As the Department of Psychological Sciences has a very collaborative, interdisciplinary relationship amongst across the schools and colleges of Auburn University, laboratory, computer and practicum facilities are located throughout campus. The department has facilities for research with humans (in individual and/or social settings) and animals. Several psychology faculty members have animal laboratories and office space in the Biological Research Facility and the Auburn University MRI Research Center. In addition, collaborative bridges exist in schools or colleges in Veterinary Medicine, Human Sciences, Human Development and Family Studies, Kinesiology, and Business that can provide additional research opportunities and space. Computing facilities, internet access, and a library committed to meeting the standards of the Association of Research Libraries are also readily available. Below are the main facilities for the Department of Psychological Sciences.
Thach Hall
The Department of Psychological Sciences occupies the first two floors of Thach Hall, a recently renovated office and classroom building in the center of campus which contains faculty and graduate student offices, research space and seminar rooms. A computer laboratory classroom is also available for hands-on teaching of pivotal courses such as research methods and statistics. Many of the Department’s experimental faculty hold offices and research space (1st floor) in the building.
Cary Hall
The Department of Psychological Sciences occupies much of Cary Hall, which is the location of the Auburn University Psychological Services Center. Located on main campus, Cary Hall is easily accessible and provides a newly renovated, quiet, comfortable clinical space for students and patients alike. In addition, many of the Department’s clinical faculty are housed in Cary Hall, with research laboratory space on the first and second floors.
AU MRI Research Center (AUMRIRC)
The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering houses a state of the art MRI research facility that is heavily utilized by the Department of Psychological Sciences faculty and students. Located 1 mile from the center of campus (and accessible via the Tiger Transit), the AUMRIRC has a Siemens 7T MAGNETOM and a Siemens 3T Verio scanner, with 32-channel head coils, and advanced stimulus presentation equipment. Additionally, MR-compatible eye tracking, EEG, and psychophysiological equipment is available to researchers, allowing for novel investigations of mind-body interactions. The center also boasts an impressive computing cluster for the analysis of large functional neuroimaging datasets. For a complete description of the Auburn University MRI Research Center, please visit their website or Facebook page.
Biological Research Facility
The Biological Research Facility (BRF) currently houses cutting-edge animal laboratories for mice, pigeons, and rats. The BRF is AAALAC approved. The veterinary staff is well trained and provides regular monitoring of animal health and housing condition. The animal laboratory for pigeons includes a testing room, a control room/office, and a pigeon colony. The colony can easily house up to 60 pigeons. The rodent laboratory can easily accommodate two hundred mice and is used as a breeding colony when required. Adjacent to the laboratory is space suitable for minor surgical procedures and the preparation of drugs. The laboratory contains 32 fully automated operant chambers suitable for both mice or, with minor adjustment, rats. Retractable levers, in-chamber running wheels, and other response devices are available for experiments as needed. Data collection is completely automated and data are shared with computers in student offices in the same building through an isolated Ethernet connection.