Department of the Year
UCF's Psychology Department named 2004 APAGS "Department of the Year"
by Sae Schatz (sae@cs.ucf.edu)
Each year the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) names one psychology department as "Department of the Year." This year, the University of Central Florida's Psychology Department was selected to receive this title.
The award recognizes a graduate psychology department that has shown outstanding commitment to graduate students and graduate student life through actions such as superior faculty assistance, attention to students' needs, and student-faculty relations. Each applicant department must be nominated and voted on by the members of the APAGS, all of whom are current graduate students.
"I think [that receiving the award] shows what a strong graduate department we have, even though our programs are relatively new," says Interim Chair, Richard Tucker. He add that "just knowing that our graduate students think so well of us is award enough."
APAGS has been recognizing a "Department of the Year" for about 7 years, said Carol Williams-Nickelson, Associate Executive Director of APAGS, via email. In the past, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida have both received this honor.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology doctoral student Renée E. DeRouin nominated UCF for the award and collaborated with Tucker to write an essay for the nomination [ view the essay ]. Their essay emphasizes the department's research strengths, Student Teaching Apprentice Mentorship Program (STAMP), involvement with professional organizations such as APAGS, and attentiveness to student input during the recent departmental chair search.
DeRouin and Tucker will be presented with the APAGS Department of the Year award at American Psychological Association conference in Honolulu, in August 2004. The Psychology Department will also receive a $1000 prize, which will be used to further graduate student issues.
Williams-Nickelson says that the award will also be announced in gradPSYCH, the APAGS quarterly magazine; on the APAGS Website; and in the APA Monitor on Psychology. Tucker feels that this will bring more recognition to the department and probably increase the number and quantity of application.
"We already have good quality applications," says Tucker, "and they will just get better."
DeRouin adds that "by doing things like this for the department it helps the students do better as well, and it helps improve the reputation of the department, which helps the students later on."
DeRouin has been a member of APAGS for three years. APAGS is the largest group of organized graduate psychology students worldwide. Founded in 1988, APAGS has over 41,000 members--making APAGS the largest single constituency group within the APA. For more information about APAGS go to www.apa.org/apags.
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