Dissertation Awards

These awards supports students who complete dissertations involving basic or applied research in psychology and law.
Students
Graduate
Dissertation
Sponsor

AP-LS Dissertation Award Committee

Deadline

December 31, 2024


The American Psychology-Law Society confers Dissertation Awards for scientific research and scholarship that is relevant to the promotion of the interdisciplinary study of psychology and law. Students who complete dissertations involving basic or applied research in psychology and law, including its application to public policy, are encouraged to apply for these awards.

First, second and third-place awards are conferred annually, and winners will be invited to present their research at the AP-LS Annual Conference.

To be eligible for the award, you must be a member of AP-LS and have defended your dissertation during the calendar year of the submission deadline (e.g., if the deadline for submissions is December 31, 2024, then you must have defended your dissertation in 2024).

You do not need to have graduated by December 31 to apply.

Email submissions to the Chair of the Dissertation Awards Committee dissertation@ap-ls.org before December 31 annually.

Submissions should include:
  1. Copy of the dissertation as it was submitted to the student’s university (in Word or PDF format)
  2. Copy of the dissertation with all author, advisor, and school identifying information removed (in Word or PDF format)
  3. A signed letter of support (on letterhead) from the dissertation advisor.

These items can be submitted via one email from the student, or via separate emails from the student and their advisor, respectively.

For more information, please contact the chair of the Dissertation Awards Committee.

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place
2023 Jesse Grabman Tamara de Beuf Breanne Wylie
2022 Stephanie Cardenas Joseph Avery Amy Dezember
2021 Catherine Shaffer-McCuish Alejandra de la Fuente Adele Quigley-McBride
2020 Christine Shahan Brugh Dylan T. Gatner Alicia Nijdam-Jones
2018 Lucy Guarnera Pia Hollerbach Rachel Greenspan
2017 Nathalie Brackmann Melissa Colloff Lauren Kois
2016 Evan McCuish Caitlin Cavanaugh Kelsey Henderson
2015 Skye Stephens Laura White Alana Krix
2014 Anthony Perillo (tie) Miko Wilford & Misun Yi Jeffrey Kukucka
2013 Taeko Wachi Rebecca Weiss Heather Butler
2012 Kaitlyn McLachlan Ekaterina Pivovarova Jessica Salerno
2011 Annelies Vredeveldt Jay P. Singh Julia Clara Busso Kennard
2010 Samantha Schwartz Caroline Crocker Ashley Christiansen
2009 Tarika Daftary-Kapur Gianni Pirelli Bethany Young
2008 Margaret C. Stevenson Laura G. Kirsch Melanie R. Farkas & Lindsay Malloy
2007 Jeffrey Haun Kathryn Modecki Tracy Fass
2006 Amy Leach Jessica Klaver Jessica Meyer
2005 Tara Mitchell Lisa Chraznowski Lora Levett &
Greg Kramer
2004 Jodi Viljoen Candice Odgers Martin Hildebrand
2003 Virginia Cooper Teri Forrest Mary Ann Campbell & Alexis Kennedy
2002 Jennifer Groscup Tamara Haegerich Gina Vincent &
David DeMatteo
2001 Mark Phillips Christian Meissner Eve Brank
2000 Bradley McAuliff Lyn Castrianno Kimberly Brown
1999 Jennifer Skeem Dan Krauss
1998 Joanna Pozzulo Jennifer Robbennolt Dennis Stolle
1997 David Glass Stephen Anderer Richard Redding
1996 Kimberly Lonsway Charles R. Mullin Phyllis B. Gerstenfeld
1995 Lori Beth Frank Mindy Mechanic Maithilee K. Pathak
1994 Margaret Kovera Karen Leslie Steinberg Nancy Schneider
1993 Ann Tobey Doug Narby
1992 Bette Bottoms
Cathy Carter
1991 Barry Rosenfeld
1990 James Ogloff Regina Schuller Mark Small
1989
1988 Patricia Frazier
1987 Brian Cutler
1986 Roselle Wissler
1985 Nancy Brekke Carol Krafka
1984 Daniel Linz
1983 Sarah Tanford Edie Greene