The Psychology Department offers several awards and scholarships to recognize scholarly excellence in our students and faculty.
Under each award featured below, we have a complete list of past award winners, but we have also highlighted some awardees on this page. There you can see what they have been up to since graduation!
Our department sends announcements to the Psychology and IN listservs when award applications open. Check you email regularly!
Dr. Peter J. Donovick Memorial Scholarship
Stanley E. Moldovan Scholarship (Applications are open!)
Connine and Inhoff Research Award
Steven W. Kovacs Memorial Award
Awards That Are No Longer Being Offered
The Dr. Peter J. Donovick Memorial Scholarship
Established in 2020 by Dr. Valerie Perdue in memory of Dr. Peter J. Donovick. This scholarship is awarded to a senior student majoring in Psychology or Integrative Neuroscience. The recipient must have demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA. Preference will be given to students who plan to attend graduate or professional school to further their education. Preference will be given to students with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Preference to students who are first generation college students.
Applications are closed.
- How to Apply
Apply on
Award Recipients
- Recipients by Year
2025 - Monica Romirez
2024 - Celina Yang
2023 - Ashley Holguin
2022 - Jenni Li
Stanley E. Moldovan '59 Psychology Scholarship
This scholarship honors the memory of Stanley Moldovan, a Psychology major who graduated from Harpur College in 1959.
The scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate, or a graduate student in psychology. The amount of the monetary award varies.
Applications are open! They close on December 1st at 5pm.
- Qualifications and how to apply
Qualifications:
- Psychology undergraduate (Freshman 2 - Senior 1), OR a psychology graduate student.
- Overall GPA of 2.0 or higher for undergraduates and an overall GPA of 3.0 for graduate students.
Application Criteria:
Applications are required to provide the selection committee with a detailed account of a situation-academic or related-where they employed unconventional reasoning or an innovative approach to overcome a challenge or address an an academic/research issue. This should illustrate their ability to think "outside the box" and offer a solution that was unexpected, inventive, or playfully unconventional/kooky. ("Kooky" in this context refers to an imaginative and original perspective that diverges from conventional norms)
Submission Guidelines:
- Acceptable formats: Video or audio clip, infographic, presentation, ect.(MP4, MP3, PDF, etc.)
- No more than 5mins in length
- File size limit for upload: 100MB
- If the file exceeds the limit, applicants can submit a link to their work.
Award Recipients
-
Recipients by Year
2024 - Supriya Mandke
2023 - Vanessa Uhteg
2022 - Stephanie Karluk
2021- Stephanie Karluk
2020 - Hadar Arens
John L. Fuller Award
Established in memory of John L. Fuller, former distinguished faculty member in the
Psychology Department.
The award consists of two parts. First, a certificate and cash award are presented
to the awardee at the recognition ceremonies associated with graduation. In addition,
the name of the awardee will be engraved on a plaque that is on permanent display
in the Department of Psychology.
Nominations are closed
- Eligibility
The student must:
- Be a graduating senior
- Be an Integrative Neuroscience major
- Be someone who has shown excellence in the areas of research.
- Although research need not be original, preference will be given to students who initiate and complete original research.
Evidence of excellence in research can be derived
from: completion of an Honors project in Integrative Neuroscience, the presentation of a poster or talk that describes a research project at the Psychology Department Research Fair, the Biology Department Research Fair, or a national research conference, a paper published in a journal, or any paper that describes a research project completed in a lab in the Integrative Neuroscience Program. - Application Procedures
Faculty members affiliated with the Integrative Neuroscience program or the Department of Psychology can nominate a student.
A letter of nomination should be accompanied by an unofficial university transcript. Samples of the student's work, such as an Honors proposal or thesis, publications, or posters may also be included. (These are optional and not required for nomination.)
Faculty should to submit their nominations.
Award Recipients
- Recipients by Year
2025 - Krishna Sangamesh Rapelli
2024 - Min Young Lee
2023 - Marcis Scroger
2022 - Juan Mato
2021 - Ashley Shyya
2020 - None
2019 - Anthony Corsi
2018 - Sara Heide
2017 - Jesse Cole
2016 - Samantha Meadows
2015 - Hannah Kittrell
2014 - Jackie Xiang
2013 - Tom Fuchs
2012 - Eliza Anderson
2011 - Abigail Agooglia
2010 - Michael Miller
2009 - Anna Klioueva
2008 - Benjamin Lankow
2007 - Andrew Koch
2006 - Matthew Gervais
2005 - Michelle Barreto
2004 - None
2003 - None
2002 - Daniel Kennedy
2001 - Deepa Acharya
2000 - Julia High
1999 - Shana Lassiter
Cynthia M. Connine and Albrecht W. Inhoff Research Award
This award was made possible by a donation from a first-generation student who worked in the labs of Drs. Inhoff and Connine while he was an undergraduate at ßÙßÇÂþ» University. The support and mentorship of professors like Drs. Inhoff and Connine was invaluable for his career trajectory, ultimately becoming a professor at a public research university.
