The University of Mississippi presented its Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award to psychology professor Kelly G. Wilson, PhD, for his efforts to engage students. Wilson, who directs the Mississippi Center for Contextual Psychology, is beloved for his annual "Orphan Thanksgiving" dinner for students and faculty who can't travel home.
Sian Beilock, PhD , is the new president of Barnard College of Columbia University. Beilock had been the executive vice provost at the University of Chicago, where she taught for 12 years and directed the Human Performance Lab.
LaSalle University has given David Falcone, PhD, its Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching for his ability to spark students' interest in psychology. Falcone has taught at LaSalle since 1980 and served as department chair from 1987 to 1999.
Cornell University psychology graduate student Kristina Smiley took first place in the university's Three-Minute Thesis competition, which encourages students to learn how to communicate their research to a lay audience. Her presentation, "Prolactin: It's Not Just for Lactation!" focused on the hormone's evolutionary role in parental care, particularly in birds' feeding behaviors. To watch her presentation, go to YouTube and search for "Kristina Smiley Cornell."
Harvard University has presented a Centennial Medal to alumnus Thomas F. Pettigrew, PhD, for devoting his research career to exploring ways to reduce prejudice. Pettigrew earned his PhD in social psychology from Harvard in 1956 and taught at the university for 23 years. He is now a research professor of social psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The 2017 New York Musical Festival in July debuted the rock musical "A Wall Apart," co-written by psychologist Sam Goldstein, PhD, clinical director of the Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center in Salt Lake City. The play tells the story of three brothers living in East Berlin during the construction of the Berlin Wall. Goldstein collaborated on the musical with Lord Graham Russell, a founding member of the band Air Supply.
Georgetown University presented a Distinguished Associate Professor Award to Rebecca M. Ryan, PhD, for remarkable achievement in research and teaching. Ryan has taught at the university since 2009. Her research examines how the quality of parent-child interactions, and how much time and money parents invest in their children's environment, affect a child's well-being.
The University of Oregon has presented the Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching to assistant professor of psychology Caitlin M. Fausey, PhD. The prize honors excellence in early career teaching. Fausey is the principal investigator of the Learning Lab, which explores how children's everyday experiences build knowledge.
Congratulations, APA awardees
APA and its 54 divisions presented awards and research grants to hundreds of psychologists and psychology graduate students last month at APA's Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. Honorees won for outstanding research and teaching, service to the profession and much more. See who won at www.apa.org/monitor/award-winners.