USC Upstate Psychology Department

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USC Upstate Psychology Department

The USC Upstate Psychology Department serves Psychology Majors, Minors, and students who generally think psychology is awesome! www.uscupstate.edu

The opinions expressed on these pages are strictly those of USC Upstate's Psychology Department and do not reflect the views of the University of South Carolina Upstate.

08/31/2026

Calling all Psych students! We have free food, swag, and lots of psychology stickers in honor of our 70+ new psychology students. Find us in the CASB Lobby @ 12:15 this Wednesday. RSVP so we're sure to have enough for everyone. Link in comments.

08/20/2026

📸 We want to invite our Psychology and CAST students, take a moment in the next week or two and have some fun while showing us what wellness looks like! Join the CAHSS Wellness Photo Scavenger Hunt happening August 17–September 3. Participating is easy: scan the QR code, choose any 3 wellness activities from the list, snap a photo of yourself completing each one, and submit your entry using the same QR code on the flyer. In addition to the wellness, 20 student entries will win a $25 gift card! 🎁 Take some time for yourself, get creative, and have fun with it. You deserve it—your wellness, your way! 💚

08/16/2026

We’re excited to welcome everyone back for the Fall 2026 semester! Whether you’re returning for another year or just beginning your journey with us, we hope you’re ready for a great semester of learning, growth, and new experiences. As classes get underway, remember that your academic mentors and advisors are here to support you. Reach out, ask questions, and keep us updated on your goals so we can best assist you throughout your academic journey. We’re happy to have you back and look forward to another great semester with you. Go Spartans! 💚

08/11/2026

Interested in learning more about human trafficking prevention and response? Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is hosting its 8th Annual Human Trafficking Seminar, “From Recognition to Response: Collaborating for Impact,” on Friday, August 21, 2026, from 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM at Grace Church’ Pelham Campus in Greenville. This free seminar will bring together professionals from healthcare, law enforcement, advocacy, social services, and government to discuss human trafficking and effective responses. Students can gain valuable education on identifying and responding to trafficking, learn about trauma-informed approaches, and hear perspectives from professionals working in the field. USC Upstate students interested in attending and carpooling with other Psych and CAST students should reach out to Prof. Jodie Martin this week for more details. There is also a virtual option if you cannot attend in person. Please email Prof. Martin or Prof. Christ for the link to register for the event.

08/07/2026

A big thank you to all the community partners who worked with our CAST and PSYC summer interns. Interns & their placements included: Nicolette Brown - Nightlight Christian Adoptions, Ashlyn Brown - Project Rest, Zy’liyah Brown - Carolina Connections & Interventions, Logan Campbell - Project Hope, Catherine Downey - Halter Therapeutic Riding Center, Alaina Porter - Meeting Milestones, Alia Uzarrage Reaser - Roper Mountain Science Center, Avah Rios - The Law Office of Jamia Foster, and Ella Kate Waddell - Spartanburg DSS. These students received an amazing and enriching real-world experience where they got to apply their classroom knowledge to benefit our local community. Remember to speak with your academic advisor about an internship if you’re hoping to expand your professional network, improve transferable skills, gain work experience, enhance your resume, and potentially have a direct route to a job post-graduation.

08/02/2026

Graduating Senior Spotlight: Crystal Gaffney completed her degree in Summer 2026. She expresses gratitude to God, her husband Michael, their children, her professors, and her classmates for their support throughout her journey. As a nontraditional student, she wants others to know: “To anyone wondering whether it’s too late, too difficult, or too overwhelming to pursue your education: don’t count yourself out. Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.” She shares that the accomplishment she is most proud of is not simply earning her degree, but learning that understanding herself is the first step to understanding others. Receiving a late diagnosis of autism and ADHD, combined with studying psychology, helped her better understand her own experiences and inspired her desire to help others feel seen and understood. Her favorite memories are the relationships she built with professors and classmates, and the encouraging conversations that challenged her to consider alternative perspectives. She appreciated that the psychology program challenged her to think scientifically while encouraging self-reflection, leaving her with a deeper appreciation for empathy, research, and lifelong learning. Her favorite psychology course was Senior Seminar, which brought together the different areas of psychology while encouraging reflection on her own experiences. She also valued American Sign Language, which deepened her understanding of Deaf culture, communication accessibility, and advocacy. After graduation, she plans to continue serving her community through education, mentorship, and advocacy while pursuing a graduate degree. Her advice to classmates is: “Stay curious. Psychology is much bigger than memorizing theories or passing exams. Lead with compassion, ask thoughtful questions, and remember that every person has a story you can’t see.”

