Awards 2011
Faculty | Students | Staff
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FACULTY
Jacqueline Woolley Elected APS Fellow
Dr. Jacqueline Woolley has been elected a Fellow by the Association for Psychological Science. Fellow status is awarded to APS Members who have made sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology in the areas of research, teaching, service, and/or application. Dr. Woolley's research addresses children's understanding of reality. She was recently awarded a 5-year grant from the NIH (NICHD) to study "The development and formation of reality-status judgments." (12/20/11)
Bill Geisler Elected to Society of Experimental Psychologists
Wilson S. Geisler, David Wechsler Regents Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Perceptual Systems, has been elected as a 2012 Fellow of The Society of Experimental Psychologists, the oldest and most prestigious honorary society in Psychology. The Society elects only a handful of new Fellows each year, and Fellows are elected for life. New Fellows will accept their awards and present research talks in April 2012 at the 2012 SEP meeting at Rice University. (12/19/11)
Charles Holahan Inducted into Academy of Distinguished Teachers
Dr. Charles Holahan, professor of psychology and graduate advisor for the Psychology Department's Graduate Program, was one of seven UT faculty members inducted into the university's Academy of Distinguished Teachers at a ceremony and banquet on December 8, 2011. more > (12/12/11)
Juan Dominguez and Alison Preston Inducted into UT Society for Teaching Excellence
Juan Dominguez and Alison Preston have been inducted into the University of Texas Society for Teaching Excellence. The Society is comprised of faculty members who are dedicated to excellence in teaching. Members were selected by the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Dr. Preston is Assistant Professor in the Cognitive Systems area and Dr. Dominguez is Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Neuroscience area. Read more> (10/04/11)
Psychology Faculty Receive Outstanding Teaching Awards
The Psychology Department is pleased to announce that three of our faculty are recipients of the Board of Regents' Outstanding Teaching Awards. Wendy Domjan, Distinguished Senior Lecturer in Psychology and assistant director of the Plan II Honor Program Sam Gosling, Professor (Social & Personality) Charles Holahan, Professor (Clinical) and Graduate Advisor Read UT Announcement of Awards (08/26/11)
Martita Lopez Elected to Second Term as Member-at-Large of APA's Division of Health Psychology
Martita Lopez, Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Training, has been elected to a second three-year term as Member-at-Large of the American Psychological Association Division of Health Psychology (Division 38). Division 38 members are professionals and students who are interested in research, education, and clinical interventions related to biopsychosocial contributors to health and illness. Division 38 (08/19/11)
Three Psychology Faculty Receive Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award
We are pleased to announce that three psychology faculty are recipients of Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award. The award is given annually by The University of Texas Board of Regents to outstanding senior faculty members who have made significant educational contributions to the university. It is one of the highest honors for educational excellence bestowed by The University of Texas System.
Sam Gosling is professor of social psychology. His research in social perception eventually led to his highly regarded book, "Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You". He is the founder and director of the Animal Personality Institute. Past awards include a President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award, aRaymond Dickson Centennial Endowed Teaching Fellowship and an APA Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. Classes taught include "Introduction to Psychology" (Psy 301), "Personality Assessment" (Psy 341K), and "Seminar in Social and Personality Psychology" (Psy 394V).
Charles Holahan is professor of clinical psychology and graduate student advisor. He is a past recipient of numerous awards, including the Jeanne Holloway, President's Associates, Dad's Association, and Raymond Dickson awards, and was recently named to the American Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Courses taught include Introduction to Psychology (Psy 301-Honors), Honors Research (Psy 359H), and Psychology and Health (UGS 302).
Wendy Domjan is a Distinguished Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and the Assistant Director of the Plan II Honors Program. She has taught in the Psychology Department since 1977, and has taught Plan II, Liberal Arts Honors, and the gateway program. Courses taught include Introduction to Psychology (Psy301), Plan II Honors Psychology (SS301), Psychology of Religion (Psy341K), Psychology of Fundamentalism (Psy341K), Positive Psychology (Psy341K), and the Psychology of Optimism, Love and Virtue (TC302). She is the past recipient of numerous teaching awards, including the Harry Ransom Teaching Award, the Chad Oliver Teaching Award, the Raymond Dickson Teaching Fellowship, the Arnold Buss Teaching Excellence Award, and the Eyes of Texas Teaching Excellence Award. (06/13/11)
Charles Holahan Named to Prestigious Academy of Distinguished Teachers
The department is pleased to announce the induction of Dr. Charles Holahan to the American Academy of Distinguished Teachers. The Academy recognizes tenured faculty members who have made sustained and significant contributions to education, particularly at the undergraduate level. Read more...
