Service to SPSP Award

2016 - Linda Skitka

The 2016 SPSP Service Award honors Linda Skitka for her many distinguished contributions to the field and to the Society. The service that stands out the most is her work with the journal Social Psychologist and Personality Science. Linda was a founding member of the Consortium that includes four separate societies and in the 8 years of the journal, she has served as chair of the Consortium on two different occasions. With deep gratitude for her calm approach service, we present Linda Skitka with the 2016 SPSP Awards for Distinguished Service to the Society.

2015 - Susie Schroeder

This award honors Susie Schroeder for her unique and important contribution to the Society serving as the first Chief Financial Officer in its history, designing and implementing a professionalized accounting system to protect the Society’s assets and enable them to be wisely invested towards the future.  As part of this activity, she discovered a significant fraud perpetuated by past employees of the Society, which had gone undetected for years.  She persistently and creatively investigated all the circumstances of this case and provided the evidence and documentation necessary for criminal and civil actions that were ultimately successful.  She also instituted safeguards to make sure nothing like this could happen again and her work is a key component of the new professional foundation of the Society as it moves to new and expanded activities in the future.  With deep gratitude for these unusual and important contributions we present Susie Schroeder with the 2015 SPSP Award for Distinguished Service to the Society.

2014 - John Dovidio

This award honors Jack Dovidio for his many distinguished contributions to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.Jack served as Executive Officer of the Society from 2010 to 2014.  During this period he dealt wisely and calmly with a large number of difficult issues during a period of major change. He made great strides towards re-organizing the administration of the society so that it could operate efficiently and on the basis of accurate informational concerning its financial standing and its membership.  He kept track of the astonishingly numerous operational details of this complex organization, motivating and helping numerous volunteers to do their many different tasks. He led the professionalization of accounting practices that led to the discovery of significant fraud by former staff members, and led the response of the Society, which had to deal with complex legal and practical issues.  He led the change in the management of the annual meeting which promises important savings as well as better efficiency in future planning.  All along, he provided wise counsel to a succession of Presidents of the Society, who all valued his knowledge, experience, and his fair-minded approach to controversial issues. At the end of his term, Jack may have made his greatest contribution, by guiding the Society to develop a professional staff and permanent office, and by leading the selection of its first full-time Executive Director.  This activity laid the foundation for what SPSP will be for many decades to come.With deep gratitude for these exceptional contributions, we present Jack Dovidio with the 2014 SPSP Award for Distinguished Service to the Society.

This award honors Linda Dovidio for her major contributions to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Serving as much more than Jack Dovidio’s “right hand” during his period as Executive Officer, Linda put in many hours organizing the broad range of activities of this complex organization.  Her efforts transformed the Executive Office and helped the Society to recognize that changes were needed to ensure the effectiveness of a mature organization.  She kept in close contact with the chairs of numerous committees in charge of awards, convention activities, educational programs, diversity enhancement, public communication, and many other activities.  She organized the tasks of numerous volunteers, motivating them and reminding them when necessary, making sure that everything that needed to be done was done.  Twice a year, she produced the agenda book for the Executive Committee meetings that organized the activities and progress of each of the committees,, allowing the Executive Committee to have thorough knowledge and background for its decision making and policy formation.  Through it all, she maintained a consistently cheerful outlook that helped to maintain the enthusiasm of others through sometimes difficult circumstances.With deep gratitude for these and other exceptional contributions, we present Linda Dovidio with the 2014 SPSP Award for Distinguished Service to the Society.

This award honors Don Forsythe for his major contributions to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.Don agreed to help with operation of the Society’s website, little knowing what lie in store.  A sudden and unexpected series of events made Don the only person standing between the Society and total chaos in its operations and contact with members.  Through this crisis period, Don calmly took over responsibility not just for electronic resources but also the maintenance of records of and communications with the Society’s several thousand members, dealing along the way with gaps and inaccuracies in the information with which he had to work.  His contribution during this period cannot be overstated; for a time, the very survival of the Society seemed to be at stake.  In the end, the Society came out of this experience better organized than ever, and in a position to have a valuable presence on the web and to communicate better with its members and the world. With deep gratitude for this major contribution at a critical time, we present Don Forsythe with the 2104 SPSP Award for Distinguished Service to the Society.

2013 - Wendi Gardner

2012 - Monica Biernat & Chris Crandall

The Society for Personality and Social Psychology is delighted to present Monica Biernat and Chris Crandall with its Award for Distinguished Service to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.While serving the field in numerous other ways, and while making important and creative research contributions that continue to add greatly to the intellectual vigor of the field, Biernat and Crandall served ably as editors of the Society’s newsletter, Dialogue, for two four-year terms from January 2001 to December 2008. Under their stewardship, Biernat and Crandall kept Society members abreast of news, developments, and events related to the Society and to the broader field of social andpersonality psychology during a time in which the activities of the Society expanded greatly. Their editorial work kept members informed about the opinions and thinking of other members, including thoughts of top scholars. It exposed members to debates about cutting-edge issues within the field. Their editorial tenure kept members informed in a lively and engaging way. Biernat and Crandall have served the Society in a number of other ways, expressing a deep commitment sense of professional responsibility and generosity of their time and effort. Monica Biernat also served SPSP in a variety of other capacities, including Division 8 Council Representative (2001-2003), member and Chair of the Convention Committee (2007-2009), and Secretary-Treasurer of the organization (2010-2012). With gratitude for their longstanding service to the society, we present Monica Biernat and Chris Crandall with the 2012 SPSP Service to the Society Award.

2011 - Richard Petty & Mark Snyder

2010 - David Dunning

2007 - Roy F. Baumeister,& Dianne M. Tice

2006 - Jim Blascovich

2005 - Harry Reis

2004 - Marilynn Brewer, Chuck Huff & Scott Plous

2003 - Martin Chemers & Bibb Latané