Doctoral students honored by psychology association

The Athens Area Psychological Association has honored two College of Education graduate students with its annual Dr. Louise McBee scholarship.

Lauren Bigham, a fourth-year doctoral student in counseling psychology, and Elisabeth Quintrell, a fourth-year doctoral student in school psychology, were honored last month during a legislative breakfast at the Athens Country Club. The scholarship is awarded each year to the top female graduate students in the university's counseling preparation programs, which include counseling psychology, school psychology and clinical psychology.

Bigham, who is now working on her dissertation and is in the process of applying to internships, is also a runner, swimmer and cyclist who enjoys spending time with her family and her dog. She said she was honored to be given a scholarship in the namesake of McBee, who served in numerous roles in her 25-year tenure at the University of Georgia and also served six terms in the Georgia House of Representatives.

"Dr. McBee is an extraordinary psychologist, educator and advocate who has done so much for the Athens community, the university and the state of Georgia," said Bigham. "As I move forward, I aspire to represent my profession, community and university in the same manner as Dr. McBee."

Quintrell, whose research focuses on children and adolescents' social development, particularly in populations with ADHD, social anxiety and autism, recently started a therapy group for UGA students on the autism spectrum.

"It's the first UGA-endorsed support of its kind for this population, and we're very excited about the progress we've made," she says. "I'm honored to be named for this award in particular because of what Dr. McBee stands for—the progression of women in psychology, education and policy, all of which I'm passionate about."