UCF Psychology

Department of Psychology Recognition Announcements

We are pleased to share several recent recognitions from the Department of Psychology celebrating excellence in teaching, innovation, and research, including the TONI Awards (Teaching, Outreach, and New Instructional Innovation) for excellence in teaching and course design, and the OSCAR Award (Outstanding Scholarly Contributions and Academic Research) for impactful research and scholarly achievement.

A TONI for High-Impact or High-Quality Instruction Awarded to Dr. Chrysalis L. Wright for the High-Impact Research-Intensive designations in two large Psychology courses. She implements innovative practices that ensure students in large classes gain meaningful, hands-on research experience. Her continued goal is to extend Research-Intensive designations across most of her courses, regardless of size or modality.

A TONI for Successful Course Design, Redesign, Transformation, or Innovation Awarded to Dr. Karen Mottarella for developing and teaching a web-based course to train Psychology Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs). The course covers professionalism, assessment and grading, and discussion facilitation, while also supporting professional identity development through resume-based articulation of UTA responsibilities. This course has been adopted across the department to ensure consistency in UTA training.

OSCAR Award Awarded to Dr. Mengzhen Lim for contributions to research on corruption and bribery, romantic relationships, sexual behavior, and technology-mediated social interaction. His work has resulted in eight publications over the past two years and includes active international collaborations with scholars and trainees in the UK, Malaysia, Japan, and Bangladesh.

In the group photo, from left: Dr. Mark Neider (Department Chair), Dr. Chrysalis L. Wright (TONI recipient), Dr. Karen Mottarella (TONI recipient), Dr. Mengzhen Lim (OSCAR recipient), and Dr. Joshua Colwell (Dean of the College of Science).

Congratulations to all awardees for their outstanding contributions to teaching, innovation, and research!

What does effective teamwork look like amid uncertainty? UCF I-O Psych grad students took learning beyond the classroom at The Escape Ventures Orlando to find out. Tackling escape room puzzles and observing their peers from behind the scenes, students examined team processes like coordination and leadership as they emerged. One game, Outage, is played in complete darkness and offered the perfect example of how critical it is for teams to communicate clearly. A huge thanks to The Escape Ventures Orlando management team and UCF alum Cam Genest for making this experience possible!

Hey psych majors! Thinking about studying abroad? 🌍 Spend the summer in Costa Rica taking Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the International Center in San Jose! The class will be working with Johnson Controls and Starbucks.
⏳ Apply before February 15!

🚀 As we close out UCF Space Week, the Department of Psychology is celebrating our faculty who are making strides in the aerospace field!
Congratulations to Dr. Peter Hancock, Pegasus Professor, Provost Distinguished Research Professor, and Trustee Chair in the Department of Psychology, on being elected into the Class of 2026 Associate Fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)!
AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace technical society, advancing the fields of aviation, space, and defense through innovation, research, and collaboration.
Dr. Hancock, whose work spans psychology, engineering, and simulation, is a leading scholar in human factors, ergonomics, and human–machine systems. With over 1,100 scientific publications and decades of directing research on stress, workload, and performance under extreme conditions, his current work explores human interaction with technology in high-stress environments and the contextual issues on perception and action.
🎉 Congratulations, Dr. Hancock, on this well-deserved recognition!

🚀 For , the College of Sciences is celebrating the faculty who are making strides in the aerospace field!

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Hancock, Pegasus Professor, Provost Distinguished Research Professor, and Trustee Chair in the Department of Psychology, on being elected into the Class of 2026 Associate Fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)!

AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace technical society, advancing the fields of aviation, space, and defense through innovation, research, and collaboration.

Dr. Hancock, whose work spans psychology, engineering, and simulation, is a leading scholar in human factors, ergonomics, and human–machine systems. With over 1,100 scientific publications and decades of directing research on stress, workload, and performance under extreme conditions, his current work explores human interaction with technology in high-stress environments and the contextual issues on perception and action.

🎉 Congratulations, Dr. Hancock, on this well-deserved recognition!

Calling all psychology students! 🌍 Study Abroad in Finland!
Spend 2 weeks next summer exploring Finland’s education system, with a special focus on early childhood education.
✅ Open to Freshmen through Seniors
📅 Deadline: November 15
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity! Apply today!

As UCF dares to boldly invent the future as Florida's next-generation preeminent university, we are powered by the largest department by enrollment, the Department of Psychology! Please follow our new page for exciting updates and news about our thousands of alumni and faculty and student research and innovation. We shine brighter because of you! 🌟