Martha Zlokovich, PhD is awarded this APA Presidential Citation for her distinguished career as an educator, advocate, and national leader in psychology education.
Zlokovich dedicated the first 17 years of her career to teaching psychology at Southeast Missouri State University. In that role, she became increasingly more involved with Psi Chi, the Honor Society in Psychology, first serving as faculty advisor to her campus chapter, then assuming the role of Midwestern Region Vice-President, and eventually serving as National President. In 2008, Zlokovich left her academic position to become the second Executive Director of Psi Chi. During her tenure, the honor society transitioned into an international organization, installed over 100 new chapters, expanded the awards and grants budget, and doubled the number of annual scholarships provided to undergraduate and graduate students.
Over the course of her career, Zlokovich also emphasized the importance of forging strong relationships among psychological organizations. She participated in key meetings convened to foster linkages between the honor societies, the regional psychological associations, and APA and to encourage discussion focused on identifying, and responding to, emerging issues in psychology education.
In recognition of her years of service as an advocate for the faculty chapter advisors and members of Psi Chi, her efforts to cultivate and maintain collaborative relationships among psychological organizations, and her unwavering commitment to excellence in the teaching and mentoring of psychology students, it is an honor to present her with this Presidential Citation.