Minority Pipeline

In 2003, the Psychology Department at Augusta State University (ASU) established the Minority Pipeline program to improve the representation of ethnic minority students in the field of psychology. There is an unfortunate inequality in the ethnic distribution in today's classroom and we would like to see more diversity in psychology graduate programs. To that end, one of the missions of the Minority Pipeline program is to provide high achieving ethnic minority students with information related to graduate school and to support those students as they go through the graduate application process. In addition, our hope is that the Pipeline will increase your knowledge about the Master of Science Program in Psychology at ASU that offers three tracks: Clinical/Counseling, Applied Experimental, and General Experimental. Undergraduates who would like to learn about ASU's graduate program in Psychology can speak with any member of the Psychology department faculty. Specific questions may also be addressed to Dr. Gina Hammock, the Director of the Graduate Program.

As part of our efforts to recruit ethnic minority graduate students, the Minority Pipeline committee will host periodic seminars on graduate school. These seminars will often include invited speakers who can speak to topics such as the benefits of holding a graduate degree, options for financing graduate school, and life as a graduate student.

As a program, we value diversity among our students and we believe that increasing racial and ethnic diversity, specifically, will contribute to the richness of the learning experience in the classroom, to the much needed attention to significant areas of unanswered research questions, and to the commitment to serving individuals from the community in the capacity of a health profession student. We believe that it is our responsibility to provide mentorship to students so they can achieve their own personal and professional goals in preparation for graduate school.

If you are interested in joining the Minority Pipeline or are interested in attending seminars, please complete the application form and return to Michelle Johnson or Lindsey West (their mailboxes are located in the Psychology office).

Outstanding Ethnic Minority Student Achievement Award

Historically, an award is given each year to an outstanding ethnic minority student in our department who displays a curiosity in research and an interest in applying to graduate school in psychology and related disciplines. Applicants for this award must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. The winner of this award is offered:

• one-on-one mentoring throughout his/her junior and senior years,
• research opportunities, and
• financial support to attend the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association (or another conference in the field of psychology).

Applications for the 2012-2013 year are no longer being accepted.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Minority Pipeline or the Outstanding Minority Student Achievement Award, please do not hesitate to contact Michelle Johnson (mjohns13@aug.edu) or Lindsey West (lwest5@aug.edu).