Psychology Faculty Receive FSU Mentoring Awards

Paul Conway received FSU's Undergraduate Research Mentor Award. This award recognizes a faculty member's dedication to undergraduate education and research engagement at FSU. Dr. Conway studies the psychology of morality--how people decide whether actions are right and wrong and whether people are good or bad. He has worked intensively with undergraduate researchers though the Honors, Directed Independent Studies, and Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programs to develop student-driven research projects on topics ranging from moral attitudes about NFL kneeling protests, to the role of cognition and emotion in dilemma decision-making, to whether people let actors 'off the hook' for moral failings when those actors are exhausted (they don't--exhausted actors are judged as harshly as refreshed actors). These efforts have contributed to undergraduate students publishing empirical papers, winning research grants and other awards, presenting at international conferences, and accepting positions at graduate school and making other career moves. He says, "It has been a privilege to work with such bright young minds."

Ashby Plant received FSU's Graduate Faculty Mentor Award. This award recognizes faculty whose commitment to excellence in graduate education and mentoring have made a significant contribution to the quality of life and professional development of graduate students at FSU. Dr Plant's research focuses on prejudice, stereotyping, and intergroup relations. She believes that in order to improve relations between people of different racial, ethnic, religious, and social groups, it is critical to understand the factors that contribute to tension between groups as well as the factors that help to reduce these negative responses. Her greatest joy as a professor is to work with graduate students and to prepare them for future careers in Psychology. She noted that since arriving at FSU, she has been incredibly lucky to work with brilliant, talented, kind, and motivated graduate students. She said that being nominated by her graduate students for this award is the highest honor she can imagine.