Congrats to Jennifer Gómez, Jenn Lewis, Laura Noll, Alec Smidt, and Pam Birrell for winning the 2016 Richard P. Kluft Award for the Best Article in the Journal of Trauma & Dissociation! The paper is entitled “Shifting the focus: Nonpathologizing approaches to healing from betrayal trauma through an emphasis on relational care” and is available for free through this year.

Gómez, J. M., Lewis, J. K., Noll, L. K., Smidt, A. M., & Birrell, P. J. (2016). Shifting the focus: Nonpathologizing approaches to healing from betrayal trauma through an emphasis on relational care. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 17(2), 165-185.

From the award commendation:

This article provides an excellent framework for understanding the complexities of working with survivors of trauma. It successfully describes the danger in pathologizing reactions to extreme stress and discusses an adaptive treatment model, relational cultural therapy, that emphasizes the importance of the relationship when working with survivors. The article incorporates both empirically supported treatment options as well as influences from all spheres of the socioecological model, including the importance of empowerment, in treating individuals who have experienced complex trauma. 

Congrats, team!

A team of graduate students, postdocs, and affiliated faculty hosted the Eugene site of BrainHack Global, 2017. Brain Hack brings teams of scientists and programmers together to develop code to address outstanding scientific challenges. From the Brain Hack site:

Brainhack is a unique conference that convenes researchers from across the globe and a myriad of disciplines to work together on innovative projects related to neuroscience. Year after year, global Brainhack events have brought together researchers to participate in open collaboration, and regional Brainhack events keep the momentum going throughout the year. Brainhack Global 2017 will unite several regional Brainhack events throughout the world during March 2-5, 2017.

Great work, team! We look forward to seeing what you built this weekend!

On behalf of the entire department, the Psychology Committee for an Inclusive Community (CIC) is proud to present this door sign as a reminder that the Department of Psychology aspires to be a safe space that is an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.

The door sign can be viewed in full and downloaded through the embedded link below.

[embeddoc url=”https://blogs.uoregon.edu/psychology/files/2017/01/UO_PsychCIC_SafeHeart-zqh3de.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]

Psych By The Numbers

We’re excited to share the Department of Psychology’s Annual Newsletter for 2016! This was a great year for the department. Highlights this year include our innovative Faculty GO! Research Proposals, celebrations of the careers of Helen Neville and Marjorie Taylor, awards and honors for our fantastic graduate students and faculty, and the inaugural edition of the new alumni news and updates section.

Read the whole thing below. We look forward to hearing from you again next year!

[embeddoc url=”https://blogs.uoregon.edu/psychology/files/2016/12/psy-newsletter-F16-large-1k782w4.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]

New evidence from UO Psychology researchers identifies a “general benevolence” factor that increases as people age.

The research was led by grad student Jason Hubbard. Other authors include psych faculty members Ulrich Mayr and Sanjay Srivastava. The research made front page news in the Register-Guard, here. The source article is here.

You can also hear Prof. Mayr discuss the research on Oregon Public Radio’s Think Out Loud here.

Great work, team!

Recipients of 2016-17 CAS Scholarships are:

Carolyn M. Stokes Memorial Scholarship: Colton Christian
Clarence and Lucille Dunbar Scholarships: Danielle Cosme, Erik Knight, Marcus Mayorga, Matthew Robison
Marthe E. Smith Memorial Science Scholarship: Kathryn Iurino

Congrats to our award-winning graduate students!

The Beverly Fagot Dissertation Fellowship Fund awards support to a doctoral student that has advanced to candidacy and has a focus on research in the area of social development and/or developmental psychopathology.

The recent winners are: Naomi Aguiar and Kathryn Jankowski (2015) and Michelle Fong and Kathryn Iurino (2016).

The scholarship of our amazing students is featured on the graduate school’s homepage:

Jessica Flannery: How adolescent brain responses may predict future risk-taking behaviors

Jennifer Gómez: A Promising Scholar’s Path from Ballet to Her Own Theory about Culture and Betrayal in Trauma

Carly Smith: Clinical Psychology PhD Alumna Lands Tenure Track Position at Penn State

Plus, six of our graduate students were recognized with awards from the graduate school.

Clockwise from top-left: Jessica Flannery, Jennifer Gomez, and Carly Smith. Icon created by Edward Boatman from Noun Project.

Alicia Ibaraki speaks at the 2016 commencement ceremony.

Doctoral student / alumna Alicia Ibaraki (PhD, 2016) spoke at commencement yesterday. Hear her speak at the 1:26 mark: “I just finished the 22nd grade!”