Committee on Psychology in the Public Interest Awards

The five-person Committee on Psychology in the Public Interest Awards selects up to three award recipients annually for:

• Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest (Early Career or Senior Career)

• Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy

The intent of the awards program is to recognize psychologists who have made distinguished contributions to the Public Interest that advance psychology as a science and/or a profession.

• Public Interest Awards

• Past Public Interest Award Winners (1978-Present)

2011 Award Winners

The 2010 Committee on Psychology in the Public Interest Awards chose the following recipients to receive the Public Interest Awards at the 2011 APA Convention in Washington, DC:

Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest — Senior Career

Roxane Cohen Silver, PhD
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior
University of California, Irvine
Dr. Silver's research concerns responses to traumatic life events. She is one of the country's leading experts on psychological reactions to trauma. Her research has addressed the reactions and adjustment of people facing a broad array of crises, including medical illnesses, sudden infant death syndrome, divorce, the Vietnam War, AIDS, fires, school, violence, and most importantly, the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest — Early Career

Edward Delgado-Romero, PhD
Department of Counseling and Human Development Services
University of Georgia
Dr. Delgado-Romero's research has addressed racial/ethnic issues in psychology and has applied multicultural psychology to clinical practice. In addition to his research productivity, he has also been committed to training the next generation of culturally competent psychologists and to increasing the pipeline of the Latino/a psychology professionals.

Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy

Richard Rogers, PhD, ABPP
Department of Psychology
University of North Texas
Dr. Rogers casts a long shadow over the realm of psychological research with important public policy implications. Following the public outcry over Hinckley's acquittal for the attempted assassination of President Reagan, Dr. Rogers' development of the R-CRAS provided an empirical basis for addressing these controversies. His American Psychologist article and other contributions intelligently and influentially informed public policy and successfully countered calls for outright abolition of the insanity defense. The aforementioned policy-related achievements are important and lasting, but Dr. Rogers' most uniquely impactful contribution to public policy is his enhancement of our understanding of Constitutional protections embodied in Miranda rights.

2010 Award Winners