Student Awards

The Raymond S. Nickerson Innovations in Psychological Science award is given to graduate students in our department whose scholarship shows innovation in understanding psychology from theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and/or analytical perspectives.

• Awarded to assist an academically able junior or senior who has shown ability in physiological psychology or general physiology.
• The scholarship was established in 1950 by Leonard Carmichael of the Class of 1921 and seventh president of Tufts College in memory of his parents.

Past winners include:

• 2026: Parisa Arastu, Saumya Kumar, Saniyah Leon, Kaylie Wang, Grace Wilkinson
• 2025: Ben Markowitz, Daria Black Hackett, Josh Rocha
• 2024: Emilia Marchelek, Nat Green
• 2023: Christalie Anor, Anna Angkatavanich, Jaelyn Chang
• 2022: Eli van der Rijn, Hector Rivera Bermudez, Natalie Kane, Kai Renshaw
• 2021: Kathleen Hazzard, Santiago Noriega, Emily Payne, Samar Shaqour
• 2020: Emma Singleton, Lindsay Pius, Mallika Purandare
• 2019: Zachary Kramer, Karen S. Ha, Kurtis Chien-Young
• 2018: Connor Ko, Julia Merker
• 2017: David Rose, Morgan Taylor, Jonah Zarrow
• 2016: Peter Andrew, Evan Balmuth, Annabelle Roberts
• 2015: Ariana R. Nestler, Anoushka D. Shahane, Eric Y. Zhang
• 2014: Kara A. Cochran, Wen W. Zhuang
• 2013: Brendan R. Dillon, Melissa R. Langer, Devin P. Merullo
• 2012: Keisha G. Dodman, Anna J. Nathanson
• 2011: John Salvatore, Ryan Oliveira, Tala Kayyali
• 2010: Andrea Henry, Adam Nitenson, Christopher Perrone, Muhammad Qadri
• 2009: Kristin Brethel, Lara Hwa, Nayema Khan
• 2008: Meena L. Bolourchi, Michael J. Grille, Meredith L. Groff, Johnna R. Swartz
• 2007: Erica J. Baker, Rachel Rubin, Reuben Shin, McCaila Ingold-Smith
• 2006: Jeremy G. Maggin, Jesus Mena, Christine Tam
• 2005: Daniel Brooks, Catherine Fowler, Thomas Tropea
• 2004: Jodi Gilman, Benjamin Zablotsky
• 2003: Rebecca Clark
• 2002: Shannon L. Gourle
• 2001: Justin W. Goodhue, Deborah G. Levison, Mark A. Vitale
• 2000: Neha S. Vibhakar
• 1999: Miranda H. Mockrin
• 1998: Robert R. Faust III, Glenn R. Valdez
• 1997: Subuhee Hussain, Allan J. Walkey
• 1996: Leigh A. Sakoda, Joanna H. Schaffhausen
• 1995: Shivika Asthana, Scott C. So
• 1994: Michelle Ryu
• 1993: Darrel J. Macey
• 1992: Correigh Greene, Aaron Izes
• 1991: Paul Mermelstein
• 1990: Craig B. Sanders

• Awarded by the Department of Psychology to third-year students whose academic achievements have been judged as outstanding.
• This prize was established through the gifts of members and friends of the Class of 1921 in honor and memory of their classmate, Leonard Carmichael, seventh president of Tufts, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and vice president of the National Geographic Society with special responsibilities for research and exploration.

Past winners include:

