, performance, and cognition into the design, evaluation, and improvement of simple and complex systems (e.g., ATMs, phones, cars, websites).  The course is for psychology majors with an experimental methods course (PSYC 300) as a prerequisite.  The course objectives will be met through a blended learning approach, in which part of the allocated time for in-class meets will instead be used to complete engaging assignments online.

For detailed information about course offerings visit the Schedule of Classes

NOTE: This course may be counted as elective PSYC credit in the Mind, Brain & Behavior theme.

Mar 7, 2012

Shadowing Aide needed for 11 year old girl

Position Description:Warm and caring individual needed to work as a Shadowing Aide for an 11 year old girl at Rockville, MD Jewish Day School. Child is bright but possesses anxiety and behavioral issues. 35 hours per week minimum.

Employment Start Date:
Week of March 26-30 through at least June 2012.

Specialized Qualifications:Persons with training in Floortime, special education for emotional disabilities, or other therapeutic experience is ideal, but someone with the right personality and strong emotional skills could also be a good fit. Knowledge of Hebrew would be helpful but is not absolutely necessary. 

Compensation:
$10-$12/hour, depending on the person’s qualifications.

Interested individuals should contact Susan (svitale@jhmi.edu) and include information about your qualifications/experience.

Gain an in-depth study of human behavior through PSYC 457 Qualitative Research this Fall 2012!

PSYC 457: Qualitative Research
Professor Clara E. Hill
Fall 2012
TuTh 2-4 pm
Permission of Instructor Required


Description: Qualitative methods are particularly valuable for studying in-depth the inner experiences of people. It is important to possess knowledge about the skills for conducting qualitative research. In this course, students will learn about the assumptions underlying different research methods and discuss the rationale for when to use qualitative approaches as compared to quantitative approaches. The steps for conducting research using consensual qualitative research (CQR) along with reading and critiquing published CQR studies will be covered. Students will also conduct a qualitative study as a part of the class, starting with reviewing the literature, developing an interview protocol, interviewing participants, analyzing the data, and writing a manuscript. The class will work collaboratively to conduct this study.

Prerequisite: PSYC 300.
If interested, contact Prof Hill (cehill@umd.edu) for an interview; class size is limited.

Mar 5, 2012

Games, Pizza, and Fun! Don't miss the March 6 Psi Chi Meeting!


Attention all psychology students! Join Psi Chi for this week's chapter meeting, a psychology student social. Come get to know other psychology students, play games, and eat free pizza. It'll be a great way to relax before midterms! Board members will also be in attendance to hear any feedback or suggestions for making Psi Chi even more awesome. Hope to see you there!

What: Psychology Student Social

Who: All psychology students welcome

When: Tuesday, 3/6 at 7 pm

Where: 1142 BPS

Mar 2, 2012

START Summer 2012 Internship Opportunities! Apply today!


The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is a research center, based at the University of Maryland, committed to the scientific study of the causes and human consequences of terrorism in the United States and around the world. START supports research efforts of leading social scientists at more than 50 academic and research institutions, each of whom is conducting original investigations into fundamental questions about terrorism. START is able to offer internships which can be taken for credit on several exciting projects.

General internship requirements:
  • Good academic record
  • Demonstrated interest in the subject matter
  • Complete and submit application by deadline
  • Agree to attend orientation and training
Application deadline is Wednesday, March 21 @ 5:00 pm. Go to http://www.start.umd.edu to access the application form. Applicants must submit an application and supporting documentation via email to education@start.umd.edu

Mar 1, 2012

New I-Series Course: The PSYC of Evil

Create change through leadership as a Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellow!

Leaders change the world in ways that are transformative, inclusive and long lasting. Leaders know that creating change through excellent public leadership is essential. The prestigious Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellows program honors the legacy of Howard Peters "Pete" Rawlings and the work he did as a Delegate in the State of Maryland. He dedicated his life's work to developing ethical and expert public leaders.

Attend an Information Session in 1126 Taliaferro on one of the following dates:

March 5 @12 pm
March 6 @ 5 pm
March 14 @ 2 pm
March 29 @ 12 pm
March 30 @ 4 pm

Applications for a Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellow are due April 13, 2012.

For more information go to:
http://www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/rulf

Questions please contact rdsouza@umd.edu or 301-405-8560

What You Write Matters: Advice on Email Etiquette for Everyone

Emails are letters without envelopes
Every professor, instructor, teaching assistant and administrator will tell you that they receive a lot of emails from students... and every one of them will agree that many of those emails do more to hurt the author than to help him or her. In an age where communication is generally informal and abbreviated (u no, like in a txt 2 a frend), the importance of being able to write clear, professional letters (whether in print or by email) has been lost.  The biggest problem with this, beyond what in the short term might come across accidentally as sloppiness and disrespect, is that in the long term these habits will cost you interviews, jobs and professional opportunities.

