Research Reading Group - Adoption & Foster Care Focus

This reading group provides a broad introduction to research conducted in the fields of psychology, human development, and social work through a specific focus on foster care and adoption studies. Weekly discussions will be led by faculty and graduate students affiliated with the Rudd Adoption Research Program with the goal of inspiring students to become more deeply engaged with research during their undergraduate journey and beyond.

Students will be responsible for reading 2-3 articles per week and coming prepared to discuss these items during weekly one-hour meetings. Additionally, students will work with a publicly available dashboard on national foster care data and present a final project at the end of the semester. 

Any questions regarding the program or application may be sent to Erica Ferrara (eferrara@umass.edu) or Dr. Jennifer McDermott (jmm@umass.edu). 

Application Deadline: Priority August 24th

Apply here: https://forms.gle/rgjuhHfmG4yCdYVWA

Name of research group, project, or lab
Rudd Adoption Research Program
Website
https://www.umass.edu/ruddchair/
Why participate in this opportunity?

Learn how to read primary source research articles and synthesize findings. Get an introduction to the process of basic data analysis and presentation using publicly available data on the US foster care system. Understand ethical concerns, study considerations, and research process with children and families as connected to adoption and foster care. Gain experience with understanding and communicating scientific findings on applied topics (e.g., adoption & foster care) in a small group setting.

Logistics Information:
Field(s) of Study
Psychology
Student ranks applicable
Freshman
Student qualifications

Incoming students without previous lab experience and who are Freshman will be prioritized to join the multi-year reading group cohort (participants who are Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors have already been selected for the Fall 2026 cohort). Applicants are strongly encouraged to share their goals for participating in this group in their application.

Students should be organized and motivated to complete all assigned tasks in a timely manner, willing to work collaboratively in a group settings, and they should be proactive in communication with the faculty and graduate mentor, as well as their cohort peers, throughout the semester.

The reading group will be limited in size (approximately 10-12 participants) to allow enhanced student participation. 

Time commitment
1-4 h/wk
Position Types and Compensation
Credit for Research and Teaching
Number of openings
2
Techniques learned

Develop and practice a range of skills including critical thinking, scientific dialogue, and presentation techniques.

Project start
09/08/2026
Contact Information:
Mentor
Jennifer McDermott
jmm@umass.edu
Principle Investigator
Name of project director or principal investigator
Jennifer McDermott
Email address of project director or principal investigator
jmm@umass.edu
2 sp. | 6 appl.
Time commitment
1-4 h/wk
Field(s) of Study
Psychology