COEP Doctoral Student, Terri DeWalt, Honored With Future Pioneers of Psychology Award

Released: 6/23/08

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Marquette University School of Education heartily congratulates Terri DeWalt, doctoral student in counseling psychology, who was awarded one of four American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) Future Pioneers of Psychology awards.  This honor pays tribute to outstanding graduate psychology students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in psychology and are on track to becoming future pioneers in the field.  As a recipient of the Future Pioneers award, she will receive a $5,000 scholarship and travel funds to attend the 2008 APA Convention in Boston, where she will present her current research.

Terri DeWalt has worked as the full-time director of the rape crisis center in Racine, WI since 2001. Her tenure there has included a role as Chairperson of the Racine County Sexual Assault Response Team, Co-Chairperson of the Racine County Family Violence Community Coalition, Chairperson of the Sexual Violence and Systems' Response Subcommittees and member of the Racine County Child Advocacy Center Steering Committee. She also served as Co-Chair of APA’s Counseling Psychology’s Student Affiliates of Division Seventeen (SAS), which she credits with providing her leadership skills and a professional identity closely tied to the field of psychology.  

During her work with the Family Violence Community Coalition, she was the primary author for a set of multidisciplinary protocols for the treatment of abuse victims in Racine County, Wisconsin. The protocols provide standards of practice for how members of law enforcement, the legal system, the medical profession, social service/mental health professions, child protective services and the educational system should treat victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse and elder abuse.

“I view the field of psychology from a broad based, prevention-focused perspective,” Terri says, “After graduation I am interested in working in a setting that would allow me to work towards social and cultural change on a large, societal level, and would provide the opportunity to engage in political advocacy for underserved populations.”

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) is the voice of student concerns within the APA. APAGS develops, endorses and disseminates information to students about relevant education and training issues, legislative positions and developments, and future directions or changes in the field, through printed resources and the Web site; and APAGS creates and supports opportunities for students in the form of scholarships and awards, association advocacy work, and a host of development activities. Founded in 1988, APAGS is the largest group of organized graduate psychology students worldwide. Over several thousand members strong, APAGS one of the largest constituency groups within the APA.