If you are planning on attending graduate school in Psychology and are interested in autobiographical memory, the Life Story Lab offers a number of opportunities to reach your professional goals, including:
Mentorship / Professional Development
As a graduate student in the Life Story Lab, Dr. Bluck will serve as your primary mentor. As a mentor, she allows you to pursue your own research interests within and around adult development and/or autobiographical memory, while providing you with appropriate guidance and constructive feedback. Dr. Bluck is very knowledgeable in the field of social cognition and adult development and is well published. She encourages students to get involved in the research process early by beginning to publish with her, and attending as well as presenting Life Story Lab research at national and international conferences.
Network of Colleagues and Funding
Dr. Bluck has a strong network of colleagues at UF and around the world allowing students to benefit from multiple collaboration opportunities. The Life Story Lab is located in a suite of rooms with ample space for research including interviewing participants. Dr. Bluck’s office, the lab offices, and grad students’ offices are co-located with other faculty and students interested in adult development to increase formal and informal contact of the team. Grad students typically have their own office or share with one other student. Some key aspects of our program, including funding opportunities are:
Key aspects of the program in Developmental Psychology
- Competitive funding packages: all students receive 5-year funded teaching assistantships and full tuition support
- Highly collaborative and collegial environment; active, responsible and responsive mentoring
- Bi-weekly faculty-student colloquium focused on promoting student success
- Option to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
- Option to pursue a dual-specialization in Behavioral Cognitive Neuroscience
Additional funding opportunities:
- UF Graduate Fellowships, Grinter Awards, and Goldman Awards for incoming students
- Goldman Dissertation Fellowship
- Annual Goldman Student Research Scholarships and Summer Research Awards
- Travel awards to present research at national and international conferences
- Gerber Annual Developmental research award for best student paper or poster
- Cluff Award for best student paper in aging
Undergraduate Research Team
As a graduate student, you will have a team of undergraduate research assistants to help you with your dissertation and other research. Our research assistants are amenable to helping with all aspects of research, from literature reviews to testing participants. They are dedicated and productive, and in turn, aid you to be more productive. In addition, having an undergraduate research team allows you to develop your own mentoring skills for eventually setting up your own research laboratory.
Collegial Atmosphere
In the Life Story Lab, we treat each other as colleagues. This allows you the opportunity to express your opinions in an open environment and to learn from the opinions of your colleagues, consequently making your day-to-day graduate experience more enjoyable and beneficial.
More Information?
Please feel free to contact Dr. Bluck. More information about graduate training is also available through the Department of Psychology.
