Emily K. Mahla graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on neuroscience and a minor in biology. She gained research experience through projects at the Business and Cyber Psychology Lab involving virtual reality, expatriate experiences, and measuring distraction. Mahla presented her work at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology conference. Her relevant experience includes personal care work with elderly residents, home health care, lifeguarding and swim instruction, and volunteering at a VA hospital.

1. Emily K. Mahla
1582 Tiffany Drive ◊ Pittsburgh, PA 15241 ◊ emahla7@gmail.com ◊ (412) 523 - 9725
Education
Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2014 (12/14)
 Bachelor of Science in Psychology with the Neuroscience option and biology minor
 Relevant Coursework: Comparative Neuroanatomy, Molecular Basisof Neurological
Diseases,Physiological Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Neuroscience and
Human Behavior, Genetics, Personality Theory,MammalianAnatomy with Lab, and
Intro to Clinical Psychology
Collegiate Activities
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
 Formulated ideas for fundraising for the club
 Proposed relevant and enriching trips that the club could attend
 Participated in weekly meetings
 Attended numerousspeeches by doctors in the medical field
Lab Experience
Business and Cyber Psychology Lab (10/13-5/15)
 Data entry for, “Science fiction meets scientific inquiry: A meta-analysis of VR
applications for training contexts”
o Collected and transferred data into a spreadsheet (7 months)
o Sorted through articles to find important aspects suited for the meta-analysis
o Coded articles based on whether the article had human participants, whether it
was a training study, used virtual reality, etc.
o Coding assignments completed approximately once or twice a week
o Coded at a range between 50-100 articlesper week
 Virtual Reality used for Training Project
o Exposed to technology such as the Oculus Rift Developer Kit on participants to
see if virtual reality systemsare useful for training purposes
o Handled a variety of experimental conditions in an organized manner
o Operated the lab in an ethical environment, ie informed consent, ran the lab
according to protocol, kept participant information anonymous and confidential
 Scale Design Project
o Created own Likert scale measuring distraction withinPenn State University
students
o Utilized knowledge in psychometrics to developa proper Likert scale
o Collected survey data from my Distraction Likert Scale
 Expatriate Project
o Paid attention to detail in expatriatesblogs for the purpose of coding affect and
to see how their new environment effects all aspects of their new life
o Gained understanding of different culturesvicariously through others
experiences
o First introduction to a form of coding

2. Publications and Conference Presentations
Howard, M.C., Resnick,T.B., Kutz, N.F., Mahla, E.K., Nestor, L.N., Bet, J.L. (2015, May). “Are
head-mounted virtual reality systems useful for training and education?” Poster presented at the
30th annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Philadelphia, PA
Howard, M.C., Mahla, E.K., Kutz, N.F., Resnick, T.B., Bet, J.L., Nestor, L.N. (2015, May). “The
importance of person-oriented approaches in expatriate research.” Poster presented at the 30th
annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Philadelphia, PA
Relevant Work Experience
Personal Care Associate
Country Meadows Retirement Community Pittsburgh, PA 15017 (7/14-1/15)
 Supported residentswith daily activitiesto support their personal hygiene,
socialization,cognition,spiritual being and physical health
 Encouraged independence while supporting resident choice and preserved dignity with
a professional manner and interaction
 Observed any change in behavior and took into consideration any desires or wishes
residents had and reported them to the supervisor or nurse
 Continually interacted with residents to create a positive, warm, and caring
environment
Home Care Associate
Country Meadows At Home Retirement Community Pittsburgh, PA 15017 (6/13-7/14)
 Assisted older adults with daily living activities to meet their needs that include but
are not limited to bathing, dressing,incontinence care, and medication reminders
 Provided championship/homemaker services that include but are not limited to meal
planning, cooking, housekeeping, and laundry
 Informed supervisor about any client needs,unusual behavior/conditions, and
suspicion of abuse
Lifeguard and Swim Instructor
YMCA Pittsburgh, PA 15241 (5/06-8/12)
 Ensured the safety of all swimmersand monitored pool activities
 Followed rescue and emergencymedical procedures
 Helped prevent incidentsby enforcing safety guidelines
 Instructed swimmers from beginning to end taking into account any fears, needs and
desires
 Cautioned swimmersin regards to unsafe areasaccording to their skill level
 Worked to enable childrenof all ages feel comfortable in the water
 Observed children developas swimmersand as pupils throughout the summer
Volunteer Work
VA Nursing Staff Volunteer
VA Hospital H.J. Heinz Division Pittsburgh, PA 15215 (8/14-Present)
 Attend to all veteransneed’s at my skill level
 Provide companionship and encourage veterans to participate in activities
 Observe nurses duties to further my knowledge in the healthcare field