Summer 2025
Published: 07/08/2025
Letter from the Chair
Dear Friends,
As we welcome the summer season — a time of renewal, growth, and reflection — I’m excited to share with you the latest highlights and accomplishments from the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. This season of energy and possibility reflects the continued momentum, creativity, and resilience of our department. Despite the challenging national climate for federal research funding and the significant financial constraints facing our state and university, our faculty, students, and staff continue to push the boundaries of discovery, education, and impact.
Across the country, uncertainty about the future of federal research funding has created a climate of concern for many scientists, particularly with respect to NIH and NSF budgets. Closer to home, the University of Washington and the College of Arts & Sciences continue to face significant financial constraints due to reductions in state funding. Despite these headwinds, our department remains a leader in research, education, and service — thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our faculty, students, and staff.
Our faculty continue to secure competitive funding from federal and international funding agencies and private foundations to pursue groundbreaking research in areas such as mental health, autism, language development, addiction, vision, auditory neuroscience, and sensory ecology. Their resilience and innovation in advancing scientific knowledge during these uncertain times are truly inspiring.
We are also incredibly proud of our students. This past year, our undergraduate scholars received a range of prestigious awards, including Aric Chandler Scholarships (Zain Al Neema, María (Luján) Bazzano, Anna Fong); James Steele Scholarships (Zain Al Neema, Shirin Ardehaly, Hannah Bunford, Vanessa Carvalho, Minkyoung Cha, Abraham Guo, Lindsey Hinthorne, Hayley Solorzano, Nicole Subba, Yuheng Tan, Kaylee Yokoyama, Molly Zsigmondovics); Hagenstein Research Travel Scholars (Madison Chiu, Arshia Batra, Eden McPeek, Annika Barsy, Emma Fightmaster, Elias Graham, Oliver Wu); Levinson Emerging Scholar Awards (Mary Bun); Mary Gates Research Scholarships (Anna Fong, Daneal Khurl, Eden McPeek, Jasmine Yeung, Madison Sydney, Maia Czerwonka, Mazzi Nowicki, Minkyoung Cha, and Nathan Chen); Honors Scholar Research Awards (Hairuo Li, Lucy Nowicki, Xinyu Quan); the Guthrie Prize (Elias Graham, Maia Czerwonka); a Dean’s Medalist (David Young), and four students among the Husky 100 (Todd Obilor, Emma Walker, Anika Ajwani, Anna Fong). These honors reflect the exceptional talent, curiosity, and drive of our students. Our graduate students continue to thrive as well, sharing their research at national and international conferences and earning accolades for their scholarly contributions.
At our recent graduation ceremonies, we celebrated the remarkable accomplishments of our graduating students. Their perseverance and dedication — especially during a time marked by economic and academic uncertainty — have been truly commendable. We are confident that they will go on to make meaningful contributions to the field of psychology and to the broader world.
As we look ahead, the department remains steadfast in our mission to foster an inclusive, innovative, and supportive environment for learning and discovery. We are excited for the future and committed to sustaining our momentum, even as we navigate a complex financial landscape.
We are deeply grateful for your continued support and engagement. If you are able to do so, we hope you will consider making a gift to the Friends of Psychology Fund. Your generosity helps us support students, invest in innovative teaching, research, and respond to emerging needs during this critical time.
Thank you again for being a part of our community. I hope you enjoy reading about the vibrant life of the department in our Summer Newsletter. Wishing you a restful, inspiring, and joyful summer season.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Joseph Sisneros
Chair, Psychology Department
University of Washington
Featured Articles
Dave Young Awarded Dean's Medal
The Department of Psychology proudly nominated two outstanding students—Dave Young and Madison Chiu—for the Dean’s Medal in the Natural Sciences Division of the College of Arts and Sciences. We were proud to put forward both nominees and are especially proud to share that Dave Young was selected as this year’s medal recipient.
Psychology Names 12 James Steele Scholars
This spring quarter, twelve students were named 2024-2025 James Steele Scholars.
2025 Hooding Ceremony
On the morning of June 14th, students graduating with a Ph.D. in 2024-25 gathered in Kane Hall to be celebrated by department faculty, fellow graduate students, staff, family and friends.
54th Annual Research Festival
On Wednesday, June 4th, the Department of Psychology hosted its 54th Annual Research Festival featuring the research conducted by 11 students.
Reflections from Graduating PhD Students
We asked a few of our soon-to-be alums about their post-UW plans.
Spotlight on Research
A vital and long-standing goal of the Psychology Department is to generate new knowledge that advances innovative solutions to challenges that face our society. Although the current uncertain research funding environment has presented an unprecedented challenge to our ability to support our research mission, we are excited to celebrate recent successes of faculty who secured new research support this past year.
Allen L. Edwards Public Lecture series explores the science of altruism
On April 23, the Department hosted its 17th annual Allen L. Edwards Public Lecture series.