Dunn Receives Award for SOAR-Sponsored Paper
The Moravian SOAR program is one of those gifts that keep on giving. Dana S. Dunn, professor of psychology and director of the Learning in Common Curriculum, received an award for research excellence from Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA) for "Defining the Good Life Following Acquired Physical Disability," a paper he wrote with Clint Brody '09 as a SOAR (Student Opportunities for Academic Research) project. The Harold Yuker Award was given to Dunn at the APA's annual meeting, held August 6-9 in Toronto.
The Harold Yuker Award for Research Excellence is an annual award given to the first author of the most highly rated paper published in the journal Rehabilitation Psychology during the previous year. The award is given in honor and memory of Harold E. Yuker, a psychologist who studied attitudes toward people with disabilities.
Dunn and Brody worked together on the SOAR project in 2007, and the paper was published in Rehabilitation Psychology in 2008. Brody helped identify relevant articles and books, reviewed them, and integrated the material into the paper. A portion of the work was presented at a Moravian College Faculty Colloquium in April 2008. Brody, who graduated with a double major in psychology and Spanish, is now doing postgraduate study in Spain.
A Fellow of the APA, Dunn is president-elect of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2) and will serve as its president in 2010. He is the author of more than 85 articles, chapters, and book reviews concerning psychology, rehabilitation psychology, social psychology, and liberal education. He is also the author of five books: Research Methods for Social Psychology (2009), Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century (with Wayne Weiten, Margaret Lloyd, & Elizabeth Hammer, 2009), A Short Guide to Writing about Psychology (2008), Statistics and Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2001), and The Practical Researcher (1999; 2nd edition, 2010). He is also the editor of four "best practices in pedagogy" books: Teaching Critical Thinking in Psychology: A Handbook of Best Practices (with Jane Halonen & Randolph Smith, 2008), Best Practices in Teaching Statistics and Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences (with Randolph Smith & Bernard Beins, 2007), Best Practices for Teaching Introduction to Psychology (with Stephen Chew, 2006), and Measuring Up: Educational Assessment Challenges and Practices for Psychology (with Chandra Mehrotra & Jane Halonen, 2004).