Students, faculty recognized at 2023 APA Convention
Students and faculty members from the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s counseling psychology and mental health counseling programs received awards and presented at the 2023 American Psychological Association (APA) Convention in Washington, D.C.
Held annually, the event welcomes thousands of psychologists and educators from around the world and recognizes the work of psychologists across disciplines.
The College’s counseling psychology program received the 2023 Suinn Minority Achievement Award. Named for Richard M. Suinn, the first Asian American president of the APA, the award recognizes programs committed to cultural diversity, including the number of ethnic minority students enrolled in the program and the percentage of minority students who graduate with a doctorate in five years.
Jackson Davis (Ph.D. ’27), a doctoral student in the counseling psychology program, said that receiving the award speaks to the counseling psychology program’s commitment to social justice-informed ways of learning and engaging with students and faculty.
“I am proud that our program faculty are being recognized for advancing equity in our field. The faculty promote a celebration of historically marginalized groups, centering their voices through coursework, research, and leadership positions,” Davis said.
Davis and Tabitha Meng Rominger (Ph.D. ’27) led the application process for the counseling psychology program’s award nomination. Rominger, a doctoral student in counseling psychology, said it felt affirming for the program to receive the award.
“Our receiving this award is demonstrative of what I love about this program—allowing students who may be overlooked or underestimated in other programs to flourish and tap into their potential through the support of our wonderful faculty,” Rominger said.
In addition to the Suinn Award, students and faculty received recognition for their research and contributions.
Yinan Liang (Ph.D. ’27), a second-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program, won first place in the APA Division 52: International Psychology poster contest.
Linda Campbell, professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, received the Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Mentoring Award from the APA Division 29: Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy. The award recognizes a Division 29 member who impacts students and early career psychologists in the field of psychotherapy.
Collette Chapman-Hilliard, associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, received the Melba J.T. Vasquez Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions in Research. The award recognizes alumni of the Minority Fellowship Program with 5-10 years of professional experience who have made significant contributions to racial and ethnic psychology through public service, research, teaching, or treatment innovations.
“Receiving this award is an incredible honor and is a recognition of the many individuals who have contributed to my scholarship and professional development thus far,” Chapman-Hilliard said. “It is a reminder of the advances that the field of psychology has made in understanding the experiences of marginalized people groups and the contributions that future scholars, like the many students with whom I have the privilege of teaching and engaging in research, will make to psychology.”