Dr. Holahan is a professor of clinical psychology and also serves as the graduate student advisor. He is a past recipient of numerous awards, including the Jeanne Holloway, President's Associates, Dad's Association, and Raymond Dickson teaching awards. Courses taught include Introduction to Psychology (Psy 301-Honors), Honors Research (Psy 359H), and Psychology and Health (UGS 302). (06/08/11)
Rebecca Bigler Receives Raymond Dickson Centennial Endowed Teaching Fellowship
Rebecca Bigler, professor of psychology and director of the Gender and Racial Attitudes Lab, is the recipient of a Raymond Dickson Centennial Endowed Teaching Fellowship. This award recognizes teaching excellence in the College of Liberal Arts. (04/25/11)
Alison Preston Receives Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER)
Alison Preston, Assistant Professor of Psychology, has been selected for a Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation. The CAREER award is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through the integration of excellent education with outstanding research. This award will provide five years of funding for Dr. Preston's research using brain imaging imaging techniques to understand how the brain makes predictions about the present and future based on memories of the past. (04/06/11)
2011 Young Investigator Award Given to Alex Huk
Alexander C. Huk has been chosen as the 2011 winner of the Elsevier/VSS Young Investigator Award. Dr. Huk is an Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Psychology in the Center for Perceptual Systems. Read more... | Center for Perceptual Systems (03/16/11)
Jonathan Pillow Awarded 2011 Sloan Research Fellowship
Dr. Jonathan Pillow has been selected to receive the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship for 2011. These fellowships are given to young researchers in recognition of their exceptional early-career achievements and potential to contribute significantly to their fields. Dr. Pillow, an assistant professor in psychology and neurobiology, currently teaches Statistical Methods in Computational Neuroscience (NEU 394P, PSY 394U). His lab investigates what the brain computes, and how it does so using populations of neurons. For more information visit the Neural Coding & Computation Lab. Read about the award in UT News (02/15/11)
Two Psychology Faculty Members Retire in January 2011
Dennis McFadden, Ashbel Smith Professor of Psychology, has retired after 43 years at the university. Dr. McFadden received his doctoral degree in Sensory Psychology from Indiana University in 1967. His research examined the psychophysical and physiological measures of the auditory system. As one of the deans of the Psychology Department, he was central in the planning, design, and oversight of the Seay Psychology Building.
Peter MacNeilage, Professor of Psychology, has retired after 38 years in the department. A native of New Zealand, Dr. MacNeilage received his doctoral degree from McGill University. His research on the acquisition of speech focuses primarily on the evolution of complex action systems. He is an internationally recognized scientist and the author of many scholarly articles. He is the author of the award-winning book, The Origin of Speech, which was published by Oxford University Press in 2008. (01/25/11)
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STUDENTS
Psychology Student Receives Fall 2011 Undergraduate Research Fellowship
The Undergraduate Research Fellowships provide support (up to $1,000) for specific scholarly investigative projects conducted by University of Texas at Austin undergraduates. They are intended to cover costs associated with academic research projects proposed and written by student applicants and undertaken with the supervision of a University faculty member, lecturer, senior lecturer or full-time Research Scientist or Engineer.
