Barbara Strudler Wallston (1943–1987).

Presents an obituary for Barbara Wallston. Wallston graduated from Cornell University in 1965 with a major in mathematics. In 1966 she obtained an MA in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Connecticut, and in 1972 she received her PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Wisconsin. She spent all of her 15-year career as an academic researcher at George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University. For most of her professional life, much of Wallston's work focused on the development and utilization of the health locus of control scale that she devised with her colleague and former husband, Kenneth Wallston. The scale is now used throughout the world to measure people's beliefs about who or what controls their health status. She also worked in the areas of dual careerism, stereotyping, helping behavior, differential perceptions of women and men, and feminist methodology in psychology. Wallston's scholarly contributions to psychology were rivaled only by her record of service. She assumed a variety of leadership roles in several divisions of the American Psychological Association, and she was the recipient of the Carolyn Wood Sherif Lectureship Award for her achievements in and commitment to feminist scholarship, teaching, and mentoring and to professional leadership in feminist psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituary: Virginia Staudt Sexton (1916–1997).

V. Sexton was known primarily as a historian of psychology, and her writings helped establish the direction for later contributions to that subject. But, she worked in several areas of psychology, and her influence was broad, extending from the local to the global level. She made important contributions to women's issues, international psychology, humanistic psychology, and the psychology of religion. In addition, she was a textbook writer, organizational leader, mentor, and teacher. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for distinguished education and training contributions: Elizabeth M. Altmaier.

Presents the citation, biography, and selected bibliography for Elizabeth M. Altmaier, one of the recipients of the American Psychological Association's Awards for Distinguished Education and Training Contributions. From the awardee's citation: "Elizabeth M. Altmaier has added a major contribution to psychology as a researcher, scholar, teacher, and administrator. She has played an important role in the area of accreditation, serving on the Executive Committee for several years before being elected as chair. Her concern over the critical roles of education and accreditation and her leadership as chair of the Committee on Accreditation coordinated and introduced new procedures and practices that will have a profound effect on education in psychology for years to come. For her commitment and dedication to ensuring quality education and training programs in professional psychology, we honor Elizabeth M. Altmaier." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology.

The American Psychological Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology recognizes an outstanding career contribution to the teaching of psychology. the 2000 recipient of this award in Jane S. Halonen. Halonen first achieved prominence through her work on critical thinking, and she has challenged audiences around the world to think in better ways. She has gained a national and international reputation as a teacher, speaker, author, department consultant, and beloved colleague. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflections on receiving an award.

Reflecting on the events that culminated in her receiving the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice, Canter, an independent practitioner, discusses the road she traveled to become a clinical psychologist and to become involved in professional organizational activities. She believes that this award was given to her because of her contributions to psychology over her lifetime as an effective and hardworking leader, mentor, and role model in her home state of Arizona and nationally. She addresses some of her ideas about effective leadership and mentoring in the American Psychological Association (APA), providing many examples from which she has learned. Canter also shares some thoughts about APA's position as a leader in the development and enforcement of professional ethics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions: Alice H. Eagly.

Alice H. Eagly, winner of the Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions, is cited for her work in the field of social psychology, the psychology of gender, and the use of meta-analytic techniques. She envisions a psychology that extends from individual cognitions to societal structures. In addition to the citation, a biography and selected bibliography of Eagly's works are presented. Also included is Eagly's paper, entitled "The his and hers of prosocial behavior: An examination of the social psychology of gender," a version of which she delivered at the American Psychological Association's annual convention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Virginia Staudt Sexton (1916–1997).

Presents an obituary for Virginia Staudt Sexton. Sexton was born on August 30, 1916, in New York City, where she spent her life and career. She graduated cum laude from Hunter College with a major in classics and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She first taught elementary school and then completed a PhD in experimental psychology at Fordham University. Her first academic appointment was at Notre Dame College of Staten Island. In 1953 she moved, as Instructor, to Hunter College in the Bronx (later renamed Herbert H. Lehman College), from which she retired in 1979 as Professor Emerita. She immediately resumed her career, however, as Distinguished Professor of Psychology at St. John's University in Jamaica, New York, a position from which she retired in 1990. Sexton was a Fellow of eight divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a member of six more. She began to list history as her major field of interest in APA directories as early as 1957, and it retained its importance in her entries from then on. Sexton died in 1997. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology: Nadya A. Fouad.

Nadya A. Fouad, recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology, is cited for her role in the development and implementation of the Multicultural Guidelines, her commitment to social justice and equality, and her pioneering work in establishing benchmarks for trainee competency. Her contributions to education and training have brought about a paradigm shift in the way that psychology attends to issues of individual and cultural differences and establishes and evaluates competency. In addition to the citation, a biography and selected bibliography of Fouad's works are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Milton Theaman: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions.

Provides the biography of Milton Theaman, and announces that he has received the APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions (1982) for his commitment to promoting the social usefulness of psychology. The award citation and a bibliography are also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituary: Florence Halpern (1900-1981).

This article describes the career and contributions to psychology of Florence Halpern, born January 5, 1900. She was the "grandmother of psychology" in New York and raised many generations of professional psychologists who today are among the senior members and leaders of the profession. She was not only an outstanding clinician, a stimulating and respected teacher, and a concerned and aware professional; she was at the same time a wife, a mother of two children (now both successful professionals), an involved grandmother, a woman of broad cultural interests, and an inspired hostess who loved to do her own cooking and entertaining. Highlights are provided of her academic career, her contributions to the professionalization of psychology, her activities at the national level in psychology, and her scholarship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology: Florence W. Kaslow.

