Willerman Award

The Lee Willerman Award for Excellence in Research honors outstanding scholarly achievement by a graduate student in the Department of Psychology. Named in recognition of Dr. Lee Willerman, a long‑standing member of the Clinical Psychology faculty from 1971 to 1997, the award reflects his enduring commitment to rigorous, impactful research. Awarded annually, it recognizes a graduate student who has first‑authored a peer‑reviewed journal article judged to exemplify research excellence. The recipient receives a commemorative plaque and formal recognition from the department.

2026 Recipient: Abby deSteiguer 

deSteiguer AJ, Smith T, Goode JA, Willems YE, Schowe AM, Czamara D, Mönkediek B, Pahnke CKL, Forstner AJ, Binder EB, Schneper L, Notterman DA, Tucker-Drob EM, Raffington L, Mitchell C, Harden KP. Salivary DNA methylation and pubertal development in adolescents. Sci Rep. 2025 Oct 15;15(1):35970. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-19588-1. PMID: 41093898; PMCID: PMC12528458.

2025 Recipient: Andrew Levihn-Coon

Levihn-Coon A, Smits JA, Beevers CG (2025) The longitudinal relations between physical activity, inflammation, and depression in the Health and Retirement Study. PLOS Ment Health 2(4): e0000211. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000211

2024 Recipient: Bridget Freihart

Freihart BK, Meston CM. Physiological Synchrony During Partnered Sexual Activity. J Sex Marital Ther. 2024;50(4):498-511. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2024.2321127. Epub 2024 Mar 28. PMID: 38545911.

2023 Recipient: James Madole

Madole JW, Harden KP. Building causal knowledge in behavior genetics. Behav Brain Sci. 2022 May 5;46:e182. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X22000681. PMID: 35510303.

2022 Recipient: Mary McNamara

McNamara ME, Zisser M, Beevers CG, Shumake J. Not just "big" data: Importance of sample size, measurement error, and uninformative predictors for developing prognostic models for digital interventions. Behav Res Ther. 2022 Jun;153:104086. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104086. Epub 2022 Apr 14. PMID: 35462242.

2021 Recipient: Saniago Papini

Papini S, Dunsmoor JE, Smits JAJ. The impact of prior and ongoing threat on the false alarm threshold for facial discrimination. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2021 Mar;70:101619. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2020.101619. Epub 2020 Oct 1. PMID: 33049424.

2020 Recipients: Aliza Stein & Travis Mallard

Stein, Aliza & Carl, Emily & Karyotaki, Eirini & Cuijpers, Pim & Smits, Jasper. (2019). Looking beyond depression: A meta-analysis of the effect of behavioral activation on depression, anxiety, and activation. 10.31234/osf.io/bhyg9. 

Mallard TT, Harden KP, Fromme K. Genetic risk for schizophrenia is associated with substance use in emerging adulthood: an event-level polygenic prediction model. Psychol Med. 2019 Sep;49(12):2027-2035. doi: 10.1017/S0033291718002817. Epub 2018 Oct 12. PMID: 30309397; PMCID: PMC6711829.

2019 Recipient: Amelia Stanton

Stanton, Amelia & Boyd, Ryan & Fogarty, Justin & Meston, Cindy. (2019). Heart rate variability biofeedback increases sexual arousal among women with female sexual arousal disorder: Results from a randomized-controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 115. 90-102. 10.1016/j.brat.2018.10.016. 

2018 Recipient: Andrew Grotzinger

Grotzinger AD, Briley DA, Engelhardt LE, Mann FD, Patterson MW, Tackett JL, Tucker-Drob EM, Harden KP. Genetic and environmental influences on pubertal hormones in human hair across development. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018 Apr;90:76-84. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.02.005. 

2017 Recipient: Scarlett Baird

Baird, Scarlett & Rinck, Mike & Rosenfield, David & Davis, Michelle & Fisher, Jillian & Becker, Eni & Smits, Jasper. (2017). Reducing Approach Bias to Achieve Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 41. 10.1007/s10608-017-9835-z. 

2016 Recipient: Sonya Kaur

Kaur S, Gonzales MM, Strasser B, Pasha E, McNeely J, Tanaka H, Haley AP. Central Adiposity and Cortical Thickness in Midlife. Psychosom Med. 2015 Jul-Aug;77(6):671-8. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000202. PMID: 26098178.

2015 Recipient: Rahel Pearson

Pearson R, McGeary JE, Beevers CG. Association between serotonin cumulative genetic score and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS): Moderation by early life environment. Pers Individ Dif. 2014 Nov 1;70:140-144. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.06.041. PMID: 25264393; PMCID: PMC4174309.

2014 Recipient: Peter Clasen

Clasen PC, Beevers CG, Mumford JA, Schnyer DM. Cognitive control network connectivity in adolescent women with and without a parental history of depression. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2014 Jan;7:13-22. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2013.10.008. Epub 2013 Nov 7. PMID: 24270043; PMCID: PMC4209722.

2013 Recipient: Patrick Quinn

Quinn PD, Stappenbeck CA, Fromme K. An event-level examination of sex differences and subjective intoxication in alcohol-related aggression. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2013 Apr;21(2):93-102. doi: 10.1037/a0031552. Epub 2013 Feb 18. PMID: 23421356; PMCID: PMC3810171.

2012 Recipient: Tierney Ahrold

Lorenz TA, Meston CM. Acute exercise improves physical sexual arousal in women taking antidepressants. Ann Behav Med. 2012 Jun;43(3):352-61. doi: 10.1007/s12160-011-9338-1. PMID: 22403029; PMCID: PMC3422071.