Lindsay Taraban was awarded a $792 Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the Office of the Vice President for Research, as well as a $600 research scholarship from the College of Liberal Arts. Project Title: The Effects of Self-Explanation on Children's Learning of Relational Nouns Supervisor: Catharine Echols (12/13/11)
Psychology Undergraduate Students Receive David Ivey Scholarship
The David Ivey Scholarship is a memorial endowed scholarship that is designed to reward Psychology undergraduate students who spend time doing community service while enrolled at UT. Every fall, two Psychology undergraduate students are selected from an applicant pool to receive an award (the amount of the award varies depending on income generated by the endowment). The recipients of a $1,000 award for the 2011-2012 academic year are Nicholas Ortiz and Damaris Rodriguez. (11/28/11)
NIMH to Fund Graduate Student Research
Sasha Wolosin, a graduate student in Dr. Alison Preston's lab, has received news that her predoctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA) application will be funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Sasha's research uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how motivation and attention influence episodic memory in the human brain. Title of proposal: The Effect of Anticipation on Episodic Memory: Motivation and Attention (05/19/11)
Reagan Wetherill Receives 2011 Outstanding Dissertation Award
Dr. Reagan Wetherill has received the Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2011. Dissertation Title: Alcohol-induceds fragmentary blackouts: Associated memory processes and neural correlates. Dr. Wetherill is currently on a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California at San Diego. Her research was supported by an NRSA grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and by the Waggoner Center for Addiction Research, and was recently featured in the New York Times. Read Times article (05/19/11)
UT Fellowships Awarded to Psychology Graduate Students
Three psychology graduate students are the recipients of Graduate School Fellowships, which provide stipends and full paid tuition. The recipients are: Kyle Stephenson, Clinical, Meston Lab; Ross Otto, Cognitive Systems, Markman Lab; Jackie Kane, Behavioral Neuroscience, Schallert Lab (05/05/11)
Lisa Sperle Receives APA Div53 Award
Lisa Sperle, a recent honor's student and ongoing student researcher working in Dr. Rebecca Neal's lab, has been selected as the first recipient of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 53 Undergraduate Student Achievement Award from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. The SCCAP recognizes one outstanding undergraduate student each year who has made a significant contribution to the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology through work on a youth-focused research project. Lisa's honor's thesis was titled, "Temperament and peer victimization as predictors of emotion recognition among adolescents with and without high-functioning autism." Lisa's research interest is in developmental psychopathology with an emphasis in children's social-emotional functioning. SCCAP Student Achievement Award Page | The Child Development in Context Lab (05/04/11)
Psychology Undergraduate Students Receive Hibbs Scholarship for 2011-2012
The Dr Bailey R Collins/Ellene Collins Ward/Mary Sue Collins Hibbs Scholarship Fund was created through a bequest from the estate of Mrs. Hibbs in memory of her brother, her sister and herself and was established in several undergraduate departments in the College of Liberal Arts. Every spring, the Department of Psychology selects two students who are enrolled in the departmental honors program and have demonstrated high academic ability for this scholarship. The recipients of a $2,000 Hibbs Scholarship award for the 2011-2012 academic year are Gary Kane andNadia Velasquez. (05/04/11)
Psychology Undergraduate Students Receive Unrestricted Endowed Presidential Scholarships for 2011-2012
Every spring, all academic departments are invited to nominate 10% of their highest performing students to receive an award of $2,500 for the coming academic year. Winners are selected based on high academic ability, demonstrated continuous participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and evidence in leadership. More information about this scholarship competition can be found here. The following ten Psychology undergraduate students are receiving an Unrestricted Endowed Presidential Scholarship award for the 2011-2012 academic year:Shanup Dalal, Hillary Edelman, Elizabeth Fletcher, Derin Kiykioglu, Kajal Mehta, Kierstin Thornhill, Katherine Tong, Rebecca Yasskin, Jodi Zik, Mary McGeehan (05/04/11)
Psychology Students Receive Spring 2011 Undergraduate Research Fellowships
