May 2005
Volume 18, Number 5
Loftus Elected to Royal Society
APS Past President Elizabeth Loftus, University of California, Irvine recently became the first psychologist elected to the prestigious Royal Society of Edinburgh.
"I'm honored to join this venerable society," Loftus said. "It's rewarding to do research with a real-world impact, and wonderful to have this work recognized by peers. But it's completely amazing to receive such recognition from a European organization halfway around the world."
Loftus' work has shown that memory is highly susceptible to distortion and manipulation, and that people can vividly recall events that never happened. Her research on false memory, the reliability of eyewitness reports, and memories "recovered" through therapy has affected how law enforcement, courts, and psychologists consider such testimony. Recently, she also received the 2005 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology.
The Scotland-based society, founded by Adam Smith in 1783, is among the oldest and most distinguished academies of arts and sciences in the world, and Loftus' election as a Corresponding Fellow recognizes the international esteem of her research. Fellows include nationally and internationally eminent individuals in the sciences, arts, humanities, professions, industry, and commerce.
Visit www.royalsoced.org.uk for more information.
