2003-2004 Erlbaum Winners' Biographies
The chair of the Psi Chi/Erlbaum Awards in Cognitive Science Committee, Christopher Koch, PhD, has announced the winners of the 2003-04 Erlbaum Award. The graduate winner is Angela Gutchess of the University of Michigan for her paper entitled, "Cultural Differences in Neural Junction Associated With Object Processing." The undergraduate winner is Jessica Gale of Pomona College (CA) for her paper, "That Can Only Happen If I Know How It Could Happen: The Effects of Explanation on Children's Judgments of Ontological Possibility." Psi Chi congratulates these 2003-04 winners of the Erlbaum Award and wishes them continued success in their education and careers. A cash award of $500 was presented to Ms. Gutchess and Ms. Gale as the winners of this award.
Angela Gutchess, the first-place winner, received her PhD in cognitive science this past spring from the University of Michigan. The Psi Chi/ Erlbaum award-winning paper represents a portion of her dissertation. Her dissertation work was also recognized with an APA Dissertation Research Award. Dr. Gutchess plans to continue pursuing her research interests in age-related changes to long-term memory, compensatory mechanisms, and cross-cultural differences in cognition with Dr. Denise Park as a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an undergraduate Dr. Gutchess attended Boston University, graduating summa cum laude with majors in psychology, English, and English education, and earning membership in the Psi Chi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. She felt particularly fortunate this summer to travel to Greece under the auspices of the Vivian Smith Advanced Studies Summer Institute on the Frontal Lobes, sponsored by the International Neuropsy-chological Society.
Jessica Gale, the first-place undergraduate winner, graduated summa cum laude from Pomona College (CA) with a BA in psychology. During her undergraduate career, she gained research experience with a number of exceptional mentors including Professors Joelle Greene and Deborah Burke at Pomona College, Andrew Shtulman and Professor Susan Carey at Harvard University's Laboratory for Developmental Studies, and Professor Cecilia Wainryb at the University of Utah. Although her research has focused primarily on conceptual development, her interests are diverse, spanning many areas of social, emotional, and cognitive development. Ms. Gale is the recipient of a Psi Chi Summer Research Grant and is also a member of Sigma Xi, Mortar Board, and Phi Beta Kappa. While at Pomona, she was an active member of the College's Residence Hall Staff, the Women's Union, and the Student-Faculty Interaction Committee.
In additional to her work in psychology, she has a strong interest in education policy and reform. As a member of Teach for America's 2004 Corps, she is entering her first year as a 2nd grade teacher at Fickett Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia. Although she continues to clarify her career goals, ultimately she intends to involve herself in the process by which developmental research is translated into positive change in education policy and practice. Ms. Gale looks forward to pursuing graduate studies at the intersection of cognitive development and education. More specifically, she is interested in extending her research on children's understanding of ontological possibility to explore factors influencing "at-risk" students' developing conceptions of their academic potential.
When Ms. Gale is not teaching or researching, she finds time to read and write for fun, experience as many museums, concerts, and films as possible, and travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to spend time with her wonderful family.