Florence W. Kaslow was recognized with the 2000 Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology. She has conducted workshops in over 40 countries on topics reflecting her extensive experience as an educator, a trainer, a supervisor, and a clinician. Founder of the International Family Therapy Association, she has edited or coauthored 18 books and 150 book chapters and articles; many of them have been translated into diverse languages. Her leadership of the continuing therapeutic dialogues between descendants of Jewish Holocaust survivors and German perpetrators well illustrates her steadfast dedication to the international ideals of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conviction and commitment.

Comments on R. P. Abelson's (see record 1988-23399-001) work noting the necessity of exploring conviction. The present author suggests 5 methods of measuring conviction/commitment that need to be compared in research using Abelson's approach. These include (1) ego involvement research by M. Sherif and C. W. Sherif (1956) and C. W. Sherif (1980), (2) M. Rokeach's (published 1973–1980) research on values, (3) the definition and measurement of values growing out of reasoned action approaches in social psychology, (4) the intrinsic/extrinsic distinction in the psychology of religion, and (5) attitudes themselves as measures of commitment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evelyn Satinoff (1937-2008).

With the death of Evelyn Satinoff, psychology has lost not only a preeminent researcher and teacher but also a real character. As a professor and pioneer in the field of thermoregulation, she could be intimidating; as a friend, she was warm and loving. Evelyn was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 25, 1937. She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1958 and received a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1963. She then remained there, first as a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow and then as a research associate. Much of her early research focused on the neural control of behavioral thermoregulation. More than anyone she is credited with demonstrating that behavioral thermoregulation can be as important in maintaining body temperature as are physiological mechanisms. Evelyn was active in several professional organizations, particularly APA Division 6 (now Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology). She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006 and after a valiant fight, she lost the battle, dying in her beloved Manhattan on January 29, 2008. Love her or hate her, Evelyn was unforgettable, and the world is poorer for her passing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions: Oliva M. Espin.

Cites Oliva M. Espin for the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions. Espin is recognized for her efforts to advance cross-cultural communication, gender issues, human sexuality, international awareness, and cultural factors as critical elements in the knowledge base of psychology. She is credited with contributions valuable to understanding and providing psychological services for Latina women, immigrants, and lesbians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions 1986: Nadine Lambert.

Nadine Lambert, one of the 1986 recipients of the Distinguished Professional Contributions Award, is recognized for making "numerous contributions to the professional practice of psychology. In 1960, Dr. Lambert was among the first to advocate and support multilevel legislation for children with learning and mental health problems in California. In 1965, she initiated and developed the first doctoral level professional school program in California. She is also responsible for the adaptation, validation, and standardization of the AAMD-SE Adaptive Behavior Scale. Dr. Lambert's research on the social and the psychological antecedents of various childhood and adolescent mental health problems, as well as her work with hyperactive children, has contributed significantly to the improved treatment and understanding of many childhood and adolescent behavioral problems." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished teaching in psychology: Benton J. Underwood.

The Distinguished Teaching in Psychology award, which includes a check for $1,000, is given to the recipient for his or her contributions to the teaching of psychology. The following guidelines are used to determine the recipient: (a) demonstrated influence as a teacher of students who become outstanding psychologists, (b) development of effective teaching methods and/or teaching materials, (c) engagement in significant research on teaching, (d) development of innovative curricula and courses, (e) outstanding performance as a classroom teacher, (f) being an especially effective trainer of teachers of psychology, and (g) being responsible for administrative facilitation of outstanding teaching. This article provides a citation and a biography for Benton J. Underwood, who received the award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished contribution to education in psychology: Ellen P. Reese.

The Distinguished Teaching in Psychology award, which includes a check for $1,000, is given to the recipient for his or her contributions to the teaching of psychology. The following guidelines are used to determine the recipient: (a) demonstrated influence as a teacher of students who become outstanding psychologists, (b) development of effective teaching methods and/or teaching materials, (c) engagement in significant research on teaching, (d) development of innovative curricula and courses, (e) outstanding performance as a classroom teacher, (f) being an especially effective trainer of teachers of psychology, and (g) being responsible for administrative facilitation of outstanding teaching. This article provides a citation and a biography for Ellen P. Reese for her distinguished contribution to education in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Caryl E. Rusbult (1952–2010).

Caryl E. Rusbult, a pioneer in the scientific study of close relationships and a much esteemed and beloved colleague and mentor, passed away on January 27, 2010, of cancer, at the age of 57. Rusbult made many important, highly cited contributions. Her work played a major role in shaping an emerging specialization—the operation of social-psychological principles in close relationships—that is now a significant stream of social psychology. Her influential and exceptionally generative investment model of commitment explains how committed partners maintain and promote their relationships by transforming personal motives to account for the necessity of coordinating and getting along with partners. Perhaps more influential than her individual contributions was that Rusbult changed thinking about relationships. She believed that the preeminent phenomena of relationships—and for that matter, of human psychology—were not about personalities or individual minds as much as about the way that partners respond to the fact of their interdependence. The enormous impact of Rusbult’s theory, research, and teaching was recognized by major grants and awards. She conducted research in the same way as she lived life: with dignity, enthusiasm, great compassion for others, and an abiding commitment to truth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy: Susan D. Cochran.

Susan D. Cochran received the 2001 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy. She was given this award for her research and writing on the psychosocial variables that affect the mental and physical health of stigmatized and ethnic minority populations. Her scholarly research and writing have been utilized to change guidelines for HIV prevention, helping elucidate factors for successful national HIV campaigns. Her work has consistently sought to focus both psychology and public health on the physical and mental health concerns of vulnerable populations. In doing so, she has effectively used the tool of research to positively impact public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)