Undergraduate Student Awards and Honors

Certificates of Achievement for 2023 Psychology majors went to: Amina Boukhris, Lauren Browning, Hannah Decanio, Bianca Elena Dominguez, Sarah Francis, Joshua Hiltz, Sarah Ashton Hollen, Gillian Kaier, Caitlin Mead, Sydney Parker, and Megan Seykowski. Certificates of Achievement for Neuroscience majors went to: Jenna Luthman, Carson Mahoney, and Gillian Kaier.

The WVU Foundation named James Lamp, Laura Loeffelbain, and Caitlin Mead as Outstanding Seniors in April, 2023.

Jayla Boyd (Charleston, WV) was recognized as a Bucklew Scholar and plans on majoring in both psychology and neuroscience when she begins her collegiate experience at WVU in the fall of 2023. Jayla was also selected as one of 5 WVU Foundation Scholars (May 2023). 

Laura Alcalde, Alexandra Benyola, Emily Herron, Caitlin Mead, Gracie Monachello, and Hannah Smart were recognized as Eberly Scholars by the Eberly College in April 2023.

Ashley Eby (ψ major) and Colson Glover (neuroscience major) were inducted into the Order of the Augusta (May 2022)

2022 Outstanding Senior Awards went to Virginia Milleson (Psychology) and Laura May (Neuroscience)

Certificates of Achievement for 2022 Psychology majors went to: Jessica Benevides, Patrick Duffy, Samanatha Franzese, MacKenzie Freeman, Kelsey Keen, and Sophia Shank. Certificates of Achievement for Neuroscience majors went to: Virginia Milleson and Alexandra Richmond.

Ayah Aldebyan, Emily Budik, and Sydney Hogarth were recognized as Eberly Scholars by the Eberly College in April 2022.

Psychology major, Sarah Francis (Amy Gentzler, mentor) was the oral presentation winner in the Human Engagement category of WVU's Summer Undergraduate Research Symposia (August 2021)

Cherish Heard (ψ major) and Emma Blair (ψ minor) were inducted into the Order of the Augusta (May 2021)

Miranda Signorelli was designated an Eberly Scholar in May of 2021.

Lauren Browning was the Runner Up in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Category of the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium . Mentor: Cheryl McNeil (April 2021)

Shedrick Garrett was awarded the 2021 Outstanding Senior in Psychology Award (April 2021).

Cherish Heard was awarded the 2021 Quin Curtis Outstanding Senior Award (April 2021).

Sabrina Siegan, under the mentorship of Shari Steinman and Kelsey Evey, won the top presentation in the Social & Behavioral Sciences category of the 2020 WVU Undergraduate Research Symposium (November 2020).

David Koenders, Alexis Lohm, and Eva MacFarland, psychology majors, were named Outstanding Seniors by West Virginia University (May, 2020)

Kristen Ruddle, double majoring in psychology and biology, was named to the Order of Augusta (May 2020).

Lauren Giesler was awarded the 2020 Outstanding Senior in Psychology Award (April 2020).

Angelyn Gemmen, Julie Gilmore, Alexander Houchins, Sydney Hull, Kathleen Koval, Sarah Lipinski, Alika Lopatka, Eva MacFarland, Lora McDonald, Alyssa Rittinger, and Trinity Shaver are psychology seniors who received Certificates of Achievement for Meritorious Performance in the Department of Psychology (April 2020).

Psychology majors Sidney Anderson and Alexis Lohman were awarded grants from the Council for Women's Concerns. Sidney's project focuses on educating West Virginia school children on LGBTQ+ relevant sexual and health information.   Alexis' project pilots a curriculum to promote mental health literacy in high school aged students with the aim of breaking down the stigma of mental illness (May 2019).

The West Virginia University Library selected psychology majors, Hannah Coffey and Kelsey R. Eackles as Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library scholars (May 2019).

Emily Akers was awarded the 2019 Quin Curtis Outstanding Senior Award (April 2019).

Amanda Ackerman was awarded the 2019 Outstanding Senior in Psychology Award (April 2019).

Alika Lopatka, Eva Macfarland, Kayley Morrow, and Joshua Rhudy were recognized as Eberly Scholars by the Eberly College in April 2019.

Eva MacFarland, a SURE student in Natalie Shook's lab, won the best poster in the Human Engagement category at the Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium (July 2018).

Taija Thomas, a junior psychology major and Honors College student, was awarded a Gilman Scholarship to support her travel to Spain.

Phi Beta Kappa inducted 6 psychology majors into the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society in April 2018.  They include: Joseph Berecin,Tonya Blosser, Carinna Ferguson, Hayley Harman, Sarah Milliken, and Joshua Rhudy.

Julie Bullock was awarded the 2018 Quin Curtis Outstanding Senior Award (April 2018).

Brenna Leasor was awarded the 2018 Outstanding Senior in Psychology Award (April 2018).

The top two winners in the 2018 Behavioral Sciences category at the Spring Undergraduate Symposium were psychology majors Trinity Shaver (Cole Vonder Haar, supervisor) and Hannah Amick (Natalie Shook, supervisor).

T h e 2017 class of the WVU McNair Scholar’s Program includes 4 psychology majors: Maggie Ruckle , supervised by Cheryl McNeil, Trinity Shaver , supervised by Cole Vonder Haar, Taija Thomas , supervised by Amy Gentzler, and Kelsey Barton , supervised by Nick Turiano.

