APS Establishes the Scott O. Lilienfeld APS Travel Award

The new Scott O. Lilienfeld APS Travel Award will fund travel and lodging for one or more graduate students attending APS Annual Convention beginning in 2021.

Initiated by a group of Lilienfeld’s friends and colleagues, the award seeks to honor and extend APS James McKeen Cattell Fellow Scott O. Lilienfeld’s influence on the next generation of clinical scientists by recognizing graduate student achievement in clinical psychological science research and theory.

“[Scott Lilienfeld’s] encyclopedic knowledge and contributions across multiple domains have moved our field forward in many directions.”

Steven J. Lynn (Binghamton University)

A professor of psychology at Emory University since 1994, Lilienfeld has made seminal contributions to the understanding of personality and personality disorders, in addition to his work on cognitive biases, memory, and traits that support scientific thinking. Lilienfeld began serving as editor in chief of Clinical Psychological Science in 2018, and is a past president of both the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology and the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathology.

“[Scott Lilienfeld’s] encyclopedic knowledge and contributions across multiple domains have moved our field forward in many directions… His kindness, generosity, and giving nature have touched the lives of so many grateful collaborators and friends across the globe,” said APS Fellow Steven J. Lynn (Binghamton University). “That says a lot about the man who will be a fitting role model for the special student who is the recipient of this high honor.”

“Scott is a scholar and a gentleman who has fearlessly confronted “pseudoscience” in clinical psychology in reasoned, evidence-based debate,” added APS Fellow Richard J. McNally (Harvard University). “Never reluctant to address controversial issues, his fair-minded, non-dogmatic manner is a model for everyone in our field.  These are among the attributes we seek in recipients of the award in Scott’s honor.”

Lynn and McNally, award chair Sally Satel (American Enterprise Institute), William O’Donohue (University of Nevada, Reno), and Ashley Watts (University of Missouri), will develop specific criteria for recipients as members of the inaugural Lilienfeld award committee.

The award will provide $1,000 to $1,500 to recipients to be used for travel and hotel expenses. APS will also waive convention registration fees for award recipients. The Scott O. Lilienfeld APS Travel Award fund is currently accepting donations.