• 2026: Maheen Ali, Gabriel Stein, Kailey Takaoka
• 2025: Saniyah Leon, Saumya Kumar, Kaylie Wang, Parisa Arastu, Grace Wilkinson
• 2024: Margaret (Meggie) Murphy, Veronica Cabeza de Vaca, Sydney Kwaku, Grace Hustace
• 2023: ShaSha Kingston, Sam Lacet-Brown, Leah Wall, Annie Khawand
• 2022: Sergio Sacramone-DeLeon, Lillian Marinelli, Thomas Giauque, Miela Efraim, Abigail Pomeranz
• 2021: Thomas Felt, Elizabeth Kenneally, Noah Stancroff, Mona Tavangar, Pearl Young
• 2020: Saira Madarasmi, Alekya Menta, Elizabeth Escalante, Jose Casas
• 2019: Isabella Spaulding, Andrew Barber, Virginia Ulichney, Sharmitha Yerneni
• 2018: Cristiana Raileanu, Ethan Whitman
• 2017: Rachel Feller, Ilana Goldberg, Amelia Moser, Lena Walton
• 2016: Laura Brooks, Isabella Kahhale, Kanika Kamal, Rhiannon Wiley
• 2015: Daniel L. Cummings, Kelsey B. Keyser, Jacob J. Merrin, Hillary G. Stern
• 2014: Rachel E. Korus, Ariana R. Nestler, Elwin Ng, Elizabeth B. Quaid
• 2013: Samuel H. Lundquist, Nishi Mehta, Michael S. Roubey, Nicholas G. Woolf
• 2012: Brendan R. Dillon, Craig S. Frucht, Katelin M. Maguire, Sydney L. Rubin
• 2011: Nikhil Gopal, Anna Nathanson, Christina Pappas, Jenna Adler
• 2010: Thomas Mann, Emily Pyles, Brian Shah
• 2009: Nicole LeBlanc, Kelsea McDonough, Laina Rosebrock, Hilary M. Weingarden
• 2008: Kristin M. Brethel, Benjamin A. Miller, Parker S. Noren, Danielle L. Pfaff
• 2007: Jennifer B. Earls, Eugenia I. Gorlin, Amal A. Rahman, Johnna R. Swartz, Jay P. Singh
• 2006: Sarah Bernstein, Corrine C. Mahoney, Melissa Pergakis
• 2005: Liza Blumenthal, Gregory Chertok, Anisha Khaitan, Rebecca Schiffmiller, Lindsey Warp
• 2004: Alexis Gerber, Nirit Gradwohl, Elisa Kantor, Natassia Pura
• 2003: Jonathan Cohen, Keara Conway, Sonali Paul, Cheryl Testa
• 2002: Rebecca Clark, Pamela Chu, Rachael Fuchs, Lucy Miranda Shapiro, Michelle Marie Wedig
• 2001: Allison E. Collins, Stacey Hofflich, Catherine Molly Field, Shannon Gourley
• 2000: Lauren Brodsky, Jennifer S. Brown, Talia Cohen, Amy J. Metzger
• 1999: Gina M. Carioggia, Briana L. Martino, David B. Schatz
• 1998: Amy L. Dash, Amy A. Drake, Nicolle Meagher
• 1997: Tara S. Hotchkiss, Lianne Lim, Glenn R. Valdez
• 1996: Elizabeth M. Cohen, Amy V. Gerstein, Raul P. Lima
• 1995: Nadia C. Del-Pan, Lori B. Engorn, Anne C. Hurley, Christine A. Moscato, Kanani E. Titchen
• 1994: John F. Kelly
• 1993: Michael B. Berg, Jennifer Lindeman
• 1992: Jonathan Fisher, Jill Nathanson, Debora Silva
• 1991: Scott Aldort, Shannon Lynch, Laura Poleshuck, Barbara Rosenberg
• 1990: Lesley G. Egler

• Awarded annually to an undergraduate psychology major with an excellent record and great promise of future achievement in the field.
• The prize fund was founded in 1980 by Mrs. Doris Scheff in honor of her daughter, Priscilla N. Dunne, '75.

Past winners include:

• 2026: Kaashvi Ahuja, Jude Abdel-Haq, Rachel Wong
• 2025: Abigail Miller, Marko Yang, Shatoni Bailey
• 2024: Sarah Syed, Sophia Grekin, Tess Kaplan
• 2023: Praise Adekola, Sofia Montoy
• 2022: Emily Bivins, Laporsha Dees, Juliette Bichon, Hasan Abdel-Nabi
• 2021: Amy Berger, Eli Halbreich, Aryan Pandey
• 2020: Melanie Becker, Logan Zhang, Emma Wolfe
• 2019: Meghan Lauze, Nathan Hollinsaid, Katherine Alpert
• 2018: Abbie Ganter, Dylan Guydish, Marina Rakhilin, Elizabeth Wolock
• 2017: Tal August, Libby DesRuisseaux, Claudia Robles-Gil
• 2016: Aishvarya Arora, Emily Morton, Barbara Storch
• 2015: Zachary Butzin-Dozier, Sidney C. May, Alexander L. Siegel
• 2014: Ellen E. Gage, Nishi Mehta, Shayna H. Schor
• 2013: Katelin M. Maguire, Rachel O. Rubin, Zoey A. Shaw
• 2012: Jacob Borodovsky, Justin Z. Cohen, Rebecca L. Grunberg
• 2011: Thomas Mann, Jennifer Yih, Marcos Sastre III, Lindsay Staples, Vivian Haime
• 2010: Nicole LeBlanc, Christina Rucinski, Elizabeth Siegle
• 2009: Aaron Gardony, Jared Olkin, Danielle Pfaff
• 2008: Jennifer Earls, Ketan Gajria, Laura G. Papp
• 2007: Sala Kaplan, Melissa Pergakis, Johanna Thompson-Holland
• 2006: Meghan G. Bean, Liza P. Blumenthal, Sarah E. Shea, Kaitlin E. Toner
• 2005: Nirit Gradwohl, Elisa Kanto, Matthew Natanson, Irina Shakhnoich
• 2004: Jonathan Cohen, Lisa Hasel, Samantha Resnik, Cheryl Testa
• 2003: Jonathan Lee, Taryn Morrissey, Michelle Wedig
• 2002: Natalie Cusato, Rachel Friendly, Nicole Gabbay, Jessica L. Klug
• 2001: Jennifer S. Brown, Katherine A. DeCelles, Rachel F. Kennedy
• 2000: Elizabeth J. Razin, David B. Schatz
• 1999: Dima Amso
• 1998: Jaime C. Golinski, Alejandra Halperin
• 1997: Carolyn I. Guberman, Ian G. Harnik, Cindi L. McPherson
• 1996: Melissa J. Bud, Maureen L. Roihl
• 1995: Jacqueline I. Blumenfeld, Jordana T. Wiener
• 1994: Monique Choukrane, Gideon Davis, Shera Gruen
• 1993: Christine Anderson, Cheryl A. Guyre
• 1992: Hillary Boris, Erin Ingoldsby
• 1991: Michelle Lisa Pugh, Rosa Thomas
• 1990: Nancy B. Goldman
• 1989: Lisa Allen, Lisa Hirsch, Maureen Young

