Meritorious Research Service Commendation

Nominees may be current or former employees of federal or nonfederal research funding, regulatory or other agencies. Nominations of employees of nonprofit/private organizations are encouraged. Nominees may be active or retired but ordinarily will have a minimum of ten years of service. The individual's personal scholarly achievements (i.e., research, teaching and writing) are not considered in the selection process if independent of their service contributions.

To submit a nomination provide the following:

• A letter of nomination that describes and supports the individual's contributions (e.g., nature of the individual's service to psychological science, positions held, program development activities). The nomination letters should be no more than two pages long.

• A curriculum vitae.

• Three letters of support from scientists, at least two from outside the nominee's organization.
  

Please email nominations to Suzanne Wandersman. The deadline for submitting nominations is March 1, 2013.

2012

Mariela C. Shirley

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Mariela Shirley is health scientist administrator in the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research at NIAAA. She is recognized for her outstanding contributions to psychological science through her service as a research and health science administrator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Molly V. Wagster

National Institute on Aging
Molly Wagster is chief of the Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Branch, Division of Neuroscience at NIA. She is recognized for her outstanding contributions to psychological science through her service as a research program administrator at the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

2011

Meyer D. Glantz

National Institute on Drug Abuse
Meyer Glantz is associate director for science of the Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research at NIDA. He is recognized for his outstanding contributions to psychological science through his longstanding service as an administrator at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Laura C. Leviton

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Laura Leviton is senior advisor for evaluation at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J. She is recognized for her outstanding contributions to psychological science through her work with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in applying psychological research to the evaluation of interventions that address important public health challenges.

Harold I. Perl

National Institute on Drug Abuse
Harold Perl is health scientist administrator and senior lead for Behavioral Research, Dissemination, and Training at the Center for the Clinical Trials Network at NIDA. He is recognized for his outstanding contributions to psychological science through his service as an administrator at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and previously at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

2010

W. Rodney Hammond

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Hammond is director of the Division of Violence Prevention within the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Ga. He is recognized for his outstanding contributions to psychological science through his longstanding service as a research and health programs administrator at the CDC.

C. Tracy Orleans

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Dr. Orleans is senior scientist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). She is recognized for her outstanding contributions to psychological science through her work with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in advancing psychological research and its applications to health.

Nancy M. Ostrove

Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Ostrove is director of the Risk Communication Staff in the Office of Planning in the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of the Commissioner. She is recognized for her outstanding contributions to psychological science through her advancement of effective health communication policies at the Food and Drug Administration.

Philip E. Rubin

Haskins Laboratory
Dr. Rubin is chief executive officer and a senior scientist at Haskins Laboratories in New Haven, Conn. Dr. Rubin is the chair of the National Academies Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, which focuses on the intersection of cognitive science and public policy. He is also the chair of the National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Field Evaluation of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences-Based Methods and Tools for Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, and a member of the NRC Committee on Developing Metrics for Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Research. From 2000 through 2003 Dr. Rubin served as the director of the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF). He is recognized for his outstanding contributions to psychological science through his service as a leader in research management and policy development at the national level.

2009

Cheryl A. Boyce

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Dr. Boyce is chief of the Behavioral and Brain Development Branch and Associate Director for Child and Adolescent Research in the Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is recognized for her leadership role in developing research programs in early childhood mental health, trauma and health disparities; and for being a strong advocate for the advancement of new investigators, especially those from underrepresented groups. She has provided leadership, mentorship, and guidance for psychologists at all points in their career development.  

Vivian Ota Wang

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Dr. Ota Wang is director of the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Research Program at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is recognized for developing opportunities for psychological scientists to participate in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and policy development activities in genomics, nanotechnology and ethics. She helped to create a new NIH extramural social and behavioral sciences research portfolio on complex diseases and traits and behavioral and community research, and  she helped to expand the scope of support for gene-environment interaction research to include attention to psychosocial stress and social environments.

2008

Robert B. Huebner

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Dr. Huebner is deputy director of the Division of Treatment and Recovery Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is being recognized for promoting and supporting important psychological research in the areas of addictions and problem drinking, treatment and recovery, and the mechanisms of change responsible for the modification of drinking behaviors. He has also been an outstanding advocate for the integration of psychology into the multidisciplinary research portfolios of health services, treatment and prevention research at NIAAA and NIH.

