| Sumario: | The Board of Educational Affairs is pleased to bestow the Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training. This award acknowledges psychologists who contribute to new teaching methods or solutions to learning problems through the use of research findings or evidence-based practices. The 2025 recipient of the APA Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training is Clarissa A. Thompson. Thompson's long-time passion for mathematics education and the translational applications of best practice principles and educational theory to support teacher training, parental support, and student understanding of mental representations of numbers makes her a fitting recipient of this award. Her generative and far-reaching research agenda spans multiple social sciences disciplines--cognitive, developmental, and educational psychology--whilst also prioritizing collaboration with scholars in special education, health psychology, and sociology to maximize impact across fields. Through consistent success in securing extramural funding from government entities such as the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences and the National Science Foundation, Thompson develops workshops and educational intervention projects that prioritize the needs of children and adult learners in the classroom, addressing their attitudes, anxieties, and confidence in mathematics learning, numerical cognition, and problem-solving. Beyond exemplary research, Thompson's influence extends through her leadership in the scientific community through journal editorship, and mentorship commitment to early-career and diverse scholars in educational and child psychology. She strives to create meaningful change in educational practice research whilst also nurturing the next generation of researchers.
|
|---|