The annual awards ceremony occurred on April 5, 2022, in conjunction with the IPA Spring Conference in Des Moines. 

The IPA Phil Laughlin Meritorious Achievement Award is intended to honor an IPA member for outstanding service to the association. All IPA members are eligible to be considered for this award except those currently serving on the IPA Executive Council. The 2022 award was presented to Dr. Kevin Krumvieda, who was nominated by Dr. Karen Nelson:  

I am writing to nominate Dr. Kevin Krumvieda for the 2022 Phil Laughlin Meritorious Service Award. I met Kevin at an IPA conference shortly after I joined IPA in 1995. He welcomed me and took time to get to know me as a psychologist and a person. I now have the good fortune to work with him as a fellow member of the Iowa Psychological Foundation.

Kevin served capably as IPA’s president and coordinated one of our organization’s most enriching, memorable Spring conferences in the past 30 years. He also served as a representative to the Executive Council and is a current member of IPA’s conference planning committee. His leadership helped IPA navigate a rocky passage. After leading during the thankless, tumultuous time, other leaders would have walked away from IPA. Kevin’s investment in relationships and belief in the importance of a strong presence for Iowa psychology caused him to regroup and remain active. He has dedicated countless hours and considerable acumen and expertise to IPA.

If you’ve ever been in a meeting or conversation with Kevin, you are familiar with his kind sense of humor and genuine interest in others. As a leader and committee member, Kevin is encouraging and brings out the best in others. He is organized and has an infectious ability to remain optimistic, focused, and passionate about projects.

Kevin is a lifelong learner. As a seasoned clinician, Kevin could still become excited and enthusiastic about new ideas. His avid interest in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) created a buzz that encouraged his peers and newer clinicians to learn about ACT.

His dedicated service to IPA, countless clients and colleagues makes him richly deserving of receiving our organization’s most prestigious recognition. I hope your committee will agree and honor Dr. Krumvieda with the Phil Laughlin Meritorious Service Award. 

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The IPA Service Award recognizes individuals who are not IPA members, or eligible for IPA membership, and who have rendered outstanding service to IPA or to the citizens of Iowa in a manner consistent with the goals of the association. The 2022 IPA Service Award was presented to Dr. Darbie Little-Cooper, a psychiatrist in private practice. She was nominated by Dr. Bethe Lonning. Dr. Matthew Cooper, and Dr. Katie Kopp: 

The movement for prescriptive authority for psychologists in Iowa is still in its infancy. The support from psychiatrists and other physicians is vital as psychologists who are certified to prescribe is necessary. As such, a psychologist pursuing a conditional prescribing certificate not only has to complete academic coursework which takes on average two to three years, but they have to complete a multidisciplinary practicum with at minimum work with a primary care provider and a psychiatrist. A total of 400 practicum hours and at least 600 patient encounters are required, along with the completion of a masters in clinical psychopharmacology and the passing of a licensure exam, the PEP. The number of hours dedicated by not only the psychologist in training but also a supervisor is extensive. Therefore, Dr. Cooper, Dr. Kopp, and Dr. Lonning would like to nominate Dr. Darbie Little-Cooper for the IPA Service Award.

Dr. Little-Cooper is a psychiatrist in private practice who has demonstrated great commitment to advancing the prescriptive authority for psychologists in Iowa. She provided supervision for Dr. Matthew Cooper, allowing him to complete a significant step in his licensure for his conditional prescribing psychologist certificate and will continue to provide supervision required during his conditional prescribing period. In addition, Dr. Little-Cooper has begun to provide supervision to Dr. Katie Kopp.

Dr. Little-Cooper has been generous with her time and knowledge. She has done so purely for the sake of advancing prescribing for psychologists and improving access to care across the state of Iowa. Dr. Little-Cooper is an advocate for psychologists and other mental health professionals. She believes in the integration of mental health services and that a multidisciplinary approach is key to help patient outcomes. She is patient, caring, knowledgeable, and has a large passion in what she does. Dr. Little-Cooper sees a variety of patients in her private practice Iowa City and in a group practice in Davenport.

In gratitude for her selfless service to the psychologists of IPA, we nominate her for the IPA Service Award. 

More information about the history of IPA awards can be found here.