Psychology recognition

13 October 2005

The School of Psychology has been honoured by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) with the appointment of four members of staff as Fellows and a fifth as an Honorary Fellow.

At the annual meeting of the APS last Friday, Professor Kevin McConkey was awarded an Honorary Fellowship, bringing to only eleven the number of the APS's fifteen thousand members who are presently Honorary Fellows.

Honorary Fellows are those who are considered to have changed the nature and direction of psychology in Australia. The citation for Professor McConkey said that he has positively influenced almost every aspect of the APS and referred to his "capacity for innovation, organisation and communication" as well as his "sustained and substantial achievements" for Australian psychology.

The four School of Psychology academics appointed Fellows are Dr Jim Bright, Scientia Professor Richard Bryant, Professor Gail Huon and head of school Professor Peter Lovibond. They were each cited as demonstrating continuous excellence across all of the areas of research, teaching, professional service, and service to the APS over at least a seven year period.

Dr Bright was cited as teaching across the full range of organisational psychology and for representing and promoting psychology extensively in the mass media. Professor Bryant, a clinical psychologist, has worked with acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder and was noted for his international influence in policy, science and practice in these areas. Professor Lovibond works in experimental and clinical psychology, particularly in the areas of anxiety and fear and was recognized for his contributions to the understanding and treatment of these phenomena and for his involvement in psychology leadership roles.

Since her nomination as a Fellow of the APS, Professor Huon, whose work concerns body image and eating disorders as well as educational experience and academic achievement, has moved to ANU as its Dean of Graduate Studies but remains an external supervisor of two UNSW doctoral candidates.