The Undergraduate Research Fellowships provide support (up to $1,000) for specific scholarly investigative projects conducted by University of Texas at Austin undergraduates. They are intended to cover costs associated with academic research projects proposed and written by student applicants and undertaken with the supervision of a University faculty member, lecturer, senior lecturer or full-time Research Scientist or Engineer. Seven Psychology students received an Undergraduate Research Fellowship award for Spring 2011: Lauren F. Fanty/ David M. Schnyer, Supervisor, "The effects of age and emotion on memory monitoring processes" ; Milla M. Impola/ Christine H. Legare, Supervisor, "The development of causal explanatory triggers across domains" ; Annette Leija/ Jacqueline D. Woolley, Supervisor, "Animals with human attributes (AHA) as the main characters of children's storybooks and their effect on learning" ; Brittany N. Nix/ W. Todd Maddox, Supervisor, "Age and incentive valence effects on exploratory decision-making" ; Cameron W. Nobile/ Timothy J. Schallert, Supervisor, "Examining the relationship between ultrasonic vocalizations and conditioned place preference in rats exposed to amphetamine" ; Annia W. Raja/ Cindy M. Meston, Supervisor, "Sexual activity frequency and body esteem predict sexual desire in young women" ; Nicole L. Vu/ Marlone D. Henderson, Supervisor, "Language style mismatching in loneliness: the extension of social disengagement to correspondences". (05/04/11)
Mitzi Gonzales Receives Lee Willerman Award for Excellence in Research
Mitzi Gonzales, a 3rd year graduate student in Dr. Andreana Haley's Clinical Neuroscience Lab, was presented with the Lee Willerman Award for Excellence in Research at last week's "PsychFest", a daylong event in honor of 3rd year students in clinical psychology. Mitzi won for her paper, "Insulin Sensitivity as a Mediator of the Relationship Between BMI and Working Memory-Related Brain Activation", which was co-authored by Takashi Tarumi, Steven C Miles, Hirofumi Tanaka, Furqan Shah, & Andreana P Haley). It was published in 2010 in the journal Obesity, 2010 Nov;18(11):2131-7.
The Lee Willerman Award for Excellence in Research is awarded every year in honor of the late Dr. Lee Willerman, who was a member of the clinical psychology faculty from 1971 until 1997. The Willerman award is given to a graduate student who has first-authored a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal and comes with a $500 prize. Read full paper (PDF) | Clinical Neuroscience Lab (04/26/11)
Meg Schlichting Receives NDSE Graduate Fellowship
Meg Schlichting, a 1st year graduate student in Dr. Alison Preston's lab, is the recipient of a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship. The fellowship is highly competitive and confers high honors upon its recipients. Among other benefits, it will pay for full tuition and a monthly stipend for three years. Meg's research uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study flexible use of memory in humans. (04/26/11)
Gili Freedman Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Gili Freedman, a 2nd year student in Dr. Jennifer Beer's Self-Regulation Lab, is the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported disciplines and has a history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers. Gili studies social rejection and how an individual resolves conflicting motivations (e.g., morality, closeness to the group) when being pressured by a group to reject someone. Self-Regulation Lab (04/25/11)
2011 Psychology Graduate Student Awards Announced
We are very pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 departmental graduate student awards. Jacqueline Evans has received the Janet T. Spence Teaching Award for an Assistant Instructor. Amy Roberson Hayes has received the Alma Carlson Award for a Teaching Assistant. Reagan Wetherill has received the Outstanding Dissertation Award. Reagan's dissertation supervisor was Kim Fromme. Please join us for a reception to celebrate the award recipients on Thursday, April 7th at 3:15pm in 4.244. Congratulations to Jacqui, Amy and Reagan! (03/31/11)
Psychology Student Frances Deavers Named Dean's Distinguished Graduate
Frances Deavers, Psychology and Plan I Honors student, and President of the University's Chapter of Psi Chi, has been selected as one of 12 Dean's Distinguished Graduates in the College of Liberal Arts for 2011.
The Dean's Distinguished Graduates program was established in 1980 to recognize graduating Liberal Arts students who have distinguished themselves in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and service to the college and university community.
In May 2011 Frances and fellow recipients will be honored at a luncheon in the Santa Rita Room at the Texas Union. Distinguished graduates will be acknowledged in the May commencement program and recognized during the Liberal Arts joint commencement ceremony at the Erwin Center, May 20, at noon. Ultimately, their names will be inscribed on the Dean's Distinguished Graduates wall of honor located in the advising suite of the Gebauer Building. (03/04/11)
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STAFF
Staff Members Receive Service Awards
The following psychology staff members received service awards at the President's Staff Awards ceremony on May 13 in the Texas Union Ballroom: Joel Mendolusky, Senior Academic Advisor (15 years); Mike Claytor, Senior Media Support Technician (15 years); Christine Mazzucco, Graduate Program Coordinator II (20 years); Gary Zuker, Senior Systems Administrator (30 years). (05/19/11)
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