Clinical Ph.D. students Diana Orem and Betsy Wack each won a cash prize for first and second place for poster presentations at the 2008 Florida Psychological Association research conference.

Kevin Palmer won a first place award in the Social Science II Division at the UCF Showcase for Undergraduate Research Excellence for his research entitled, ?Change of Physical Context Impairs Cardiovascular Habituation to Stress.? His research was based on his Honor?s in the Major paper (thesis chair, Dr. Shannon Whitten). His award included a $700 scholarship. Kevin is a student on the Palm Bay campus and has also won a $1,000 Honors in the Major Scholarship and a $500 SGA scholarship. Kevin can be contacted via email through the following address: kpalmar@cfl.rr.com .

Ashley Harper won a first place award in the Social Science I Division at the UCF Showcase for Undergraduate Research Excellence for her research entitled, ?Exploring How Pet Attachment and Existential Connectedness Influence Loneliness.? Her research was based on her Honor?s in the Major paper (thesis chair, Dr. Karen Mottarella). Her award included a $700 scholarship. Ashley is a student on the Palm Bay campus and has also won $500 SGA scholarship. Ashley can be contacted via email through the following address: akharper@mail.ucf.edu.

Maria Ricci-Twitchell won a first place award in the Social Science II Division at the UCF Showcase for Undergraduate Research Excellence for her research entitled, ?Exploring the Relationship between Patients? Health Locus of Control and Perception of Physician?s Support.? Her research was based on her Honor?s in the Major paper (thesis chair, Dr. Karen Mottarella). Her award included a $400 scholarship. Maria is a student on the Palm Bay campus. Maria can be contacted via email through the following address: mflricci@aol.com.

Alexis A. Greenberg won a 2nd place award in the Social Science I Division at the UCF Showcase for Undergraduate Research Excellence for her research entitled, ?AN EXAMINATION OF TRAINING ON STATES OF GOAL ORIENTATION AND MENTORING RELATIONSHIP SUCCESS.? Her research was based on her Honor?s in the Major paper (thesis chair, Dr. Kim Jentsch). Her award included a $400 scholarship.

Psychology major, Micah G. Allen, won an award in the Social Science I category at the 2008 UCF Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence (SURE) conference for his poster presentation entitled, "Linguistic correlates of psychopathology in autobiographical narrative." This poster was based on his Psychology Department Honors in the Major project (Thesis Chair: Dr. Jeffrey S. Bedwell). His award came with a $200 prize.

Psychology major, Daniela Jaramillo, won an award in the Social Science I category at the 2008 UCF Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence (SURE) conference for his poster presentation entitled, "DRIVER DISTRACTION: A BIO-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS " This poster was based on his Psychology Department Honors in the Major project (Thesis Chair: Dr. Mustapha Mouloua). His award came with a $200 prize.

Psychology major, Kenneth S. Michniewicz, won an award in the Social Science II category at the 2008 UCF Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence (SURE) conference for his poster presentation entitled, "ORDINARY CRUELTY TELEVISED IN A JUST WORLD" This poster was based on his Psychology Department Honors in the Major project (Thesis Chair: Dr. Randy Fisher). His award came with a $200 prize.

Professor Eduardo Salas of the Department of Psychology, together with researchers from UCF Institute for Simulation and Training, Harvard University, University of Maryland, Columbia University, George Mason University, and Naval Postgraduate School, recently received a coveted MURI (Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative) grant funded by the US Army for the Fiscal Year 2008. The grant was awarded to support research aiming at understanding cultural influences on basic psychological and social processes in negotiations and collaborations across a wide range of cultures.

Dr. Alvin Wang, Professor at the Department of Psychology and Dean of the Burnett Honors College, was recently elected to be the 2008 President-Elect of Psi Chi (the National Honors Society in Psychology). Further details can be found here

Dr. Ed Salas was appointed to one of the most influential medical scientific agencies, the Institute of Medicine. This is part of the National Academy of Sciences and is a quite an honor.

Ed Salas received the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's 2007 Best Ergonomics in Design Article Award. This award is presented in recognition of his article with Katherine Wilson, C. Shawn Burke, Dennis C. Wightman, and Will R. Howse, "A Checklist for crew resource management training," which was judged the best article in the 2006 volume of Ergonomics in Design. The award was presented at the Opening Plenary Session of the HFES 51st Annual Meeting, Oct 2, 2007.

Ed Salas received the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's 2007 Jack A. Kraft Innovator Award, which honors accomplishments in applying the principles of human factors to a new area of endeavor. "This award is presented in recognition of your many cutting-edge accomplishments, and specifically for your research on team performance and training." this was presented at the Opening Plenary Session of the HFES 51st Annual Meeting, October 2.

Deborah Beidel of the Department of Psychology has received the 2007 Samuel M. Turner Clinical Research Award from the American Psychological Association. The Samuel M. Turner Award honors a psychologist who has made an outstanding contribution in applied clinical research. Dr. Beidel is an internationally known scholar in the area of child and adult anxiety disorders. She holds the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Psychology and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. She was the 1990 recipient of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy's New Researcher Award. She is a past Chair of the American Psychological Association's committee on Accreditation and the 1995 recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award from the Association of Medical School Psychologists. She has recently joined UCF as a Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training.

Peter Hancock of the Department of Psychology and IST has been awarded the John C. Flanagan Lifetime Achievement Award from the Military Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association. The Flanagan Award recognizes career-long achievements in military psychology, including advancement of the profession of military psychology, improved effectiveness of military psychology systems, or service on behalf of the welfare of military personnel.

UCF's Industrial-Organizational Psychology faculty ranked first nationally in overall productivity in a study reported this spring at the 20th annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.