APS Fellows John Bargh, New York University, Michael Kubovy, University of Virginia, and Richard Nisbett, University of Michigan have been granted fellowships by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Bargh's research interests focus on nonconscious forms of self-regulation. Kubovy's work includes research into approaches to human pleasure. Nisbitt's research investigates the differences between Eastern holism and Western analysis. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, established in 1925, offers fellowships to scholars and artists who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts to aid in their development. More information about Guggenheim fellowships may be found at www.gf.org.

APS Fellow and Charter Member Herman Feifel is the recipient of the 2001 American Psychological Foundation (APF) Gold Medal for Life Achievement in the Practice of Psychology. The editor of the groundbreaking book The Meaning of Death, Feifel is regarded as the pioneering figure of the modern death movement. His work has inspired two generations of researchers and clinicians, and influenced how we think about dying, death, and bereavement. Feifel served at the Los Angeles VA Mental Hygiene Clinic from 1954, assuming the position of Chief Psychologist in 1960, until his retirement in 1992. He has also held an appointment at the University of Southern California School of Medicine since 1958, where he is currently Emeritus Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences. Awarded annually, the APF Gold Medal Award honors those whose achievements and contributions serve as exemplars to the advancement of psychology and the improvement of human welfare. More information about the award can be found at www.apa.org/apf/homepage.html.

APS Member Paula Schnurr of the VA National Center for PTSD and Darmouth Medical School, along with colleagues Matthew Friedman and Lt. Col. Charles Engel, will lead a new nationwide study examining a promising therapy known as prolonged exposure and the established mainstream therapy called present centered therapy for the treatment of PTSD.

The five-year study, titled "Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Treatment of PTSD in Women," begins July 1, 2001, and will focus on military women. Often overlooked in the research, approximately 8 to 10 percent of active and veteran military women currently suffer from PTSD, and are more than twice as likely than the average American man to develop the disorder.

Unlike smaller studies of the past, this research takes a multi-site approach to gathering data, and the results will be widely applicable to the general population. In an effort to more closely approximate clinical practice conditions nationwide, data will be collected from 12 sites across the United States, including 48 therapists and 384 patients.

"Even at facilities that have special programs for women, it would not be possible to obtain enough women at a single site to attain acceptable statistical power during a reasonable time frame," said Schnurr.

Schnurr, Friedman, and Engel ultimately hope clinicians, researchers, and policymakers will be able to use the findings to best treat patients and develop future research to help those suffering from PTSD.