IPA Awards Categories and Histories

IPA Service Award Recipients
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.

Previous recipients:

    Don Ziska, VAMC, Knoxville
    Rep. James Leach, U.S. House of Representatives (2002)
    Senator Charles Grassley, U.S. Senate (2004)
    Michael Hammes, Heritage National Health Plan
    Senator Elaine Szymoniak, Iowa Legislature
    Ann Seals, Private Citizen (2004)
    Rep. Betty Grundberg, Iowa Legislature
    Rep. Greg Ganske, U.S. House of Representatives
    Sharon Kendall-Dunn, Private Citizen (2006)
    Vic Moss, Private Citizen (2005)
    Maureen Rank, Former IPA Executive Director
    Senator Tom Harkin, U.S. Senate
    Rep. Mark Smith, Iowa Legislature (2008)
    Charles Palmer, IDHS (2012)    
    Rep Dave Heaton (2014)
    Sen Pam Jochums (2014)
    Rep Linda Miller (2016)
    Sen Joe Bolkcom (2016)
    Hayward Draper (2019)
    Laura Steffensmeier, Iowa Psychology Board (2019)
    Sharon Dozier, Iowa Psychology Board (2019)

IPA Phil Laughlin Meritorious Achievement Award Recipients
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.

Previous recipients:

    Mary E. Jerkins, Ph.D.
    Rick Jennings, Ph.D.
    Jane Anderson, Ph.D. (2004)
    Thomas Hannum, Ph.D.
    Scott Shafer, Ph.D.
    James Marchman, Ph.D. (2002)
    Thomas Bartsch, Ph.D.
    Ursula Delworth, Ph.D.
    Sheila Pottebaum, Ph.D. (2003)
    John Tedesco, Ph.D.
    Arthur Benton, Ph.D.
    Ann Ernst, Ph.D. (2005)
    Philip Laughlin, Ph.D.
    Richard Whittlesey, Ph.D.
    David Christiansen, Ph.D. (2006)
    Deems Ortega, Ph.D.
    Samuel Graham, Ph.D.
    Elizabeth Lonning, Ph.D. (2007)
    Hope Solomons, Ph.D.
    Phil Lonning, Ph.D.
    Carole Kazmierski, Ph.D. (2008)
    Dave McEchron, Ph.D.
    Joyce Keen, Ph.D.
    Eva Christiansen, Ph.D. (2009)
    Michele Greiner, Ph.D. (2010)
    Don Damsteegt, Ph.D. (2011)
    Robert R. Hutzell, Ph.D. (2012)
    No nominee (2013)
    Warren Phillips, Ph.D. (2014)
    Norm Scott, Ph.D. (2018)
    Stewart Ehly, Ph.D. (2019)
    Jim Thorpe, PsyD (2020)

Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award Recipients
The Psychologically Healthy Workplace program is supported by the American Psychological Association and was created to recognize businesses and organizations which have demonstrated a commitment to the psychological health and the well-being of their employees. The Iowa Psychological Foundation recognizes the close interaction of psychological health and work performance in its mission: "The IPF promotes awareness and application of psychological principles to enhance the quality of life and healthy behavior for all Iowans." The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards will be given for newly created programs that have been implemented in the year 2003. The award will be available for large and small businesses and for nonprofit organizations.

Previous Recipients:
        
    2011: Iowa Disability Determination Service Bureau
    2010: Des Moines University
    2009: Village Northwest Unlimited
    2007: Mercy Medical Center
    2005: Great River Health Systems
    2004: Hospice of Central Iowa; Metal Craft, Inc.; Russell Construction
    2003: Schafer Systems; Broadlawns; UI Worklife Program; Iowa Hospital Association
    2002: Alliant Energy; Communications Data Service; Mercy Medical Center of North Iowa; Schafer Systems

 Ann Ernst Public Service Award Recipients
The Ann Ernst Public Service award honors a psychologist, active or retired, who has made on a pro bono basis, significant contributions of a psychological nature that have benefited society as a whole. The contribution(s) may have been a single major contribution or reflect a consistent history of volunteer service to the community at large.

Previous Recipients:

    2018: Dr. Robert Hutzell and Dr. Holly Sanger
    2017: Sam Graham, Ph.D.
    2016: Gregorio Febbraro, Ph.D.  (Posthumous)
    2013: Philip R. Laughlin, Ph.D.
    2012: Phyllis Hansell, Ed.D.
    2010: Darshan Singh, Ed.D.; Michael Rosmann, Ph.D.
    2008: Charles McDonald, M.A.
    2006: Ann Ernst, Ph.D.

Michelle Greiner Early Career Psychologist Service Award
This award honors an early career psychologist who has made significant contributions, of a psychological nature, and that have benefited our field at the local or national level. The contribution(s) may have been a single major contribution or reflect a consistent history of service to the field of Psychology and/or the community at large. Recipients of this award must be someone who is an active member and has demonstrated active participation in the Iowa Psychological Association during their career. The letter of nomination will be distributed to Executive Council. They, in turn, may select a person to receive the award, which may be given annually at the Fall (or Spring) Conference.  The Elections/Honors Task Force and the Executive Director will be responsible for ordering an appropriate award.

Previous Recipients:

    2019: Benjamin Tallman, Ph.D. and Joyce Goins-Fernandez, Ph.D.
    2018: Dr. Kayla Davidson
    2016:  Amanda Johnson, Ph.D., and Jennifer Kauder, Ph.D.

Karl F. Heiser APA Presidential Award for Advocacy

The Karl F. Heiser Award honors those psychologists who have given voluntarily of their time to define the discipline of psychology statutorily by state and federal laws and regulations through advocacy. Such laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, licensure, freedom of choice, Medicare, Medicaid, Workers Compensation, disability determination,
mandatory mental health/substance abuse coverage, civil commitment, hospital practice, prescriptive authority, child protection and elder protection, etc. Advocacy efforts that have stopped the passage of laws inimical to psychology may also be recognized.

Previous Recipients:
    1993:  Rick Jennings Ph.D. & Craig Rypma
    1995:  Deems Ortega, Ph.D.
    1996:  Dave McEchron
    2000:  Sheila Pottebaum
    2006:  Rachel Heiss
    2016:  Elizabeth Lonning, Psy.D.; Brenda Payne, Ph.D., and Gregorio Febbraro, Ph.D.  (Posthumous)  

APA Division 31 (State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs Psychologist of the Year

Previous Recipients:

     2016:  Elizabeth Lonning, Psy.D.


IPA won the 2010 Outstanding State, Provincial, or Territorial Psychological Association Award in recognition of superior performance in promoting graduate student development, involvement, and joint APAGS STPA membership. This was awarded by The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS), the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP), and Division 31 (State Psychological Association Affairs).