Class of 2021 Celebration

This year, two students received awards for their dissertation research from the American Psychological Association (APA):

Honoree: Courtney Motschman

This award honors the best doctoral dissertation in psychopharmacology and substance abuse. It provides $250, an engraved plaque and travel support for the recipient to attend and present an address at the annual APA convention. Courtney's thesis, entitled, “Smoking and alcohol cue reactivity: Effects of separate and combined cues on craving, drug-seeking, and consumption,” examined the direct and interactive effects of smoking and alcohol cues on craving and substance reward value, the role of substance use levels as potential moderators of cue effects, and the prospective associations between cue-elicited craving and proximal drug behaviors. Her advisor is Dr. Stephen Tiffany.

Honoree: Juhyun Park

APA's Science Directorate holds a yearly competition for dissertation research funding "to assist science-oriented doctoral students of psychology with research costs." This award provides $1000 toward student dissertation research. Juhyun’s dissertation is titled, “Putting emotion regulation abilities into context: A person-centered approach to assessing links with emotion regulation strategies and internalizing symptoms”. Her advisor is Dr. Kristin Gainey.

Honoree: Gabriela Memba

PAWNY recognizes the importance of supporting and encouraging underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities to pursue and complete doctoral training in clinical and counseling psychology. To help promote and increase diversity among practicing psychologists, PAWNY's scholarship award is offered once annually to outstanding applicants who are currently accepted/enrolled in a local doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology and who may have a particular interest in training and mentoring the next generation of psychologists of color. The award provides Gabriela with $1000. Her advisor is Dr. Jamie Ostrov.

The RSA small grants are awarded to PhD and MD trainees to support their research to “promote the acquisition and dissemination of scientific knowledge in the areas of basic science, risks and resiliency, treatment, outcome and recovery, and policy and economics, as it relates to alcohol research.”

Honoree: Ashmita Mukherjee

Ashmita won this award for her project “Effect of nicotine pre-treatment in an alcohol interoceptive conditioning paradigm.” She will receive monetary support for this project for one calendar year. Ashmita's mentor is Dr. Gregory Loney.

Recognizes outstanding doctoral scholarship in psychology. The award is given based on excellence in scholarly productivity during doctoral studies, and significance and quality of the doctoral dissertation project.

Honoree: Kristin Perry

Kristin is receiving this award for his dissertation titled, “The role of autonomic system coordination in relations between peer factors and aggressive behavior in early childhood”. In addition to the honor, Kristin will receive a monetary award of $1800. She is mentored by Dr. Jamie Ostrov. 

Runners-Up: Jennifer Betts (mentored by Dr. Stephen Tiffany), Kelcie Schatz (mentored by Dr. Matthew Paul), Sarah Tonkin (mentored by Dr. Larry Hawk), and Deborah Ward (mentored by Dr. Lora Park). Each will receive an award of $600.

Honors early excellence in scientific research for an empirical paper completed by a graduate student. This award is given based on evaluation of scientific work completed by the student during the first three years of graduate training.

Honoree: Gretchen Perhamus

Gretchen received this award for her work on the role of irritability and hostile attribution biases in childhood aggression. Gretchen’s 2021 paper titled, “Emotions and cognitions in early childhood aggression: the role of irritability and hostile attribution biases” was published in Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (now titled Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology). In addition to the honor, Gretchen will receive a cash award in the amount of $1200 and her name will be inscribed on our Robert W. Rice Memorial Award Plaque. Her mentor is Dr. Jamie Ostrov. 

Dr. Murray Levine was a member of the UB Psychology Department from 1968 until 2000.  He was a member of the clinical area and a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor. Murray was among a core group of influential psychologists who helped launch the field of community psychology. This award recognizes original research that is poised to make a significant impact on the community surrounding UB and is sponsored by the generous support of Dr. Robert Fink, a UB alumnus and one of Murray’s former students.

