Maria Carisa Ruiz, a graduating senior, is the recipient of the second annual Susan M. McHale Award, a diversity research award.
The purpose of the Susan M. McHale Award for Outstanding Psychological Research by a Student Who Enhances Diversity is to encourage and honor students from under-represented groups who make a contribution to the advancement of knowledge of psychological science.
Carisa received this award for her project working with the International Society for Bipolar Disorders and the International Bipolar Foundation to (a) gather translated versions of the best free (public domain) rating scales and checklists, (b) program them into Qualtrics so they may be completed online, and (c) work on the scoring and feedback to help people find appropriate information and resources. Carisa worked hard to learn Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to make the pages look professional, even though the project was volunteer-based. Her dedication and hard work are helping to create a resource with potentially international visibility and impact. Carisa was honored at the Psychology and Neuroscience Commencement Ceremony on May 8, 2016.