The award will be offered yearly and consists of a monetary award and the engraving of the awardee's name on a plaque that will be displayed in the main office of the Psychology department. It is awarded each spring to a first generation college student who has achieved excellence in research and who is completing an Honors thesis in the laboratory of a Cognitive and Brain Sciences faculty member.
Nominations are closed
- Application Procedures
A professor of the Cognitive and Brain Sciences in the Department of Psychology can nominate a senior by submitting the student’s name and supporting materials to the Department of Psychology Awards committee.
The letter of nomination should be accompanied by:
A). a current university transcript
B). a current resume or vita from the nominee
C). any evidence of research accomplishments, including a poster that was presented, a published article or preprint, etc.
If you are a professor who would like to nominate a student, please .
Previous Award Recipients
- Recipients by Year
2025- Rebecca Patachi
Steven W. Kovacs Memorial Award
This award is intended to honor the memory of Steven W. Kovacs, who was a member of the ßÙßÇÂþ»'s Class of 2009.
This memorial award is given to a graduating senior majoring in Psychology or Integrative Neuroscience who displays a clear passion for research and who plans to continue their education to obtain a PhD in psychological sciences. The award is also merit based.
It consists of two parts: First, a certificate and monetary gift is presented to the awardee at the recognition ceremonies associated with graduation. In addition, the name of the awardee is engraved on a plaque that is permanently displayed in the Department of Psychology.
Nominations are closed
- Application Procedure
Any professor in the Department of Psychology can nominate a graduating senior by submitting their name and supporting materials to the Department of Psychology Awards Committee.
A letter of nomination should be accompanied by:
- Additional letter of support (optional);
- a current university transcript;
- a current resume or vita for the nominee; and
- any materials that describe the nominee's passion for research and specific research activities of the nominee.
If you are a professor who would like to nominate a student, please .
Previous Award Recipients
- Recipients by Year
2025 - Kristen Lodge
2024 - Alberto Torres
2023 - Samuel Maion
2022 - Isaac Savelson
2021 - Brendan Walsh
2020 - Dori Polovsky
2019 - Abbey McClemont
2018 - Breanna Grunthal
2017 - Aira Domingo
2016 - Victoria Gertel
2015 - Petal Grower
2014 - Julia Soares
2013 - Joseph Petro
2012 - Madelein Lempereur
Helen B. Daly Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
This award is intended to honor the memory of Helen B. Daly, PhD (1941-1995) who remains one of the most distinguished alumnae of ßÙßÇÂþ»'s undergraduate program in Psychology. Dr. Daly began her career as an undergraduate research assistant at ßÙßÇÂþ», and went on to become a well-known behavioral scientist as Distinguished Teaching Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Oswego.
This memorial award is given to a graduating senior majoring in Psychology or Integrative Neuroscience who has shown excellence in the area of research. Although the research need not be original, preference for the award is given to those give clear evidence that they initiated and completed original work.
It consists of two parts: First, a certificate and monetary gift is presented to the awardee at the recognition ceremonies associated with graduation. In addition, the name of the awardee is engraved on a plaque that is permanently displayed in the Department of Psychology.
Nominations are closed
- Application Procedure
Any professor in the Department of Psychology can nominate a graduating senior by submitting their name and supporting materials to the Department of Psychology Awards Committee.
A letter of nomination should be accompanied by:
- Two letters of support (one of which can be the nominating letter);
- a current University transcript;
- a current resume or vita for the nominee; and
- any materials that describe the nominee's excellence in research and specific research activities of the nominee. These can include, but are not limited to, completion of an Honors Project in Psychology, the presentation of a research poster or talk that describes a research project at the Psychology Department Research Fair or a national conference, an authored paper published in a journal or any paper that describes a research project completed in a laboratory in the Department of Psychology.
If you are a professor who would like to nominate a student, please .
