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JOIN OUR LAB

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Students who are interested in working in The Youth Law & Psychology Lab should familiarize themselves with the type of work done in the lab to make sure that it aligns with their interests. A good place to start is the lab's description of current projects, as well as Dr. Haney-Caron’s most recent publications (from the past 5 years). Reviewing this material helps prospective students make sure that joining this lab would give them exposure to the things they want, and access to the kind of mentorship they find valuable. Dr. Haney-Caron takes an active approach to mentoring students at all levels in the lab, with regular one-on-one meetings; junior students also receive mentorship from more advanced students.

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PROSPECTIVE DOCTORAL STUDENTS

The clinical psychology doctoral program at John Jay has recently moved to a mentor-match model, meaning that applicants apply and are accepted to work with a specific faculty mentor. Applicants interested in working with Dr. Haney-Caron should note this in their application and should illustrate their fit with Dr. Haney-Caron's recent research and scholarship. Dr. Haney-Caron is particularly interested in applicants who are interested in studying legal procedures impacting legally involved youth (e.g., youth plea bargain processes). For more information about the program and application requirements and for instructions about how to apply, click here. Dr. Haney-Caron expects to accept a student to start in Fall 2025.

In addition to the program requirements, doctoral students working in the Youth Law & Psychology Lab are expected to develop and maintain all aspects of their dissertation research and contribute to other lab projects. They are required to attend at least one academic conference each year, apply for both large and small grants, and help mentor Master’s and undergraduate students in the lab.

PROSPECTIVE MASTER’S STUDENTS

The Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology and Forensic Mental Health Counseling programs at John Jay do not use a mentorship model. Once you begin your studies at John Jay, you will be able to apply to join the Youth Law & Psychology Lab as a Master’s level research assistant. Students should send an email to Dr. Haney-Caron that provides a brief summary of your research interests and tentative career plans, your current CV, and your unofficial transcript. Dr. Haney-Caron may then schedule a time to meet with you to discuss your research interests and whether you would be a good fit for the lab. For more information about the Master’s program, application requirements, and how to apply, click here.

Master’s student RAs should be prepared to devote 5 to 10 hours each week to work in the lab with a minimum commitment of one year. Responsibilities for master’s student RAs include, but are not limited to, conducting literature reviews, drafting survey and study recruitment materials, drafting IRB proposals, sending recruitment emails, managing communication with participants, managing databases, collecting, coding, and/or entering data, running statistical analyses, and drafting parts or all of the manuscript.

As an M.A. Forensic Psychology/FMHC student at John Jay, you may also apply to work with Dr. Haney-Caron as a thesis advisor. As your thesis advisor, Dr. Haney-Caron will provide you with the mentorship and tools necessary to complete your project. As a thesis advisee, you are responsible for managing all aspects of your independent project, which includes the literature review, proposal, IRB paperwork, grant submission, data collection, etc. After completing your thesis, you are required to submit your project for presentation at a conference and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPECTIVE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Undergraduate students who are interested in becoming research assistants should email Dr. Haney-Caron with a copy of their CV/resume, a brief introduction, and information about why they want to join the lab. Prospective RAs will meet with Dr. Haney-Caron to decide if moving forward is a good fit. Undergraduate RAs are expected to work a minimum of 4 to 8 hours per week and potentially more when needed based on the demand of projects. They will also be expected to attend weekly lab meetings, be responsive to emails, and communicate their needs, wants, or concerns early so that adjustments can be made.

Undergraduate RAs can be involved in lab projects in a variety of ways. They may work on IRB submissions, assisting other students on their projects including formatting participant documents, data entry and cleaning, checking documents before submission, and compiling relevant literature based on individual projects. RAs should communicate their hopes for lab work while also being willing to support all projects including completing a mix of more and less interesting tasks.

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