Graduate Honoree: Gabriela Memba

Gabriela earned this award for her paper titled, “The role of peer victimization in predicting aggression and internalizing problems in early childhood: The moderating effect of emotion Regulation and gender.” This research is grounded a socio-ecological perspective that considers multiple contextual levels such as family (e.g., parenting practices, household chaos), peer relationships, school context, neighborhood/community influences, and larger societal forces (e.g., media). The paper involved school-based data collection in the surrounding Buffalo community, and integrates individual (e.g., emotion regulation, anxiety), family (e.g., socio-economic status), dyadic (e.g., peer victimization), and contextual factors (e.g., school/cohort effects) to understand the deleterious effects of peer victimization on children’s social adjustment. Importantly, Gabriela and her colleagues shared this and other work with local community stakeholders through their outreach efforts to address the problem of peer victimization and bullying and to promote healthy social development. The paper is currently under review at Early Education and Development and will be presented at the upcoming Meeting of the International Society for Research on Aggression. Gabriela, the first recipient of this award, will receive a monetary award of $200. Her mentor is Dr. Jamie Ostrov.

Undergraduate Honoree: Cassondra Lyman

Cass was honored with this award for her countless hours of service to the Psychology Department. Cass served as the President of Psi Chi and was a junior officer before that. She was a member and Vice President of the Undergraduate Psychology Association. She was the President and founder of the Statistics Club. She also served as an Honors College Peer Mentor, a Student Ambassador for the University, and an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for numerous semesters in the department. She also conducted research in numerous laboratories within the Psychology Department, including those of Drs. Sandra Murray, Leonard Simms, and John Roberts. She is our Department’s Outstanding Graduating Senior and was nominated for a SUNY Chancellor’s Award. Cass is the first undergraduate recipient of the Levine award and she will receive a monetary award of $200.

Bestowed by the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association. The awards publicly recognize those graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional performance in the execution of their teaching responsibilities, teaching competence, effective mentorship of students, and the maintenance of high academic standards and expectations of student performance.

Honorees: TBA

Peer-bestowed awards that highlight impressive achievement in scientific research, given to graduate students each fall and spring semester. The Psychology Graduate Student Association (PGSA)-selected winners receive recognition from their fellow graduate students for exemplary achievement in research and a monetary award to fund conference travel.

Honorees: Verenice Ascencio, Destiny Brakey, Leah Emery, Sarah Honeycutt, Kimberly James, Kathleen Paige, Gretchen Perhamus, Elizabeth Rakowski, Allison Scagel, and Hope White

Honors the most outstanding graduating senior from each department in UB’s College of Arts and Sciences. The award recognizes the undergraduate who has best demonstrated the highest level of academic achievement and involvement in the Department of Psychology and the field of psychological science.

Honoree: Cassondra Lyman

Cassondra Lyman of Endicott, NY, graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in psychology and a bachelor of arts in statistics. Cass is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, a University Advanced Honors College Scholar, a member of the Psychology Honors Program and the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, and recipient of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. She works as an undergraduate researcher in Dr. John Roberts’s lab, serves as President of the UB Psi Chi chapter, and is also a student ambassador for the Department of Psychology. In the fall, Cass will begin her doctoral studies in clinical psychological science.

Students in the Psychology Honors Program complete an individual research project (Honors Thesis) under the supervision of a faculty advisor. This is a year-long commitment that involves all steps in the research process. The Honors Program Director is Dr. Wendy Quinton.

2020-2021 Psychology Honors Students

Honoree: Stephanie Stewart-Hill

The Feldman-Cohen Award recognizes the most exceptional undergraduate Psychology Honors Thesis. Named in honor of two of the Department’s most distinguished former faculty, the $500 monetary award goes to the undergraduate whose Honors Thesis receives the highest ranking by the student’s examination committee, faculty advisor, and the Director of the Honors Program.

Stephanie's thesis investigated the effects of awe on social power and responsibility for others in two experimental studies. Her work aimed to understand how the powerful could be humbled by exposure to something greater than themselves, whereas the powerless could be empowered by it.  

