Undergraduate Awards
Congratulations to recent award winners from our undergraduate Psychology program!
Department's Outstanding Senior Award
This award recognizes one student each year who rises above the rest as a well-rounded, academically high-performing undergraduate student.
2020 ~ TBA
2019 ~ William (Braden) Sanford and Olivia DePhillips
2018 ~ Katey Hayes
Ulrey K. Wilson Award
Ulrey K. Wilson was a highly respected Tennessee psychologist. Born in 1911, he died in 1968. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Chattanooga in 1934, a Master of Arts degree from Duke University in 1945, and his doctorate from Florida State University in 1957. A teacher throughout his professional life, his major interests were in understanding and contributing to the realization of the potentials of young persons for happy and constructive living. In his memory, the faculty of the UTC Psychology Department honors outstanding students annually.
2019 was the 50th anniversary of the award. Honorees are listed below, including photos and information on those we could contact. To add your information/photo, please submit to the psychology department administrator.
1969 ~ Steve G. Ferguson
1970 ~ Alex Roy Medley
1971 ~ Shelly L. Weaver
1972 ~ Jessie Keith
1973 ~ Karen S. Solomon McGinley
1974 ~ Katherine Steele
Dr. Steele graduated Summa Cum Laude from UTC in 1974. After an 8-year career in publishing, she earned her Ph.D in Psychology at the University of Notre Dame in 1993. As a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) she was has been named a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association where she currently serves as Co-Chair of the Annual Conference. She is also an Approved Consultant in EMDR. Katie recently retired as Clinical Director of the Samaritan Health & Living Center in Elkhart, Indiana but maintains her private practice seeing groups and individual clients. She developed her passion for the power of groups through her Social Psychology courses as an undergraduate with Dr. Ralph Hood at UTC.
1975 ~ John Allen Bowen
1976 ~ Carla Hudson
1977 ~ Karen J. Pruitt
1978 ~ Carolyn Sue Mantooth
1979 ~ John D. Mederais
1980 ~ Marcelle R. Morgan
1981 ~ The Hon. Rebecca J. Stern
Ms. Stern became a lawyer in 1987, graduating from UTK with honors. In 1989 she became the Hamilton County Child Abuse Prosecutor for the District Attorney's office, later becoming the Assistant District Attorney there, prosecuting all types of criminal cases. In 1997, she was appointed to Division II of the Hamilton County Criminal Court by the governor, the elected three times, serving on the bench for 18 years. She retired to Puerto Rico where she lived until Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. She is now practicing Criminal Defense and Family Law at her practice, Stern & Williams, formed in 2016 in Chattanooga.
1982 ~ Ruby Jean Smith
1983 ~ Martha L. Pierce
1984 ~ Stephanie Grisham
1985 ~ Jennifer G. McKinney
1986 ~ Rex Bartles
1987 ~ Diane Ruth Headrik
1988 ~ Tracy Ann O'Connor
1989 ~ Jeannie V. Gillian
1990 ~ Angela Gentry-Travis
1991 ~ Wendy W. Davis
1992 ~ David L. Hoeflmayr
1992 ~ Jennifer L. Shoemaker
1993 ~ Susan E. Hickman
1993 ~ Jonathan Durm, Ph.D.
Dr. Durm earned a MA an Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Mississippi. After several years in clinical practice, he transitioned into academia. For the last 15 years he has served a Department Chair of Behavioral Science at Lonestar College -Cyfair.
1994 ~ 2001 (Records not available)
2002 ~ James D. Brinkley
2003 ~ Zachary D. Smith
2004 ~ Erin L. Bramlett
2005 ~ Michael B. Hamrick
2005 ~ Olga V. Kostenko
2006 ~ Sara E. Price
2007 ~ Ruthmarie Shelhamer
2008 ~ Laura H. Aldrich
2008 ~ Chelsea G. Flessner (McAloon)
Chelsea is living in Blacksburg, VA with her husband Michael, a professor in the school of plant and environmental sciences at Virginia Tech. She's taking time to raise her two children, but most recently working as a Teller Operations Manager at CharterBank in Auburn. She enjoys running and gardening.
2009 ~ Demarcus A. Pegues
2010 ~ Kendall M. Ray (Stokes)
2010 ~ Katie Marie Taylor
2011 ~ Jessica M. McKinney
2012 ~ Raquel Barlow
2013 ~ Peyton Miller
2014 ~ Helion Cruz
2015 ~ Arlann Robinson
2016 ~ Jessica Y. Hacker
Jessica was graduated from UTC in 2016 with a B.S. in Psychology. In 2018 she received the M.S. in Research Psychology. She is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at Louisiana Sate University.
2017 ~ Jessica A. York
2018 ~ Nicole Brown
2020 ~ Melissa Materia