Recent News
UNC-CH Psychology Ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2013
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill appears on multiple lists of schools, degree programs, and speciality areas newly ranked in 2013 by U.S. News and World Report for the 2014 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools." We are proud to report that for the "Best Social Sciences and Humanities Schools" the UNC-CH Department of Psychology ranked 12th among top graduate schools in psychology across the country and the Developmental Program ranked 5th. Additionally, under the rankings for the "Best Schools in Health" (last performed in 2012) the UNC-CH Clinical Program ranked 2nd among other clinical programs.
Nathan B. Eddy Award Recipient
Dr. Linda Dykstra was awarded the prestigous Nathan B. Eddy Award for 2013. As an awardee, she was recognized for her outstanding research that has advanced scientific knowledge of drug dependence. Dr. Dykstra is the 40th recipient of this award since its commencement in 1974.
Clinical Student Recipient of Graduate Student Mentor Award
Nicole Fenton is the recipient of a Graduate Student Mentor Award from the UNC Office of Undergraduate Research. This award was established to recognize and encourage mentoring of undergraduates by graduate students. Congrats, Nicole!
Senior Lecturer of Psychology to Speak at Senior Ceremony
Dr. Jeannie Loeb has been selected this year by seniors of all disciplines at Carolina to speak at the Last Lecture Ceremony as part of the 2013 Senior Week. Dr. Loeb was widely praised for her ability to connect with students and her expertise in the field of psychology. The event will take place April 16th at 7 PM in Polk Place. To read more about the event, please click here.
Psychology Student Receives Diversity Award
Psychology Junior, Katie Savage, received the University's Undergraduate Student Award for Diversity this year for her commitment to advancing diversity on both the campus and within the community. The award is given annually and Katie will be honored for her efforts at a reception on April 16th with awardees from other categories. Congratulations, Katie!
PSYC 101 Instructors Recognized for Interactive Instruction
Dr. Jeannie Loeb and Dr. Beth Jordan were featured in an article published in the UNC-CH College of Arts and Sciences spring magazine. Both were recognized for their creative efforts in blending online work, class discussion, and games in the introductory course, Psychology 101. To read the full article please click here.
Advancing Undergraduate Education in PSYC 395
Psychology Senior, Margo Williams, was featured in an online news article for her research work with the Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Infant and Child Assessment Lab as part of the PSYC 395 course in the Department of Psychology. PSYC 395 offers undergraduate students of psychology a hands-on opportunity to investigate different types of research. Click here to read the full article.
"Your Phone vs. Your Heart"
Dr. Barbara Fredrickson recently wrote an opinion piece that was published in the Sunday New York Times and quickly became the most e-mailed piece in that day's paper. "Your Phone vs. Your Heart" discusses how real positive social contact with others improves our overall health.
Additionally, Dr. Fredrickson appeared on CBS This Morning on April 3rd to discuss amongst a panel of other professionals the pros and cons of cell phone use. Please click here to watch a video clip from this portion of the show and to read some of Dr. Fredrickson's tips on staying connected with others.
Rising Stars in Psychological Science
Dr. Kristen Lindquist and Dr. Kurt Gray were named as two Rising Stars in psychological science by the Association for Psychological Science (APS). This is a multi-part series published by APS that spotlights professionals in the field whose research and work proves to be driving science into new directions.
Several Graduate Students of Psychology Receive External Awards
The following students have been awarded either an external fellowship or grant for the 2012-2013 academic year. They will be recognized at the 2013 Graduate Student Recognition Celebration in April hosted by the Graduate School. Congratulations to all!
| Courtney Cameron, Behavioral | Erol Ozmeral, Cognitive |
|---|---|
| Lahnna Catalino, Social | Christine Paprocki, Clinical |
| Domenic Cerri, Behavioral | Elise Rice, Social |
| Cara Damiano, Clinical | Jessica Solis, Clinical |
| Ellen Fitzsimmons-Craft, Clinical | Gretchen Sprow, Behavioral |
| Steven Holochwost, Developmental | Jonathan Sugam, Behavioral |
| Shawn Jones, Clinical | Audrey Wells, Behavioral |
| James McGinley, Quantitative | Bharathi Zvara, Developmental |
Professor Promoted to Full Membership in the ACNP
Dr. Eric Youngstrom was promoted to full membership in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Among other achievements, nominees for membership are evaluated on the excellence of their scientific contributions.
Dr. Fredrickson Releases Second Book, Love 2.0
Following the success of her first book, Positivity, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, Distinguished Professor, releases another groundbreaking book entitled, Love 2.0. Using research from her lab here at UNC, her newest publication is intended to reinvent how we look at and experience our most powerful emotion: love. Her latest work is featured as the leading spotlight story in a write-up entitled, "What's love got to do with it?" on UNC's main website.
Please click here to view a short video of Dr. Fredrickson discussing Love 2.0 in more detail.
Graduate Students Awarded Grants
Theresa McKim, a graduate student of our Behavioral Neuroscience Program, was recently awarded an NC TraCS $2,000 grant for her research, "Addiction History and COMT Genotype are Independently Associated with Impairments in Learning and Replacing Arbitrary Stimulus-Response Associations.”
Jason Kahn, a graduate student of our Cognitive Program, recently received an NSF Grant to support his doctoral dissertation research.
Professors Credited in International Periodicals
Assistant Professor, Dr. Kristen Lindquist, was quoted in an article published in the Financial Times that discusses social media and addiction. Click here to gain access to the full article. Also, the work of Distinguished Professor, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, and her lab provided the basis for an article published in Wired Magazine that discusses happiness in the workplace. Click here to read the full article.
UNC Collaborative Study Receives Global Recognition
A study, jointly published by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, Distinguished Professor, and alumna, Dr. Bethany Kok, was recently the focus of an article in The Economist. "Think Yourself Well," discusses how positive emotions are linked to physical health. Fellow Tarheel contributors to the study include Professor Sara Algoe, Kimberly Coffey, Lahnna Catalino, and Tanya Vacharkulksemsuk.