• Cassondra Lyman - President
• Bradley Bedell - Vice President
• Stephanie Stewart-Hill - Secretary
• Lauren Chu - Social Media Voice/Graphic Designer

The SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence are system-level honors conferred to acknowledge and provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

Dr. Sandra Murray

The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities recognizes the work of those who engage actively in scholarly and creative pursuits beyond their teaching responsibilities. Dr. Murray is considered a world-renowed authority on the psychology of intimate or romantic relationships. One colleague notes that in his view, “we can divide relationship science into two eras: before and after Murray’s arrival.” She has developed theoretical models of relationship dynamics credited with forming a cornerstone in social psychology, and psychology more broadly. One of her most important areas of investigation — described by her peers as a “truly seminal line of research” — examines how people use “motivated cognition” to create, bolster and maintain idealized views of their romantic partners and relationships. Dr. Murray’s work has received nearly continuous support during her nearly 25 years at UB, including four grants from the NIH and two from the NSF totaling nearly $3 million. She has published 50 peer-reviewed articles and 16 book chapters, in addition to authoring two books. With an h-index of 40 per Google Scholar, her publications have appeared in the most prestigious journals of both psychology and the sub-field of social psychology, including Psychological Review, Psychological Bulletin, Psychological Science, and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, and the Association for Psychological Science.

Dr. Wendy Quinton

The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching honors those who consistently demonstrate superb teaching at the undergraduate, graduate or professional level. Dr. Quinton has taught a remarkable 54 courses over the past nine years, ranging from large introductory courses with hundreds of students to honors-level seminars with only a dozen. Yet, colleagues say, the large and varied course load has never affected her ability to mentor and help students engage with the material while maintaining high standards. Moreover, her mentorship extends beyond students, with many of her peers seeking her help and guidance on teaching methods, student policies and departmental procedures. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Quinton has remained active in her scholarly pursuits. Her research concerning the experience of international students on campus and in their host countries has appeared in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education and the International Journal of Intercultural Relations. She has also presented her research at national conferences held by the Midwestern Psychological Association and the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology. Dr. Quinton’s in-depth knowledge of educational methods has shaped her pedagogy and attributed greatly to her students’ success, her peers note. She has served as director of the Psychology Honors Program since 2008, shepherding students through both the research and graduate application process. Dr. Quinton was awarded the Department of Psychology’s Excellence in Teaching Award for 10 consecutive years — an award based on student votes.

Bestowed by the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, the Ajinomoto Award honors an "outstanding junior scientist whose research record provides evidence of excellence and contributions that have had or are likely to have a major impact on research in the field of gustation."

Dr. Ann-Marie Torregrossa

Dr. Torregrossa is a leading expert in rodent models that inform questions about diet choice and food preference. These are very important questions as diet selection is a critical part of maintaining health, yet it is poorly understood.  Using innovative methods, her research unpacks environmental and physiological influences that influence food choice preference. 

Dr. Joyce Lacy

Dr. Lacy was recently promoted to Clinical Associate Professor. She regularly teaches undergraduate courses in Scientific Inquiry, Advanced Research Methods, Neuropsychology, Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Psychology and Law. Her research interests include episodic memory, particularly the processes of pattern separation and completion, that affect how memories for one-time events are encoded and how the brain deals with interference between similar events. 

Dr. Mark Seery

Dr. Seery was recently promoted to Professor. He is a member of our Social-Personality area, serving as Area Head. He studies stress and coping, particularly the factors contribute to resilience versus vulnerability to potential stressors. Dr. Seery's research incorporates a range of methodological approaches, including theoretically based psychophysiological measures. 

The Excellence in Teaching Awards celebrate outstanding instruction in psychological science. We recognize those instructors whose teaching evaluations reflect the most exceptional in the Department of Psychology.

Honorees (from left): Dr. Kenneth DeMarree (Faculty), Dr. Ericka Nus (Clinical Faculty), and Avery Malone (Graduate Student Instructor)