WVU Libraries and the Honors College selected Hayley Harman as a 2017 Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholar for her honors thesis work under the direction of Christina Duncan.  Her thesis is titled "Electronic Cigarette Expectancies in Adolescents: Exploring the Relation between User Status and Beliefs.”

Shelby Boggs was awarded the 2017 Quin Curtis Outstanding Senior Award (April 2017).

April Highlander was awarded the 2017 Outstanding Senior in Psychology Award (April 2017).

Brooke Cottrill, Rebecca Gilley, Jessica Haupt, Christopher Iames, Christopher O’Hearn, Robert Ralston, Kelly Stake, Emma Veshecco, and Michael Wilson are psychology seniors who received Certificates of Achievement for Meritorious Performance in the Department of Psychology (April 2017).

April Highlander was selected as Student Membership Officer for the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) in November 2016.

The Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society presented a Gold Torch award to the Laurel Chapter at West Virginia University. The Gold Torch is a national distinction conferred annually upon the most outstanding chapters of Mortar Board. Chapter president Yamini Anatula, a psychology and biology major at WVU, accepted the award at the Society’s national conference held in 2016.

Shelby Boggs was a finalist for the title of Ms. Mountaineer at WVU (Fall 2016).

The 2016 class of the WVU McNair Scholar’s Program includes 6 psychology majors: Hailey Taylor, supervised by Christina Duncan, Shelby Boggs and Evan Dorsey, supervised by Natalie Shook, April Highlander, supervised by Cheryl McNeil, and Deja Clement and Rachael Petrie, supervised by Dan McNeil.

Ben Rein was awarded the 2016 Quin Curtis Outstanding Senior Award (April 2016).

Rachel Wolen was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Senior in Psychology Award (April 2016).

Rachel Bainbridge, Zachary Paitsel, Nicole Pellegrino, Michael Phillips, Allison Scott, Rebecca Speer, and Evan Turner are Psychology Seniors who received Certificates of Achievement for Meritorious Performance in the Department of Psychology (April 2016).

Ben Rein and Rebecca Spear were selected as winners of the 2016 Robert F. Munn Library Scholars Award from the University Libraries for their thesis projects.

Two psychology majors, Michael Phillips and  Rebecca Speer, were recognized as Outstanding Seniors in April 2016.

Shelby Boggs, a psychology undergrad student who worked in D. Shook’s lab over the summer as part of the SURE program, was the winner in the Social Sciences category of the 2015 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium (August 2015).

The 16th cohort of WVU McNair Scholars includes four psychology majors:  Hanah Conlan (Surry, N.H.), Kelsey McCoy (Lewisburg, W.Va.), Courtney McDonald (Inwood, W.Va.), and Regan Summers (Elkview, W.Va.). The McNair Scholars program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education in honor of engineer, scientist and NASA astronaut Ronald E. McNair, who was killed in the 1986 Challenger explosion.

Kaitlyn Akers, the first student from Montgomery’s Valley High School to win a Bucklew Scholarship, plans on majoring in psychology when she begins her collegiate experience at WVU in the fall of 2015. Kaitlyn was also selected as one of 5 WVU Foundation Scholars (May 2015).

The West Virginia University Libraries selected Matthew Trickett as a 2015 Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholar for his research. Click  here to read about Matt’s accomplishment (May 2015).

Mary Bonnette was a finalist for the 2015 WVU Student Employee of the Year Award. Mary was recognized for her outstanding work in the Department of Psychology (April 2015).

Christanne Connelly was awarded the 2015 Quin Curtis Outstanding Senior Award (April 2015).

Christianne Connelly and Ali El-Khatib were awarded the 2015 WVU Outstanding Senior Award (April 2015).

Christianne Connelly,  Zachary Paitsel,  Rebecca Speer,  Tara Weese (majors) and  Kathryn Baker (minor) were recognized as 2014-2015 Eberly Scholars (April 2015).

Helena Lizon was awarded the 2014-2015 Eberly Achievement Scholarship (April 2015).

John Knopsnider was awarded the 2014-2015 Eberly Family Arts and Sciences Scholarship (April 2015).

Morgan Krieger was awarded the 2014-2015 French-Hart Family Scholarship (April 2015).

Claire Van Nosdall was awarded the 2014-2015 Elizabeth Gorrell Harris Scholarship (April 2015).

Benjamin Rein was awarded the 2014-2015 George Jackson Endowment Arts and Sciences Scholarship (April 2015).

Cheyenne Carpenter and  Rachael Petrie were awarded 2014-2015 Mary R. Laidley Memorial Scholarships (April 2015).

Ali El-Khatib and Rachael Empson were awarded 2014-2015 John A. Malcomb Scholarships (April 2015).

John Artimez,  Zachary Paitsel, and  Tara Weese (double majors in Philosophy and Psychology), were awarded 2014-2015 Daniel Boardman Purinton Philosophy Scholarships (April 2015).

Kaitlin Carlino,  Ali El-Khatib,  Lindsey Ives,  Madison Mazza,  Jennifer Owsiany,  Emily Richmond,  Miranda Riffle, and  Alyssa Smith are psychology seniors who received Certificates of Achievement for Meritorious Performance in the Department of Psychology (April 2015).