Graduate Awards & Fellowships

Graduate Student Awards

The Department annually names graduate student recipients of awards for teaching, research, mentoring, and service.

The C. Chrisman Wilson Memorial Award for Graduate Student Teaching in Psychology honors the memory of our departed colleague by recognizing excellence in teaching among our graduate students. The award recognizes two types of excellence in teaching:

  • Excellence in Teaching Assistantship. This award recognizes the quality and efficiency of the teaching assistant's routine performance as well as unique teaching or student support contributions that exceed standard expectations.
  • Excellence in Teaching. This award recognizes exceptional teaching in the context of a laboratory section, guest lectures, or a course. 

Students are formally nominated by a psychology faculty member in response to an annual call for nominees by the Graduate Training Committee. Nominees for the Teaching Assistantship award must submit a nomination packet that includes a curriculum vitae and a list of TA assignments with a brief description of unique teaching or student support contributions in at least one course. Nominees for the Excellence in Teaching award must submit a nomination packet that includes a curriculum vitae and a list of laboratory sections taught, guest lectures provided, and/or courses taught. When possible, the packet should include evidence of teaching effectiveness (course evaluations, instructor observations). 

Award recipients include:

  • 2024 Tyler Walden-Lee
  • 2023 Stephanie Oshrin
  • 2022 Zachary Airington and Freya Woods
  • 2021 Whitney Davis and Stephanie Swanberg (co-instructors), Blair Youmans and Megan Saybe (co-instructors)
  • 2020 James Moran and Laura Perry (co-instructors), Erin Glackin and Lea Petrovic (co-instructors)
  • 2019 Corey Black and Emily Lewis
  • 2018 Kathryn Simon
  • 2017 Emily Shaffer
  • 2016 Jorge Verlenden
  • 2015 Jeff Brown and Stefani Simon
  • 2014 Patricia Gilbert and Kathryn Jones
  • 2013 Elin Grissom and Wayne Hawley

 

 

The Department of Psychology Graduate Student Research Award was created to recognize psychology graduate students for conducting and disseminating outstanding research. It focuses on both the student’s general research accomplishments and specific completed research projects. The research independence of the student as well as the novelty and implications of research performed will be used for evaluation purposes.

Students are formally nominated by a psychology faculty member in response to an annual call for nominees by the Graduate Training Committee. Nominees must submit a nomination packet that includes: a curriculum vitae, a brief statement of research interests (maximum of one page), a summary of specific research project(s) including objectives, methods, significance (maximum of three single-spaced pages including literature cited and any figures and tables) OR a pdf of a manuscript or reprint of a published paper. 

Award recipients include:

  • 2024 Brenna Mossman
  • 2023 Whitney Davis and Freya Woods
  • 2021 Brianna Hunter and Andrew Orapallo
  • 2020 Laura Perry
  • 2019 Nicholas Kerry

 

 

The Edward A.  Bilodeau Award in Psychology honors the memory of our departed colleague by recognizing students whose dissertation research is poised to make a significant contribution to the field in psychology. Two students will be recognized each year, one in Psychological Science and one in School Psychology. 

Doctoral students who defend their dissertation proposals by September 15th of their 5th year (i.e., about 1 month into the 9th semester) are eligible to be nominated by their dissertation committee. This award recognizes the most promising work in the programs that year.  The award thus also recognizes timely progress towards the degree. Funds will support dissertation research activities. Students who have no dissertation expenses could instead accept a (taxable) cash award after the final defense.  A plaque will be presented to each winner.

 

 

The Department of Psychology Graduate Student Mentoring Award was created to recognize psychology graduate students for serving as outstanding research mentors to peer and undergraduate students. It focuses on both the student’s general mentoring experience and specific projects on which they served as mentors. The quality and quantity of the projects and overall mentorship will be used for evaluation purposes.

Students are formally nominated by a psychology faculty member AND a peer, or an undergraduate mentee in response to an annual call for nominees by the Graduate Training Committee. Nominees must submit a nomination packet that includes: a curriculum vitae and a one-page essay describing distinguished mentorship of peers and/or undergraduates.

Award recipients include:

  • 2024 Monica Daniels
  • 2023 Allison Pequet and Lovia Feliscar
  • 2022 James Moran
  • 2021 Andrew Orapallo and Ashlee Yeates (peer mentoring), Kamilya Steward and Jenna Winston (undergraduate mentoring)
  • 2020 Brianna Keena, Dunica Kulibert, and Elsia Obus
  • 2019 Nicholas Fears

 

 

The Graduate Student Service Award was created to recognize exemplary service contributions to the Department, Tulane, the professional community, or the community at-large. Outstanding contributions may be demonstrated through service on Departmental, School, or University committees, student leadership in professional organizations or in community service. 
 
Students are formally nominated by a psychology faculty member in response to an annual call for nominees by the Graduate Training Committee. Nominees must submit a nomination packet that includes a curriculum vitae and a list of service contributions in one or more of the areas listed above.

  • 2024 Maria Casteigne and Ramal Rauf

 

 

The Department of Psychology Master’s Program Distinguished Scholar award recognizes exceptional writing, oral presentation, and citizenship among students in the Psychology or Behavioral Health Masters programs. Students are formally nominated by a psychology faculty member in response to an annual call for nominees by the Graduate Training Committee.

Award recipients include:

  • 2024 Amanda Schaller
  • 2023 Juliet Alise and Annabelle Reese
  • 2021 Riana Gaudet
  • 2020 Kyra Ness-Lanckriet and Maya Shaar

 

 

Graduate Student Fellowships

The William P. Dunlap Memorial Summer Research Fellowship funds the research of psychology doctoral students who are working in the areas of psychological methods, behavioral statistics, and psychometrics. The award honors the memory of our colleague Bill Dunlap and continues his legacy of statistics and psychometrics. The Fund was established in 2002, shortly after Bill passed away. A 2003 memorial article about him appears in Journal of General Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1080/00221300309601275 

Award recipients include:

  • 2021 Kamiya Stewart
  • 2020 Renee Lamoreau
  • 2017 Nick Fears
  • 2016 Blair Youmans
  • 2015 Lisa Chinn
  • 2014 Corey Black
  • 2012 Jennifer Maldarelli
  • 2011 David Doyle
  • 2010 Aaron Kottke
  • 2009 Meredith Summerville

 

 

The Doris Patricia O'Quinn Ph.D. Fellowship provides an academic year stipend to a School Psychology doctoral student who is working (or has worked) in secondary school systems. This endowed fund was established by the living trust of Dr. O'Quinn Johns, who earned an MS in Education from Tulane University.  Awardees typically lead the internship course (PSYC4570/4580) at least once during their tenure.

Fellowship recipients include:

  • Joseph Huynh, Fall 2023 - present
  • Stephanie Oshrin, Fall 2019 - Summer 2023
  • Elizabeth McIntyre, Fall 2017- Summer 2019
  • Jennifer Rious, Fall 2014 - Summer 2017
  • Patrick Bell, Fall 2010 - Summer 2014
  • Laura Niditch, Spring 2010 - Summer 2010

Flowerree Summer Research Fellowships support psychology doctoral students in their collaborative research with psychology faculty. These awards are made possible by a former student and long time benefactor, the late Mr. Robert E. Flowerree, a former advisory member of the Tulane Board of Administrators and retired CEO of Georgia-Pacific. Mr. Flowerree provided the department with gifts intended to support faculty research.  Beginning in 2016, the faculty awarded noncompetitive summer support to all continuing PhD students in their first and second years. Beginning in 2023, the faculty began awarding noncompetitive summer support to all continuing PhD students in their first four summers.