2011Recipient: Mitzi Gonzales

Gonzales, Mitzi & Miles, Steven & Tanaka, Hirofumi & Shah, Furqan & Haley, Andreana. (2010). Insulin Sensitivity as a Mediator of the Relationship Between BMI and Working Memory‐Related Brain Activation. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 18. 2131-7. 10.1038/oby.2010.183. 

2010 Recipient: Tony Wells

Wells TT, Beevers CG, McGeary JE. Serotonin transporter and BDNF genetic variants interact to predict cognitive reactivity in healthy adults. J Affect Disord. 2010 Oct;126(1-2):223-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.03.019. Epub 2010 Apr 15. PMID: 20398943; PMCID: PMC2912950.

2009 Recipients: Chris Harte & Kate Wolitzky-Taylor

Harte CB, Meston CM. The inhibitory effects of nicotine on physiological sexual arousal in nonsmoking women: results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. J Sex Med. 2008 May;5(5):1184-1197. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.00778.x. Epub 2008 Mar 4. Erratum in: J Sex Med. 2010 Nov;7(11):3803. PMID: 18331269; PMCID: PMC2859209.

Wolitzky, K. B., & Telch, M. J. (2009). Augmenting in vivo exposure with fear antagonistic actions: A preliminary test. Behavior Therapy, 40(1), 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2007.12.006

2008 Recipient: Hanjoo Lee

Lee, H.-J., & Telch, M. J. (2008). Attentional biases in social anxiety: An investigation using the inattentional blindness paradigm. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46(7), 819–835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2008.04.001

2007 Recipient: Lisa Groesz

Groesz LM, Stice E. An experimental test of the effects of dieting on bulimic symptoms: the impact of eating episode frequency. Behav Res Ther. 2007 Jan;45(1):49-62. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2006.01.010. Epub 2006 Mar 10. PMID: 16529712.

2006 Recipient: Alessandra Rellini

Rellini, A. H., & Meston, C. M. (2006). Psychophysiological Sexual Arousal in Women with a History of Child Sexual Abuse. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 32(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/00926230500229145

2005 Recipient: Mark Powers

Powers, M. B., Smits, J. A. J., & Telch, M. J. (2004). Disentangling the Effects of Safety-Behavior Utilization and Safety-Behavior Availability During Exposure-Based Treatment: A Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(3), 448–454. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.72.3.448

2004 Recipient: Emily Burton

Burton, Emily & Stice, Eric & Seeley, John. (2004). A Prospective Test of the Stress-Buffering Model of Depression in Adolescent Girls: No Support Once Again. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 72. 689-697. 10.1037/0022-006X.72.4.689. 

2002 Recipient: Katherine Presnell

Presnell K, Stice E. An experimental test of the effect of weight-loss dieting on bulimic pathology: tipping the scales in a different direction. J Abnorm Psychol. 2003 Feb;112(1):166-70. PMID: 12653425.

2001Recipient: Bryan Hartzler

Hartzler B, Fromme K. Cognitive-behavioral profiles of college risk-takers with Type II and psychopathic personality traits. Addict Behav. 2003 Mar;28(2):315-26. doi: 10.1016/s0306-4603(01)00230-1. PMID: 12573681.

2000 Recipient: Penny Frohlich

Frohlich, P & Meston, Cindy. (2000). Evidence that serotonin affects female sexual functioning via peripheral mechanisms. Physiology & behavior. 71. 383-93. 10.1016/S0031-9384(00)00344-9. 

 

2016

Sonya Kaur
"Central Adiposity and Cortical Thickness in Midlife”

2015

Rahel Pearson "Association Between Serotonin Cumulative Genetic Score and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS): Moderation by Early Life Environment"

2014 

Peter Clasen "Cognitive Control Network Connectivity in Adolescent Women With and Without a Parental History of Depression"

2013 

Patrick Quinn "An Event-Level Examination of Sex Differences and Subjective Intoxication in Alcohol-Related Aggression"

2012

Tierney Ahrold "Acute Exercise Improves Physical Sexual Arousal in Women Taking Antidepressants"

2011

Mitzi Gonzales "Insulin Sensitivity as a Mediator of the Relationship Between BMI and Working Memory-Related Brain Activation"

2010

Tony Wells "Serotonin Transporter and BDNF Genetic Variants Interact To Predict Cognitive Reactivity in Healthy Adults"

2009

Chris Harte "The Inhibitory Effects of Nicotine on Physiological Sexual Arousal in Nonsmoking Women: Results from a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Trial"
Kate Wolitzky-Taylor "Augmenting In Vivo Exposure with Fear Antagonistic Actions: A Preliminary Test"

2008

Hanjoo Lee "Attentional Biases in Social Anxiety: An Investigation Using the Inattentional Blindness Paradigm"

2007

Lisa Groesz "An Experimental Test of the Effects of Dieting on Bulimic Symptoms: The Impact of Eating Episode Frequency"

2006

Alessandra Rellini "Psychophysiological Sexual Arousal in Women with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse"

2005

Mark Powers "Disentangling the Effects of Safety Behavior Utilization and Safety-Behavior Availability during Exposure-Based Treatment: A Placebo-Controlled Trial"

2004

Emily Burton "A Prospective Test of the Stress-Buffering Model of Depression in Adolescent Girls: No Support Once Again"

2002

Katherine Presnell "An Experimental Test of the Effect of Weight-Loss Dieting on Bulimic Pathology: Tipping the Scales in a Different Direction"

2001

Bryan Hartzler "Cognitive-behavioral Profiles of College Risk-takers with Type II and Psychopathic Traits"

2000

Penny Frohlich "Evidence that Serotonin Affects Female Sexual Functioning Via Peripheral Mechanisms"