Oklahoma State University’s Kennison named APA Fellow

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

The American Psychological Association (APA) has named Oklahoma State University professor Shelia Kennison a Fellow for Division 2, The Society for the Teaching of Psychology.  

“Dr. Kennison has been an innovative leader for psychology pedagogy on our campus and in our state for many years,” Thad Leffingwell, professor and head of the OSU Department of Psychology, said.  “This honor recognizes her many contributions and is well-deserved.” 

Kennison is the founder and co-director of the Oklahoma Network for Teaching of Psychology (ONTOP) and serves as the director of the undergraduate minor in Cognitive Science at OSU.  She was won several awards for her instruction, including the 2007 Regent’s Distinguished Teaching Award.  

In addition to her work in the classroom, Kennison has produced extensive research on language processing through OSU’s Cognitive Science Laboratory.  She has received more than $1 million dollars in National Science Foundation grants. 

The Society for the Teaching of Psychology advances understanding of the discipline by promoting excellence in the teaching and learning of psychology. The Society provides resources and services, access to a collaborative community, and opportunities for professional development. The Society also strives to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning, advocate for the needs of teachers of psychology, foster partnerships across academic settings, and increase recognition of the value of the teaching profession.

Fellow status is an honor bestowed upon APA members who have shown evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology. Fellow status requires that a person's work has had a national impact on the field of psychology beyond a local, state or regional level. A high level of competence or steady and continuing contributions are not sufficient to warrant fellow status. National impact must be demonstrated.