Carlee Gilbert, a first-year student in the Master of Arts in Psychological Sciences program, departs this month for the Netherlands, where she will spend 20 weeks serving as a research assistant with the Psychology Scholarship and Teaching Exchange Program (PsychSTEP) program. 
PsychSTEP facilitates faculty and graduate student relationships between psychological scientists at NAU and the University of Groningen (RuG) in the Netherlands.
While abroad, she’ll work with teams exploring industrial/organizational issues in the Netherlands. Some of these activities focus on the transition time between graduation and the first year of employment, aligning well with her career and educational goals, which include working in human resources and pursuing a doctoral degree.
Because of her academic achievements and commitment to the field of psychological sciences, Carlee was accepted as a student in the department’s 3+2 program, which allows highly qualified students to begin the Master of Arts in Psychological Sciences before completing their undergraduate degree. As an undergraduate, Carlee worked in Dr. Huffman’s lab assisting with research related to work-linked and dual-career couples, with Drs. Wayment, Huffman, and Eiler on research related to the Quiet Ego, and with Dr. Huffman and fellow student Brooke Nyberg on research related to media misrepresentations of transgender employee experiences.
This will not be the first time Carlee has served as an ambassador for NAU. She became a True Blue Ambassador during her first year as an undergraduate, and served as a Senior Ambassador before beginning her graduate education. In these roles, Carlee interacted with large groups to promote recruitment and retention, and directly mentored students and other Ambassadors.
She becomes the seventh NAU student to participate in the PsychSTEP exchange program. Carlee leaves with a strong foundation in the psychological sciences and research and a deep understanding of our university. She’ll return having had a chance to assist in research related to her career goals while experiencing different cultures and perspectives. In the meantime, she will stay connected via Skype and email with her family and tight-knit cohort.