Volume 23: No. 1, January 2009

Nominate Your Department or Your Colleague for a Culture of Service Award

by Suzanne Wandersman

Department Nominations

The APA Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA) is soliciting nominations for the Departmental Award for Culture of Service in the Psychological Sciences. This Award recognizes departments that demonstrate a commitment to service in the psychological sciences. Departments selected for this award will show a pattern of support for service from faculty at all levels, including a demonstration that service to the discipline is rewarded in faculty tenure and promotion. Successful Departments will also demonstrate that service to the profession is an integral part of training and mentoring.

Service to the discipline includes such activities as departmental release time for serving on boards and committees of psychological associations; editing journals; serving on a review panel; or chairing an IRB. Other culture of service activities that a department would encourage include mentoring students and colleagues; advocating for psychological science’s best interests with state and federal lawmakers; and promoting the value of psychological science in the public eye. The focus of this award is a department’s faculty service to the discipline and not their scholarly achievements.

Both Undergraduate and Graduate Departments of Psychology are eligible. Self-nominations are encouraged.

To submit a nomination the following is required:

• A letter that describes and illustrates the department’s commitment to a culture of service (e.g., nature of the department’s commitment, effect on tenure and promotion, mentoring, effect on current and/or former students’ activities as a result of the department’s focus on service, etc.). The letter should be no more than three pages long.

• Three letters of support from individuals familiar with the department’s support for a culture of service. (These letters can be from current or past faculty members; a Dean familiar with the department’s service program; etc.)

Each Department selected will receive an award of $5,000 to be used for departmental activities. Nominations will be accepted only as electronic submissions to Culture of Service. Please be sure to submit the nomination as a package that includes all the required letters.

The deadline for 2009 submissions is April 1, 2009.  For more information, please contact Suzanne Wandersman.

Past Recipients

Individual Nominations

The APA Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA) is soliciting nominations for the Award for Distinguished Service to Psychological Science. This Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to psychological science through their commitment to a culture of service. Nominees will have demonstrated their service to the discipline by aiding in association governance; serving on boards, committees and various psychological associations; editing journals; reviewing grant proposals; mentoring students and colleagues; advocating for psychological science’s best interests with state and federal lawmakers; and promoting the value of psychological science in the public eye. Nominees may be involved in one service area, many of the areas, or all of the service areas noted above. An individual’s service to the discipline and not a person’s scholarly achievements are the focus of this award.

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, etc.). The nomination letter should be no more than two pages long.

• A curriculum vita

• Three letters of support from individuals familiar with the nominee’s service to the discipline (These letters can be from colleagues who have served with the nominee; a Dean familiar with the nominee’s service; former students; Association/Society presidents, etc.)

Award recipients will receive an honorarium of $1,000. The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2009.

Nominations for both departments and individuals will be accepted only as electronic submissions to Culture of Service. Please be sure to submit the nomination as a package that includes everything you need for the nomination.

Past Recipients