07/27/2026

Congratulations to Kyle Smoak and Jada Douglas on completing the ER(Up)T Summer Research Program! Over the past eight weeks, Kyle and Jada participated in a full-time, grant-funded research assistantship, gaining hands-on experience in EEG research while developing the technical and problem-solving skills that will prepare them for graduate school. Reflecting on the experience, both students emphasized how much they grew over the summer. Jada shared that she went from barely being able to tell you what the research was about to being able to explain the project, understand the code, etc. Kyle noted that one of the biggest changes was moving beyond existing knowledge to “really being able to apply it and problem solve independently.” Together, the team also helped improve the lab’s workflow by replacing electrodes on aging EEG caps and helping develop scripts to automate much of the data processing, replacing what had previously been a time-consuming manual process. Both students agreed that the program exceeded their expectations and provided valuable preparation for graduate school through research experience and technical skills, including learning MATLAB and R. This will be extremely beneficial to their future since Kyle wants to pursue an advanced degree in I-O Psychology and Jada wants to pursue an advanced degree in Clinical Psychology. They also expressed appreciation for Dr. Meek’s mentorship, guidance, and encouragement throughout the summer. Congratulations, Kyle and Jada, on an outstanding summer of research!

07/20/2026

Graduating Senior Spotlight: Narayana Deloach will complete her degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice this Summer. She is most proud of earning both degrees while staying committed to her long-term goals, balancing multiple responsibilities, and remaining focused through challenges. She expresses heartfelt gratitude to her mom for her encouragement, sacrifices, and unconditional love, as well as to her family, friends, mentors, professors, and everyone who supported and prayed for her throughout her journey to help her get to where she is today. Her favorite Upstate memories include building relationships with classmates, professors, and mentors through research projects, class discussions, and celebrating milestones together, experiences that made USC Upstate feel like a community. She appreciated that the psychology program encouraged critical thinking and challenged students to apply psychological concepts to real-life situations while understanding people from multiple perspectives. Her favorite psychology course was Research Methods, which strengthened her critical thinking, research, and data analysis skills, while her Criminal Justice courses complemented her psychology studies and prepared her for a career serving children and families. After graduation, she will begin working as a Child Welfare Services Investigator with the South Carolina Department of Social Services before pursuing law school. Her advice to classmates is to “Don’t be afraid to ask questions, take advantage of every opportunity, step outside of your comfort zone, build relationships with your professors, get involved, and remember that everyone’s journey looks different. Stay focused on your goals, even when the path isn’t easy.”

07/13/2026

Graduating Senior Spotlight: Mekaiya Anderson completed her degree in Summer 2026 after participating in the Spring 2026 commencement ceremony. She is most proud of becoming a Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT) while enrolled at USC Upstate as earning her certification and gaining hands-on experience before graduating gave her a strong foundation for her career. She appreciated the psychology program for the connections and opportunities it provided, introducing her to different career paths, companies, and fields within psychology. She also thanks the psychology faculty for showing her that psychology is much more than talking to individuals and for broadening her perspective on the many ways she can apply her degree. Her favorite psychology course was Psychology & Law, which helped her explore future career possibilities and played a role in her decision to pursue a Master of Social Work. She also valued American Sign Language, which she now uses every day in her work to communicate with some nonverbal individuals: “You never know when you’ll meet someone who relies on ASL, and unlike spoken languages, there isn’t a simple translation app that can replace direct communication”. Her advice to classmates is to set designated days to work on specific assignments so they do not become overwhelmed, explaining that staying organized and managing time makes it much easier to keep up with coursework. After graduation, she plans to continue working as an RBT while transitioning to a new location before returning to school to pursue her Master of Social Work.

07/06/2026

Graduating Senior Spotlight: Keynia Rice is one of our summer 2026 graduates! She is most proud of stepping outside of her comfort zone and taking “side quests” that helped her discover who she is, what type of life she wants to pursue, and how to overcome challenges. After graduation, she plans to keep learning, keep growing, love her brain, and study wellness and the wellness of the brain. Some of her favorite memories at USC Upstate include attending her first Homecoming, organizing books, and being a student worker in the library. Her favorite psychology courses included Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Psychological Disorders, Research Methods, Theories of Counseling, and Industrial Psychology, sharing that while some were challenging, they were worth the knowledge. She also valued American Sign Language because it taught her how to be “all-inclusive and non-barrier free.” She appreciated that each psychology professor brought a personality that matched the course they taught and enjoyed getting to learn from them. She expresses appreciation to Dr. Meek, Dr. Travis Scott, Dr. Bunde, Dr. Christ, Dr. Cromeenes, Dr. Waldrop, Dr. Xavier, Dr. Yin Chi, Dr. Travis, Dr. McDaniel, Dr. Allison Lane, and the library staff. Her advice to classmates is to stay on top of their work, make study sheets, read the syllabus, and pay attention in class because “If you listen carefully, the teachers will tell you how to pass.” She also shares, “A bad grade will break your heart more than a relationship. Remember that.”

Address

800 University Way
Spartanburg, SC
29303

Telephone

+18645035706

Website

https://uscupstate.edu/academics/college-of-arts-humanities-and-social-science/psychology/

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