Jack D. Maser

University of California, San Diego; formerly National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Dr. Maser is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at the University of California, San Diego. He was employed at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, for almost 25 years prior to joining the faculty at UCSD. His last position at NIMH was Chief of the Clinical Review Branch in the Division of Extramural Activities. He is being recognized for promoting and fostering the highest quality research in psychopathology, for creating conferences that brought diverse researchers together to share their interests and approaches, and for directing the field’s attention to issues in psychopathology that have increased our understanding of mental and behavioral disorders. He has also shaped the research of many young investigators by providing invaluable advice and guidance.

Robert S. Ruskin

Consortium Research Fellows Program
Dr. Ruskin is director of the Consortium Research Fellows Program of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. He is being recognized for his leadership and management of the Consortium Research Fellows Program, contributing to its outstanding growth over the last 22 years, and for his commitment to the professional development of the students who are part of the program. He has forged a strong link between government psychological research institutes and graduate psychology programs through his vision, dedication, and executive skill.

2007

Lula A. Beatty, PhD

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Dr. Beatty is chief of the Special Populations Office, Office of the Director, at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). She was recognized for her leadership in advancing drug abuse prevention research for underrepresented populations, especially ethnic/racial minorities and women and addressing the problems of health disparities. In addition, as the first and current director of NIDA’s Special Populations Office, she is being recognized for developing programs that have increased the number of ethnic/racial minority researchers supported by NIDA.

2006

Vivian B. Faden

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Dr. Faden is deputy director in the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. She was recognized for her role in shaping the priorities of the federal alcohol research effort and her strong and articulate advocacy for the importance of social and behavioral research on alcohol abuse and related problems.

Fred Stollnitz

National Science Foundation (NSF)
Dr. Stollnitz was program director for Cross-Directorate Activities at the National Science Foundation (NSF). He was recognized for an exceptional record of over 30 years of service as program director at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Stollnitz influenced the shape of research on animal behavior and nurtured research on the biological basis of behavior. He has been a tireless mentor to young scientists and an advocate for the expansion of training opportunities.

Betty Tai

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Dr. Tai is director of the Center for the Clinical Trials Network at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She was recognized for her leadership of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network and her instrumental role in defining future research issues and identifying new avenues for collaboration within the Network.

2005

Susan F. Chipman

Office of Naval Research (ONR)
Dr. Chipman is scientific officer, program manager and program officer in the Cognitive Science Program at the Office of Naval Research. She was recognized for her commitment to fostering high quality behavioral science, mentoring of young scientists, and balancing basic and applied research at the Office of Naval Research.

Mary Ellen Oliveri

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Dr. Oliveri is deputy director of the Division of Pediatric Translational Research and Treatment Development at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM). She was recognized for her advocacy of basic behavioral science within the NIMH, developing new programs and initiatives, and serving as a crucial resource for scores of applicants and grantees at the NIMH.

Cora Lee Wetherington

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Dr. Wetherington is program officer in the Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Research Branch in the Division of Basic Neuroscience and Behavioral Research and she is NIDA’s Women and Gender Research Coordinator. She was recognized for her leadership in the areas of research on women and gender and her contributions to bringing gender issues to the forefront of drug abuse research at NIDA and NIH.

Ellen Diane Witt

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Dr. Witt is health scientist administrator in the Neurosciences and Behavioral Research Branch, in the Division of Basic Research at NIAAA. She was honored for fostering the development of a number of critical research areas in alcohol research and for her constant emphasis on the importance of both basic and applied research in psychological science at NIAAA.

2004

Ronald P. Abeles

Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, National Institutes of Health
He was recognized for raising the standards of psychological science, increasing the skill levels of researchers, and introducing psychologists to cutting edge interdisciplinary research through his leadership roles at the National Institute on Aging, the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, and the Health and Behavior Coordinating Committee at NIH.

Israel I. Lederhendler

National Institute of Mental Health
Dr. Lederhendler is chief of the Basic Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM). He is also serving as interim director of the Electronic Research Administration at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He was recognized for his advocacy of outstanding psychological research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and for his dedication to the interests and needs of psychological researchers.

G. Reid Lyon

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
He was recognized for his leadership of the Child Development and Behavior Branch of NICHD and for enhancing the understanding and appreciation of psychological science to members of Congress, the President of the United States and the educational community. In addition, his direction of the program on reading and learning disabilities has had a major impact on the shaping of education research and public policy decisions.

