Shirley Wang, PhD, was named to the Forbes list of “30 Under 30 North America in Healthcare.” Wang’s main research focus is suicide prevention. She uses machine learning and mathematical modeling—including smartphones, wearable biosensors, and medical record data—to examine why and for whom mental disorders develop. She will be joining Yale University’s faculty as an assistant professor in the department of psychology in July 2024.
The University of Louisville has awarded the 2024 Grawemeyer Award in Psychology to Ann Masten, PhD, for her work in resilience science. The $100,000 annual prize honors original and creative ideas that substantially impact the field of psychology. Masten’s research focuses on risk and resilience in development with a focus on the processes leading to positive adaptation and outcomes in children and families whose lives are threatened by adversity. She currently serves as a professor in the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The University of Georgia has named Jeanette Taylor, PhD, as its next vice provost for academic affairs. Taylor is currently the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of psychology at Florida State University (FSU). Taylor began her professional academic career at FSU in 2000 as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. She held multiple roles in the department, including serving for 6 years as chair and 3 years as director of clinical training for the department’s doctoral program in clinical psychology. Her new position is effective on April 1.
Miami University has chosen Amity Noltemeyer, PhD, to serve as interim dean of the university’s College of Education, Health, and Society. Prior to this new role, Noltemeyer served as associate dean of the university’s graduate school. She conducts research on positive behavioral interventions and supports, school climate, racial disparities and implicit bias in school discipline decisions, and resilience among students.
To help alleviate a school counseling shortage in Mesa Public Schools in Mesa, Arizona, Arizona State University (ASU) has created a new master’s degree concentration that is focused on training students to become K–12 counselors and enabling them to apply for licensure in schools upon graduation. Psychologist Ayşe Çiftçi, PhD, director of ASU’s School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology, helped fast-track the change due to the heavy need for counselors. ASU students can now enroll in the program for the Fall 2024 semester.
South Georgia Technical College has selected Michelle Seay, EdD, as its 2024 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. The award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields. Seay has been on the faculty at South Georgia Tech since 2000 as a general core and psychology instructor.
Vonnie C. McLoyd, PhD, will receive an Atkinson Prize in Psychological and Cognitive Sciences from the National Academy of Sciences for her studies on poverty’s impact on human development. McLoyd is the Ewart A. C. Thomas Collegiate Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She, along with other winners, will be honored in a ceremony during the National Academy of Sciences’ 161st annual meeting.
