On April 24, the Department of Psychology celebrated annual back-t0-back events, the Student Thesis and Research Showcase (STaRS) and the Psychology Undergraduate Recognition Celebration. Thirty students presented their research at Union South, covering everything from affective color map scales for colormap data visualizations to the impact of peer behavior and classroom environment in preschoolers’ word learning outcomes. The event’s program is available here.
After short presentations, students, faculty, alumni, and their guests gathered in Varsity Hall to celebrate this year’s Department of Psychology award recipients, including two distinguished alumni. We are delighted to present them below, as well as in the event program available here.
Robert J. Glushko Outstanding Undergraduate Cognitive Science Prize
The Robert J. Glushko Outstanding Undergraduate Cognitive Science Prize is awarded annually to senior Psychology majors who have demonstrated the strongest combination of: academic excellence; sustained and outstanding involvement in cognitive science research (typically involving two or more semesters devoted to a single project); and engagement in learning about cognitive science at UW and beyond via activities such as classwork, research, independent reading, and/or conference attendance.
This year’s recipients are Zoe Howard and Rainy Jin.
Serendipity Award
This award recognizes undergraduate students who have distinguished themselves through hard work, talent, and dedication, drawing the attention of the faculty member in whose lab they work. The award is designed to be given “serendipitously,” since faculty members nominate students without their knowledge. The award is funded by retired Professor of Psychiatry and alumnus Aris Alexander’57, MA’59, PhD’62.
This year’s recipient is Jordyn Chesir.
Arlene Davenport Awards
The purpose of the Arlene R. Davenport Fund is to annually support Psychology students who have demonstrated a career interest in psychological research. Funds are to be used to help defray research and career development costs. This award is funded by the late Professor Emeritus Charles Snowdon, his wife Ann Lindsey, and Friends and Family of Arlene Davenport.
This year’s recipients are Samantha Brungardt Alvarez, Salma Gadelhak, and Victoria Wen.
Thesis and Travel Awards
Undergraduates may receive these awards to support research and thesis projects supervised by a Psychology faculty mentor or to cover travel expenses to present research at a professional conference. This award is funded by distinguished alumni award recipient and Board of Visitors member Joyce Rosevear, PhD’74.
This year’s Undergraduate Thesis Award Recipient is Kaitlynn Wang.
This year’s Travel Awards recipients are Samantha Brungardt Alvarez, Raphael Moreno, Jonathan Morris, Conner Poster, Nicole Stigler, Kaitlynn Wang, and Gracie Zeller.
Bryan’s Aspiring Psychology Student Award
This award is intended to acknowledge students’ excellent work as a UW-Madison student and to encourage these students to take the next steps toward achieving their academic and career goals in the psychology department. Bryan’s Aspiring Psychology Students have declared the Psychology major in the past academic year, and have the top GPAs among their peers.
This year’s recipients are:
| Noel Brusnahan | Caroline Carson | Kelli Chandler |
| Liam Collins | Alastair Denkert | Reid Geiger |
| Si Gilmore | Macy Goldfarb | Samantha Husslein |
| Greta Kerekes | Simran Khanuja | Maria Larson |
| Laney Limburg | Jacob Meuler | Raphael Moreno |
| Ojaswi Pasachhe | Ayana Patel | Natalie Pinka |
| Emma Rapallini | Jordana Reisberg | Jason Starr |
| Merrick Thomas | Becca Trillin-Lee | Melia Wendt |
| Emma Wirt | Maya Zaafrani | Chongjing Zhou |
Margarete E. Lubach Undergraduate Research Award
This award honors Margarete E. Lubach, mother of UW-Madison alumna and Scientist III Emerita Gabriele Lubach, and Margarete’s love of learning, by supporting undergraduate students in the Harlow Center of Biological Psychology. Dr. Gabriele Lubach established this fund in her mother’s name to honor her and to recognize that it was her example, her encouragement, and her financial help that made Lubach’s own education possible. This year’s recipient is Lulia Tekeste.
Outstanding Undergraduate Research Scholar Award
This award is given to students who were nominated by a Psychology faculty member and have been outstanding and exceptional research assistants and scholars. When beloved former lecturer Bryan Hendricks initially donated the funds for this award, he wished to remain anonymous. Today, when students are nominated and awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Scholars Award, they are told about Bryan and his generous contribution to recognize undergraduates’ hard work and dedication to the innovation and discovery happening at UW-Madison.
This year’s recipients are:
| Cassandra Angeles | Odilon Aranda | Ian Burton |
| Jordyn Chesir | Nancy Davis | Natalie Ernst |
| Jack Esser | Elijah Fisher | Ava Gelling |
| Heidi Grijnsztein | Kaela Groppel | Pahal Gupta |
| Samantha Husslein | Kaitlin Jensen | Maria Larson |
| Logan Lofland | Natalie Lutz | Olivia Miller |
| Abby Opsahl | Anjali Patel | Ciarra Prill |
| Eva Sakellakis | Abigail Simon | Courtney Snoberger |
| Hannah Sutin | Ally Tritt | Victoria Wen |
| Meghan Wokurka | Julia Xiong | Sofia Zelazoski |
| Judy Zhu |
Psychology Undergraduate Community Impact Award
Psychology major undergraduate students are a talented, creative, and compassionate group who make broad-ranging contributions to society through research and civic engagement. This award recognizes significant student achievements in activities that benefit the local or broader community. The award is funded by the Ziegler Family Foundation.
This year’s recipients are:
| Fiona Finger | Maggie Flannagan | Allie Gritz |
| Karly Jackson | Nabila Maow | Raphael Moreno |
| Alicia Obiakor | Poojha Prabaharasundar | Ciarra Prill |
| Nicole Stigler | Elizabeth Stoeberl |
We are also pleased to recognize two outstanding alumni with distinguished alumni awards.
The Friend of the Department Award is given annually to a UW–Madison Psychology graduate or advocate who has provided distinguished leadership and/or service to the Department of Psychology. This year’s recipient is Professor Emerit of Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies Janet Shibley Hyde. The author of the Gender Similarities Hypothesis, Dr. Hyde’s research has focused on gender similarities and differences, gender development, and human sexuality. Dr. Hyde is the winner of the Association for Psychological Science’s prestigious James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award for lifetime achievements in research addressing a critical problem in society. An invited participant in Congressional briefings, Dr. Hyde has been interviewed on The Today Show, Good Morning America, National Public Radio, ABC Nightly News,CBS Evening News, CBC (Canada), and BBC Radio: Science in Action. She is the author of two highly successful undergraduate textbooks, The Psychology of Women and Gender and Understanding Human Sexuality, as well as the forthcoming book, The Psychology of Gun Violence: How Smart Choices Can Save Lives. Congratulations, Dr. Hyde!
The Early Career Achievement Award in Research/Academics is given annually to a UW–Madison Psychology graduate who has earned a bachelor’s degree or doctoral degree within the past 10 years, has made significant achievements in research and/or academia, contributing to the flourishing of the Wisconsin Idea. This year’s recipient is Adrienne Wood, PhD’18. Dr. Wood is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where she runs the Emotion and Behavior Lab. She worked with Dr. Paula Niedenthal during her PhD at UW, followed by a post-doc at Dartmouth College with Dr. Thalia Wheatley. She studies how people connect, from the first moments of interaction to the friendship networks that result. Her work examines the social functions of nonverbal behaviors like laughter and synchrony, the daily behaviors and beliefs of widely-connected people, and how cultural differences present challenges and opportunities for connection. Congratulations, Dr. Wood!
To see pictures from the evening, please visit this link using the password: Psych2025!