Previous Award Recipients
- Recipients by Year
2025 - Risa Kalish
2024 - Riya Bolander
2023 - Michelle Chan
2022 - Kayla Elder
2021 - Angela Cardrilli
2020 - Julia Kolodny
2019 - Katarina Poynor
2018 - Kayden Stockwell
2017 - Ryan Mirchin
2016 - Samanthaa Fradkin
2015 - Dallas Alberti
2014 - Michael Mintz
2013 - Fanny Chu
2012 - Crystal Austin
The Outstanding Contributions to Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award in Psychology:
This annual departmental award is intended to value and recognize the members of the Psychology department’s efforts in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within and outside of the department.
- This award is open to Undergraduate, and Graduate students majoring in Psychology or Integrative Neuroscience. It is also open to faculty and staff within the Psychology Department.
- An individual can nominate themselves, or another person.
Applications are closed
- Award Criteria
1. The nominee must demonstrate outstanding contributions and a commitment to the advancement of equity, diversity, and inclusion through at least one of the following areas:
A) Service to Department, Campus, or Community (local, national, international)
Examples include:
- Serving as an outstanding advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion within the department by creating a culture of inclusion and modeling respectful and inclusive treatment of others.
- Engagement in or leading initiatives to increase awareness, understanding or promotion of diversity.
- Engagement in or leading efforts to improve recruitment and retention of students, staff and faculty.
- Engagement in or leading activities/programs designed to promote the professional and academic advancement of underrepresented groups.
- Engagement in community service or outreach to promote equity across a number of potential domains (e.g., food deserts, equitable housing, K-12 education, etc.).
B) Teaching & Mentoring
Examples include:
- Implementing effective strategies to advance educational experiences of underrepresented groups in the classroom, lab or other academic setting.
- Development and/or use of course activities and material that reflect and promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Effective mentoring of students from underrepresented groups (e.g., McNair scholars).
C) Scholarly/Research
Examples include:
- Advancing understanding of practices to improve EDI in a particular field, for a specific population, for a particular setting, etc.
- Advancing understanding of factors that influence the experiences and outcomes of members of underrepresented groups.
- Identifying effective strategies to address inequities in science or practice.
2. The efforts and contributions of the nominee demonstrate impacts in the areas of equity, diversity, or inclusion.
Examples include:
- Audience or student held activity/event (such as the WGA panel discussions/workshops).
Potential impacts: # workshops; attendance; anecdotal reports if no evaluations available
- Bridges and McNair student outcomes
Potential impacts: scholarly engagement such as poster presentation, post-graduate employment/entry to grad program, etc.
- Developed and implemented a STEM workshop for rural elementary students.
Potential impacts: # of workshops; # of students or schools involved.
- Held 2 workshops on training graduate students on mentoring undergraduate students on research and preparation for graduate school.
Potential impacts: % of graduate students who attended the workshop.
3. There is a commitment or sustained involvement in the activities of the nominee.
4. The nominee’s engagement meets an important need of the department, campus, or local community.
- How to apply
The nominee must Part of the form requires a written statement (1 page, single spaced, ~650 words), explaining the nominees qualifications for the award.
Previous Award Recipients
- 2025 Recipient
Rezheen Avdel, Psychology BA '25
- 2023 Recipients
Solange Roussetzki, BA '23
Dr. Eileen Barden, '23
Dr. DiLorenzo, Professor of Psychology
Learn more about these EDI winners here.
Awards That Are No Longer Being Offered
The Richard G. Burright Award
This award was given in honor of Richard G. Burright, PhD, who was a professor of psychology for 40 years. Burright received his Bachelors, Master's and Doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois-Irbana. He was also a veteran of serving in the United States Army from 1954-56. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Society, the Behavior Genetics Association and the Eastern Psychological Association.
This was awarded to a graduating senior Psychology or Integrative Neuroscience major who demostrated both academic merit as well as a compelling record of broad interests and activities in both the academy and the outside community.
- Recipients by Year
2025 - Joelle Sacks
2024 - Anna Defeo Nicotra
2022 - Samin Zamin
2021 - Samantha Herlands
2020 - Laurie Azoulai
2019 - Ashley Rottkamp
2018 - Mary Grega
2017 - Callon Williams
2016 - Emma Lecarie
2015 - Bridget Murphy
2014 - Dana Hall
2013 - Hannon Weeks
2012 - Arielle Kahn