Congratulations to Paul Dux, winner of the 2012 Randolph Blake Early Career Award!

2/21/2012 8:39 am —      Paul was a post-doctoral fellow in the Dept of Psychology working with René Marois from 2005 to 2008. Paul received his Ph.D. from Macquarie University (Australia) in 2005. After being at Vanderbilt for 3 years, he accepted a position in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he is currently a tenured lecturer.      Paul  has broad interests in the area of attention and its neural mechanisms. In his short time as a faculty member, Paul has already amassed 10 publications, including two in Psychological Science. He serves on several editorial boards, including those of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, and Journal of Experimental Psychology:General.        His rapid rise is also illustrated by his receiving in 2010 the University of Queensland Social and Behavioural Sciences Faculty Research and Innovation Award, and in 2009 the Australian Psychological Society Early Career Research Award, the Australian equivalent of the APA’s Young Investigator Award.  Moreover, in 2011 Paul has been recognized as a Rising Star by the Association of Psychological Science (USA).      In addition to these personal accolades, Paul has been very successful in attracting extramural funding, particularly two Australian Research Council Discovery Grants ­– one as the sole PI and the other as co-PI – as well as a National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant.     

2012 Psychological Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Award goes to Mringanka Sur

1/23/2012 1:46 pm — Mriganka Sur,  Newton Professor of Neuroscience and Head of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, is the 2012 winner of the Distinguished alumnus award. Dr Sur did his Ph.D. work in the laboratory of Jon Kaas, here at Vanderbilt. Mriganka will also double up as our Psychology Day speaker, April 24th!

Congratulations to Thomas Armstrong

12/16/2011 2:59 pm — Congratulations to Thomas Armstrong for receiving the Distinguished Student Research Award in Clinical Psychology by the Society of Clinical Psychology Division 12 of the American Psychological Association. The Distinguished Student Research Award honors a graduate student in clinical psychology who has made exemplary theoretical or empirical contributions to research in the field.

Congratulations to Michael Mack, the 2011 winner of the Jum Nunnally Dissertation Award!

9/27/2011 9:18 am — The Jum Nunnally Dissertation Award recognizes a recent outstanding doctoral dissertation in the Department of Psychology.  Michael Mack's thesis exemplifies excellence, hard work, and intellectual ingenuity, and is very deserving of this award. Jum Nunnally came to Vanderbilt in 1960. In 1961, he became the second chair of the department. He served as chair from 1961-1964 and again from 1967-1970. Under Jum’s leadership, the department grew substantially in stature, including significant increases in both the number and quality of the faculty. A memorial fund to support student awards was established in 1982 by his friends and family. Proceeds from this fund were used to establish the Jum Nunnally Dissertation Award in 2010, which was awarded to Jennifer Richler and Peiyan Wong. The recipient receives a certificate and a $500 award.

David Zald awarded a Chancellor's Research Award

8/26/2011 12:46 pm — David Zald and Bob Kessler from the Department of Radiology were awarded a Chancellor's Research Award today for their pioneering work on the linkage between personality and individual differences in dopaminergic function. This is highly important work that also involved very significant methodological innovations allowing successful imaging of the midbrain DA system. Congratulations to David and Bob and their other collaborators from the Psychological Sciences and Neuroscience programs, including current faculty (Stephen Benning, David Cole), current students (Michael Treadway), and former students (Josh Buckholtz).

Rittle-Johnson wins Peabody Excellence in Research Award

5/11/2011 11:32 am — Bethany Rittle-Johnson, Associate Professor of Psychology, was awarded the 2011 Peabody Award for Excellence in Research.  Rittle-Johnson's research focuses on the psychological processes  involved in the teaching and learning of mathematics in the classroom.  In presenting the award, Dean Camilla Benbow noted that Rittle-Johnson's investigations of phenomena such as the researsal of knowledge and the bemefits of self-explanation have the potential to greatly impact mathematics instruction.

Cognitive neuroscientist Isabel Gauthier enjoys the process of discovery

5/11/2011 9:56 am —     Vanderbilt View highlights Professor Gauthier in a story entitled "Joy in the Journey" - http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2011/05/joy-in-the-journey/

Awards to Graduate Students at Psychology Day

4/28/2011 8:57 am — Two awards were presented to graduate students in the Department of Psychology during the Psychology Day celebration on Thursday April 28. First, congratulations to Tom Armstrong and Rankin McGugin, co-winners of the Pat Burns Memorial Graduate Student Research Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in research by a current graduate student in the Department of Psychology. Second, congratulations to Becky St. Clair, winner of the William F. Hodges Teaching Assistant Award, which recognizes outstanding work as a teaching assistant in the Department of Psychology.

Olatunji promoted to Associate Professor

2/21/2011 10:01 am — Bunmi Olatunji has been officially promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Congratulations, Bunmi, on your accomplishments!