College is the perfect time to develop your professional skills and practice them as a matter of habit so that you never make the mistake of sending the wrong impression to the person at the other end.

If you get the link to this article as part of a reply, don't take it personally... take it as friendly advice that will serve you very well in your future.  It may seem trivial, or ego-oriented, but professionalism counts in the real world and you're already in it.  How you address and write an email establishes from the very beginning that you take yourself seriously enough to be professional in your communication... and that's the best way to get someone else to take you seriously.  Create the impression that you don't consider yourself a professional adult and that's exactly what others will think too.

BEFORE YOU WRITE: Know your audience and what they expect.  If it's your friend, it's fine to be informal.  But if you are writing someone in a professional role then you can expect he or she expects you to be equally professional.  If you are writing to ask a question, ask yourself one first... is the answer to this in the syllabus, or in any other resources that I have?  If the answer is yes, or even maybe, look there first before you write the email.  It's always acceptable to ask a clarification question, just make sure you've put in the time to do the background research first and know as much as you can from what you have available.  Asking "When is worksheet 2 due?" when that is posted in the syllabus communicates that you didn't take the time to look for yourself.

FROM: Believe it or not, your professor does not know who JazzyHands046 is, and probably isn't too thrilled about getting an email from HotBunny86.  The first, most important thing you can do for yourself is make sure that you have an email address that represents you as a young professional.  You can always keep a separate one for your friends, but the account that you send emails to instructors, teaching assistants, administrators and employers should be based on your name.  Be sure that whatever email client you use has your full name in the settings so that the recipient sees that in the FROM line, and not just the email address alone.

TO: Be sure you have the correct email address.  That may seem obvious, but there's no better way to not get a reply to your email than to have a typo in your TO field.  It happens more than you think.

SUBJECT: Always put a clear subject line that indicates what the purpose of the email is.  If it is in reference to a course, put the course number first and then the heading.  Keep it short and to the point, and avoid things like "EXTREMELY URGENT" unless it really is a matter of life or death.

In the body of your email there are some essential elements that every piece of professional correspondence contains:

Make your greeting professional 
GREETING: Take a minute to do your homework on this one and make sure that you are appropriately addressing the person that you're writing to.  Unless you've specifically been directed to use a first name, ALWAYS error on the side of being more formal and addressing the person with a title and last name.
  • If you know that the recipient has a doctorate (e.g., Ph.D., M.D.) then you should address them as "Dr. Smith."
  • If you're writing a course instructor and you're not sure, you can always go with the more generic "Professor Smith."
  • If you are writing anyone else, and you are certain that they have not earned a doctorate, you should address him as Mr. Smith and her as Ms. Smith.
BODY: Here are a few general guidelines to follow:
  • Open with something pleasant, at least in the first email that you send.  You don't have to lay it on thick, but a friendly greeting establishes pleasant tone and that's how you would greet someone in person.  If you're replying to a reply you can skip past the pleasantries and get to the point.
  • Write like a professional adult.  That means using appropriate language, complete words, grammatically correct sentences.  Proof read and spell check carefully... sloppy mistakes do not represent you well.  If this is a particularly important email, have at least two other people read it carefully over for you before you click send.
  • Be clear, concise and organized.  One massive, jumbled paragraph makes it very difficult to read and reply to you.  If you're writing about something in detail, make sure that your email is broken up into sensible paragraphs and that you keep it as short as possible while still communicating all of the important information.  If you're asking a clarification question, make your question specific and clear... don't just write "I don't understand question number 2," explain what you understand and what you're unclear on.
  • If you are upset, save the draft and send it later.  Remember that emails are FOREVER and you can't take them back.  Sometimes what felt good to send at the moment doesn't feel like the best idea later on.  Rather than shooting off an angry email, make sure that you are engaging in a polite and professional conversation.  As the old saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
CLOSING: It is always a nice way to end your email by thanking the other person for their time and attention... a simple recognition that by writing you are asking for a bit of someone's time, and that you appreciate their time is limited, communicates the respect you would hope to be treated with.  Sign your email with a polite closing (e.g., Best, Sincerely, Thank You,) and your full name (you can always sign your first name and then use a signature line that has your full name, title and contact information).  Again, the recipient might not see or recognize your name in your email address, so sign your full name.  If you are emailing an instructor, academic advisor or administrator it also may be very helpful to include your Student ID number so that they can pull up your records easily (a lot of students have the same or similar names).

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES: Some people have inspirational or funny quotes as a signature line on the bottom of all their emails.  Our advice... don't.  As good as your intentions may be, that saying, joke, bible verse or movie quote isn't something you would put at the bottom of a formal cover letter to an employer, so don't put it at the end of your professional emails.

In short, make sure that every email you send presents you as the professional young adult you would like to be treated as.  Taking the time to do it right may very well make the difference between getting the reply/offer/assistance/exception you are hoping for and, well, getting something else instead. 

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