Sarah Schillinger Awarded 2023 Psychology Excellence Prize

Jun 5, 2023

A young woman in a dress stands outdoors and smiles while holding a large plaque engraved with many names.

Schillinger ’23 pictured with the plaque honoring Grinnell's Psychology Excellence Prize winners. The plaque is on display year round in the Psychology Commons of the Noyce Science Center.

The Grinnell College Department of Psychology faculty have awarded Sarah Schillinger ’23 the 2023 Psychology Excellence Prize. The prize is awarded annually to a graduating psychology major who demonstrated notable commitment to and voluntary engagement with the values of the discipline.

In her time at Grinnell, Schillinger displayed deep commitment to the values of psychology. For four years, she served as a researcher in Grinnell’s cognitive development lab. There, her initiative and skills contributed significantly to both the lab’s development and its research on preschool children’s peer relations. As a fourth-year student, Schillinger designed and completed an ambitious Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) exploring the language development and scene knowledge of children. This project required her to master impressive language and eye tracking methodology. Schillinger has also mentored students in introductory psychology courses and served as president of Grinnell’s chapter of Psi Chi, organizing chapter activities and outreach.

Schillinger’s leadership extends beyond the department community: she has served many families as a preschool teaching assistant at the Grinnell College Preschool. Over several summers, Schillinger worked as a linguistics and research communication research assistant at the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. There, she’s studied connections between early language and autism, work that will hopefully allow for earlier autism diagnoses and interventions.

“The department is impressed by Schillinger’s engagement in psychology and in the community, her strong work ethic, and her wonderful attitude in working with us and with her fellow psychology majors,” says Ann Ellis, Professor & Chair of Psychology.

The Department of Psychology thanks Schillinger for the positive impact she made while a student at Grinnell and wishes her well in all her future endeavors.

Schillinger received a letter and an honorarium from the department, and her name appears alongside past Psychology Excellence Prize winners on an engraved plaque displayed in the Psychology Commons of the Noyce Science Center.

Past Psychology Excellence Prize Winners

2022: Charles Peppers
2021: Samuel Rueter
2020: Miho Tatsuki
2019: Maisie Grace Lewis
2019: Nicole Susan Carver
2018: Lauren Patrice Hurley
2018: Helena Frances Alacha
2017: Samantha R. Fitzsimmons-Schoenberger
2016: Angela Mae Bowles Edwards
2015: Emily Lynn Twedell
2014: Claire Yiting Tseng
2013: Jennifer Raffety Peek
2012: Jian Ming Colin Wee
2011: Scott Martin Phillips
2010 Megan Elizabeth McDoniel
2009: Paul Frederick Kramer
2008: Graciela Patricia Paz Arias
2007: Samantha Lee Worzalla
2006: Jessica Rae Peltan
2005: Alissa C. Briggs