A good way to get a sense of that is to hear from the students (see below). If you're interested in chatting with Prof. Leigh Ann Vaughn about the team, please feel free to contact her, too (lvaughn@ithaca.edu).
Rachel Brody
Research Team 11 has been the highlight of my college academic journey. I am consistently enthralled by the conversations we have and the work we do as it is constantly helping me to think deeply about how we interact in the world and our society as humans. It also provides invaluable experience and skills that I plan to carry to future academic and professional endeavors. The assignments and discussions aren’t always easy, but the team culture is very supportive and collaborative making the workload easier to tackle. Beyond that, this team is a safe space full of incredible people guided by a compassionate and collaborative professor, Leigh Ann.
Leigh Naturale
My first semester being on research team has branched me out of my shell while helping me learn me a lot about what being a researcher is like. Leigh Ann sets up the class so that you are able to collaborate with others while challenging you academically in a positive way. This class has deeply developed my knowledge about presenting, SPSS, writing abstracts, and working with others, which are things I haven’t felt confident about doing until now. It is such an interactive class which allows you to learn how to become comfortable with participating while developing friendships with the nicest people ever!
Allie Richter
This is my second semester on research team, and it is not like any course I have taken at IC. Our team is very outgoing and supportive which makes conducting and analyzing research 10x more fun. I find that the assignments we have and the tasks we do are all preparing me for the future as a psychologist and have helped me feel more confident as a researcher. It also is a plus that the research we run is extremely interesting and the people on this team are all amazing individuals that I am thankful to be able to grow valuable connections with.
Frank Haggerty
During my first semester of Research Team, I have been introduced to many aspects of working on a team that I haven’t experienced in an academic setting. This course has given me many tools that I will carry throughout my life in such a little amount of time. With weekly presentations, I feel as though I have a better grasp on what we learn and how to convey psychological findings to a larger audience, not just psychology students and faculty. Team has given me many new friendships with other members on the team, as well as having Leigh Ann be our mentor. Leigh Ann is always seeking our input on what we truly think about different topics, and truly cares about our responses to different articles and studies we all read.
Grace Lill
This is my third semester being on Research Team 11, and each semester I just love it more and more. It’s impossible not to feel supported and encouraged on Leigh Ann’s team. Because we do so much collaborative work with our team members, this kind of environment makes it an enjoyable and valuable experience. There is a structure for everything we do, whether that be data analysis, running SPSS, presentations, preparatory assignments, or writing abstracts. You gain skills that not only help you as a psychology student, but also as a person in the real world. The friendships you develop in team make everything so much fun, and it guarantees that the things we do are going to be making you laugh and smile. I can’t recommend this team enough!
Emma Heinze
Research team is unlike any other course you will take in your time as a psych major at Ithaca College. This course gives you the opportunity to engage with psychology concepts on a much deeper level. Through weekly article discussion and SPSS analyses, in Leigh Ann’s team we get the opportunity to become data surgeons. These assignments foster a dynamic and collaborative work environment in our lab. They encourage the exchange of fresh ideas, promote critical thinking, and allow researchers to stay updated on the latest findings, ultimately enhancing both individual and team understanding of complex psychological phenomena.
Noelle Setzer
This is my first semester as a member of research team 11! This class has been a fantastic way to familiarize myself with reading and breaking down studies and articles. The work we do on team builds great experience with research, especially APA style citations. While I was initially very intimidated by research team, I’ve grown to really enjoy the sense of community that we create. The work is fulfilling and interesting, and Leigh Ann is a wonderful mentor. She establishes consistent communication between her and the team members and is constantly rooting for our success. Everyone on research team 11 works hard to make team a safe, collaborative, conversation-starting class.
Christian Canete
This would be me first semester on team, and when I tell you Research Team 11 is the most engaging, challenging, and enjoyable course I have ever been in, I’d still say that’s a gross understatement. Imagine gathering the kindest, funniest, most creative people into one room, all bonded by their passion of researching social and personality psychology, and then have them be mentored by one of the most charismatic professors on this planet. Through the rigorous flow of the class we learn every necessary skill you would ever need when working with and presenting research, like analyzing data and public speaking. But somehow, even though I knew how to do none of that, learning to do it with them has been the time of my life. Leigh Ann, with her marvel of a brain, can take the most daunting walls of text I have ever seen and break it down in a way so she helps us generate and uplift our own ideas. I swear every time I leave class I feel like we just solved the Da Vinci Code. And it’s not just Leigh Ann doing the heavy lifting, the past members also become our peer mentors and they teach us the ropes on how to have fun with the class. For example, our weekly presentations about statistics sounds overwhelming on paper (it certainly got me sweating when I first heard about it), but once our mentors showed us how wild we can get with the creativity my excitement just went through the roof and my anxiety just washed away. You wouldn’t believe how we were able to relate a multiple regression analysis to American Psycho, or relative effect sizes and significant data to the “Brat” album by Charlie XCX. In all, while we still get to learn incredibly relevant skills for our future professional lives, Research Team 11 makes it really exciting, and I truly feel lucky to be part of its legacy <3
Maggie Farber
Being on Leigh Ann’s research team is awesome! It is very consistent, where we do the same style of assignments every week. We read and analyze articles that relate to the topics of research we are interested in. We also create ‘Stat Mage’ presentations in small groups every week, going through statistical analysis of predictors and their dependent variables, followed by analysis and interpretation. We get to be fun and creative with the templates, and everyone is learning how to improve in a low-stakes way. Team is great!!! :)
Mary Townsend
This is my first semester on team and I love it so far. The workload is rigorous and you need consistent time management skills to succeed, but I feel it’s an incredibly valuable experience. For anyone who might be interested in Social Psychology at all, this team is a great way to expand your knowledge of the literature, learn how to present effectively, and create connections. The unique setup of this class gave me the opportunity to participate in a way no other class in the curriculum has, especially as someone who used to dread any sort of presentations with a passion. Team 11 fosters a positive environment that encourages growth and makes it easier to practice valuable life skills, particularly for anyone interested in the research world.