PSYCHOLOGY INSPIRE is integral to the Department of Psychology's longstanding commitment to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities who pursue graduate degrees in the social and behavioral sciences.

PSYCHOLOGY INSPIRE is offered during the summer of each academic year. The program brings undergraduate and high school students to the University of Memphis campus for a research internship program. The program is coordinated by the research staff of the Community Outreach Lab under the direction of Theresa Montgomery Okwumabua, Ph.D. Events and activities showcase five main programmatic themes including lab and research experiences, seminars and lectures, professional development, mentoring, and networking. Interns work side-by-side with faculty and graduate student mentors on a guided research project, attend weekly seminars and assist in implementing a community-based intervention. Students present their work at a program sponsored mini-conference at the end of the program.

The 2010 program will run from June 1st through July 16th and require a 40-hour time commitment per week. Approximately 20 hours per week will be devoted to research conducted by faculty and graduate students in the Department of Psychology. The remaining time will be spent implementing a community-based intervention and in educational seminars and independent study, including weekly research team meetings, professional development seminars, and research program seminars.

Although the internship is unpaid for high school students and undergraduates only receive a small stipend to offset some expenses they may incur, the internship offers students a chance to learn more about the field of psychology and to work closely with highly qualified faculty and graduate student researchers. The benefits to students are tremendous!

The 2010 program formally begins on Tuesday, June 1st with orientation activities. There will be a holiday break on July 2nd and July 5th.

Only students who are junior or seniors at the time the internship begins are eligible for the High School Program. This includes seniors who may have recently graduated from high school.

Undergraduates interested in the program should have completed at least their second (sophomore) year of undergraduate education by the time the internship begins.