Dr. David Myers of the Hope College psychology faculty is being honored by two national professional associations in recognition of his service to the field of psychology and behavioral understanding.
He has been honored for his career contributions by the FABBS (Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences) Foundation. He is being celebrated on the FABBS Foundation website during October through the foundation's "In Honor Of" program, which recognizes eminent, senior scientists who have made important and lasting contributions to the sciences of mind, brain and behavior. An extended biographical sketch on the site outlines Myers's accomplishments and contributions to the field.
The FABBS Foundation Board selects the honorees based on nominations by their professional peers. Nearly 50 scientists have been recognized through the program. Myers is the only honoree from a liberal arts college.
Myers has also been named the 2011 recipient of "The Award for Distinguished Service on Behalf of Social-Personality Psychology" by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP). The society's Executive Committee chose him in recognition of his many contributions to the field of social and personality psychology, and to psychology more generally.
He will receive the SPSP award during the organization's annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, in January.
Myers, who has been at Hope since 1967, is a social psychologist and communicator of psychological science to college students and the general public. A professor of psychology, he held an endowed professorship at the college, as the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology, from 1982 to 2007.
His scientific writings, supported by National Science Foundation grants and fellowships and recognized by the Gordon Allport Prize, have appeared in three dozen academic periodicals, including "Science," the "American Scientist," the "American Psychologist" and "Psychological Science." He has digested psychological research for the public through articles in four dozen magazines, from "Scientific American" to "Christian Century." His 17 books include best-selling psychology texts----some in their eighth, ninth or 10th edition--and general-audience books on happiness, intuition, spirituality and his experience with hearing loss.
He has been committed to helping those with hearing loss by spearheading new hearing-loop technology which broadcasts public-address systems, television and telephone sounds directly to hearing aids, doubling their functionality. His advocacy has included creating the website www.hearingloop.org. He received an award from the Grand Rapids Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America on Monday, June 15, 2009, during the group's Fifth Anniversary Celebration.
Myers completed his bachelor's degree at Whitworth College, and his master's and doctorate at the University of Iowa. He holds honorary degrees from Northwestern College, Whitworth College and Central College.
Organized in 1980, FABBS is a coalition of scientific societies that share an interest in advancing the sciences of mind, brain and behavior, seeking to promote human potential and well-being through research knowledge gained from those sciences. FABBS established the foundation in 2004. The foundation's recognition of Myers is online at www.fabbs.org/fabbs-foundation/honoring-our-scientists/in-honor-of-david...
The SPSP was founded in 1974, when the leadership of Division 8 of the American Psychological Association decided to incorporate as an independent organization. Today, SPSP includes more than 5,000 members from around the world who study a wide array of subfields.
More information about Myers and his work can be found at his website, www.davidmyers.org. The site www.hearingloss.org features information about hearing loop technology, including lists of looped facilities in the Holland-Zeeland, Grand Rapids and Grand Haven/Muskegon areas.