• Awarded to a junior or senior who has shown excellence and promise in the study of psychology.
• This prize was established in 1990 in memory of Joanne Mary Sullivan, who held a B.A. in psychology, by her parents Eugene and Vilma, her brother Eugene Jr., G'90, and family and friends.

Past winners include:

• 2026: Katya Ivanova
• 2025: Shania Cox, Ella Ciccolo
• 2024: Kayla Drazan, Jeffrey Lin
• 2023: Brandy Rasche, Libby Moser
• 2022: Doga Cetinkaya, Francesca de Marneffe, Mohamed Samater
• 2021: Ted Cheng, Sara Siqueira
• 2020: Daniel Carlston, Josue Llamas Rodriguez
• 2019: Renee Brody, Jenna Fleischer
• 2018: Sophia Gomez, Eleanor Schuttenberg
• 2017: Tom Morin, Ari Panzer
• 2016: Phuong (Phoebe) Dinh, Madeline Kenler
• 2015: N’Dea M. Hallett, Rachel E. Korus
• 2014: Shelci C. Bowman, Michael S. Roubey
• 2013: Molly K. Crossman, Joshua E. Malkin
• 2012: Nikhil A. Gopal, Jacob A. Savage
• 2011: Daniel Simon, Lauren Sirois
• 2010: Joseph Rodini, Laura Soskey
• 2009: Courtney Giancaterino, Jordana Jacobs
• 2008: Sara E. Douglass, Sarah S. Jacknis, Carolyn A. Matheson
• 2007: Sudane Del Valle, Corrine Mahoney
• 2006: Naomi J. Mower, Hara A. Rosen
• 2005: Rebecca Greenstein
• 2004: Raheela Qureshi
• 2003: Rachael Fuchs
• 2002: Stacey A. Hofflich
• 2001: Nicholas R. Anderson, Hal Ersner-Hershfield, Eric A. Malek
• 2000: Melissa B. Arbus, Caroline A. Blackman
• 1999: Abraham M. Rutchick
• 1998: Wesley I. Helms, Alicia A. Krol
• 1997: Elizabeth M. Cohen, Joanna A. Robin
• 1996: Beth A. Schreibman
• 1995: Samantha M. Klein 

• Awarded annually to a Tufts undergraduate student who exemplifies Sal Soraci's intellectual breadth, by combining excellence in psychology with a demonstrated interest in the humanities.
• Award was created in the memory of a beloved Tufts University associate professor of psychology who passed away in August 2003.
• Professor Soraci made multiple contributions to academic life to Tufts community. He was an excellent teacher and well-known researcher in cognitive psychology. His research investigated many facets of the human mind that optimize learning and memory. In addition, Sal Soraci was the co-director of the Engineering Psychology/Human Factors Program. He was always present with an encouraging remark, a joke, and words of wisdom to help any student in his or her pursuit of knowledge. Many of our graduate and undergraduate students sought the guidance of Professor Soraci, regardless of what area of psychology was in question.

Past winners include:

• 2026: Natalia Socarras
• 2025: Yuxuan (Christina) Ma
• 2024: Yagmur Simsek
• 2023: Joanna Strogatz
• 2022: Camille Rehkemper
• 2021: Iman McPherson
• 2020: Katharine Odjakjian
• 2019: Angelina Perdikari
• 2018: Helen Sibila
• 2017: Kate Harwood
• 2016:  Allison Reid
• 2015:  Andrew N. Page
• 2014:  Tomoaki Yokose
• 2013:  Mitchell S. Mosk
• 2012:  Cara E. Guappone
• 2011:  Jared Trudeau
• 2010:  Sarah Cleary
• 2009:  Ferris Jabr
• 2008:  Eugenia I. Gorlin
• 2007: Sarah Ballou
• 2006: Jacqueline K. Houton

• Awarded annually to a Tufts undergraduate student who has demonstrated excellence in the study of Psychology and whose academic pursuits and/or demonstrated interests exemplify the spirit of Professor Sommers’ work and legacy as a thoughtful, caring, warm, and insightful human dedicated to knowledge, justice, resilience, and civic engagement.
• This prize was established in memory of Tufts University Professor Sam Sommers, who passed away in March 2025.
• Professor Sommers was an experimental social psychologist whose academic research and scholarship focused on two often overlapping topics –how race affects social perception, judgement, and interactions, and the intersection of psychology and law.
• Donate here.

Past winners include:

• 2026: Shatoni Bailey