Willo Pequegnat

National Institute of Mental Health
She was recognized for her leadership role in HIV prevention research initiatives sponsored by NIMH and for her mentoring of young behavioral scientists entering the field of AIDS behavioral research.

Anita M. Sostek

National Institutes of Health
She was recognized for her leadership at the Center for Scientific Review for ensuring that reviews are fair, equitable and maintain the highest of scientific standards. In addition, she has served as an outstanding mentor and source of information to scientists in the field.

2003

Steven J. Breckler

National Science Foundation
He was honored for his role in improving the stature of psychology at the National Science Foundation, increasing resources and respect for the field, and facilitating the development of new directions within the field.

Edgar M. Johnson

Army Research Institute
Dr. Johnson recently retired from serving as the Director of the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) and Chief Psychologist of the U.S. Army. He was recognized for his leadership within ARI and for developing the Consortium Research Fellows Program, which provides professional development and financial support to graduate students who are completing their degrees.

Peter G. Kaufmann

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH
He was recognized for increasing the visibility of health psychology and behavioral medicine research at NHLBI, in particular, and at NIH, in general.

Lisa S. Onken

National Institute of Drug Abuse, NIH
She was recognized for developing NIDA's behavioral therapies development research program and for her efforts in bridging basic and clinical research findings.

Delores Parron

National Institutes of Health
Dr. Parron is scientific advisor for capacity development in the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health. Some of her previous positions included associate director for special populations at the National Institute of Mental Health and associate director of the Division of Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine at the Institute of Medicine. She was cited for her knowledge, research strategies and career-long dedication to the development of new projects addressing ethnic minority groups. Dr. Parron's contributions to providing funding opportunities to ethnic minority researchers had a major impact on the discipline.

2002

Rodney Cocking (awarded posthumously)

National Science Foundation
Dr. Cocking served psychological science in many capacities across the federal government, most recently as program officer for the Learning and Developmental Sciences program at NSF. In every venue he was instrumental in the inception of initiatives that had a foundational impact on the field — he co-edited and founded a journal devoted to developmental psychology; was the initial staff director of important policy bodies at the National Academy of Sciences (Board on Behavioral, Cognitive and Sensory Sciences; and the Basic Behavioral Sciences Program on Cognition and Learning), and served to foster new developments in learning sciences, cognitive science, children and media, and cross-cultural work.

Robert Croyle

National Cancer Institute, NIH
Dr. Croyle is associate director, Behavioral Research Program in the NCI. He was cited for being a strong spokesperson for behavioral research within NIH, strong supporter of interdisciplinary collaboration, and an advocate of both basic and applied research. He was also commended for expanding the institute by bringing in colleagues with strong scientific credentials, initiating collaborations across NIH and other agencies, and supporting and fostering a behavioral research perspective. He was also cited for his championing the development of “cutting edge intervention research to influence complex health behaviors such as smoking, nutrition and exercise..” and “..innovative study of risk communication, health decision making, consumer health informatics, sociocultural research; policy analysis; neuroscience; psychometrics; behavioral genetics…”. His own research is on cancer prevention and control and health threat appraisal.

Sarah Friedman

National Institutes of Child Health & Human Development, NIH
Dr. Friedman has shepherded a groundbreaking longitudinal study at NICHD — the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development — since its inception. This 10-site, multimeasure, multi-investigator study has been going on for about 12 years, and involves 1,200 children studied from just after birth. She also has served as grants administrator, Health Scientist Administrator, Director Program on Cognitive Social and Affective Development, and Special Assistant to the Director at NICHD. In addition to her scholarly and administrative work, Dr. Friedman works actively to disseminate the results of her study for their scientific merit and as an example of the issues involved in encouraging multidisciplinary collaborative studies.

David Shurtleff

National Institute of Drug Abuse, NIH
He was cited for being instrumental in initiating and promoting the research area focusing on treatment strategies for drug abuse; and for outstanding administrative abilities within NIDA and increasing support for behavioral researchers.

Joseph Young

National Science Foundation
Dr. Young was cited for longstanding service to research and researchers in cognition, and for a strong role for supporting and being a steward for cognitive science and cognitive research funding within the National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research. Dr. Young worked at the National Science Foundation for close to 30 years and, as one reviewer said, was the “face” of cognitive psychology for most of that time.