Minority Psychology Scholars Awarded Fellowships

WASHINGTON, DC, AUG. 20-0ne hundred outstanding minority scholars have been awarded fellowships in the 1996 Ford Foundation fellowship programs. and among them are several psychology scholars. The programs, which are administered by the National Research Council, seek to increase the presence of underrepresented minority groups on the nation’s college and university faculties. Awards are made to individuals of demonstrated ability to provide them with the opportunity to engage in studies leading to a PhD or ScD degree or to conduct advanced postdoctoral research.

Pre-doctoral and dissertation awards are made for study in research-based doctoral programs in selected disciplines that will lead to careers in teaching and research. Postdoctoral awards are made to recent doctorate recipients for work in selected areas of study. This year the programs awarded 50 beginning graduate students, 30 students writing their dissertations, and 20 recent PhD-recipients in national competitions.

The Ford Foundation endeavors to support scholars of high ability in achieving their full potential and in attaining greater recognition in their respective academic fields. This competition marks the second year an additional award was made at the dissertation level by the Ford Fellows’ Fund, an account established by previous Ford Foundation awardees. These scholars made donations and secured matching funds to provide for an additional dissertation fellowship. This effort again was supported by a generous donation from the Hitachi Corporation and by the Research Council, which matched the Ford Fellows’ Fund contributions using interest income earned on the Ford Foundation grant. This year’s award pool includes 40 Blacks/African Americans, 30 Mexican Americans/Chicanos, 15 Puerto Ricans, 10 Native American Indians, and 5 Native Pacific Islanders. Of the fellows awarded this year, 22 are working in the social sciences; 17 are conducting research in the physical sciences, math, or engineering; 33 study the humanities; 16 are working in the life sciences; and 12 are studying in the behavioral sciences. A list of awardees in psychology appears below.

Information on the upcoming competition can be obtained in this month by contacting the Fellowship Office of the National Research Council (Christine O’ Brien, Program Supervisor, Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel, tel.: 202-334-2860; Internet: infofell@nas.edu). Contributions to the Ford Fellows’ Fund can be mailed to the same address, to the attention of Ron Millar. The National Research Council is the principal operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. It is a private, non-profit institution that provides independent advice on science and technology issues under a congressional charter.

1996 PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOWS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Valerie Denise Anderson

Duke Univ.

David Cranford

Univ. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Amanda Joyce Cumberland

Arizona State Univ.

Tene Tuere Lewis

Univ. of California-Los Angeles

Robert Ochoa

Univ. of Washington

Lisa-Michelle Pina

Univ. of Virginia

Laurimar Reveron

Cornell Univ.

Andrea Denise Sewell

Rutgers Univ.

1996 DISSERTATION FELLOWS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Joseph David Hovey

Univ. of Michigan

Silvia Eugenia Molina

Pennsylvania State Univ.

1996 POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Stanley O. Gaines

Univ. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Tammy J. Hatfield

Univ. of California-Irvine