Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez, a clinical psychology graduate student in the UA Department of Psychological Science, was awarded the Cynthia D. Belar Education Advocacy Distinguished Service Award at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Denver, Colorado.

This award is for psychology leaders whose contributions have significantly advanced psychology education/training through advocacy activities. Rodriguez was given this award in part for his work with the Graduate Psychology Education program, where he helped convinced members of Congress to increase federal funding for education, and for continued advocacy as part of the American Psychological Association's Minority Fellowship Program. This award has never been given to a graduate student before, so it is a truly noteworthy honor!

Rodriguez recently wrote a blog about his advocacy efforts and the value of policy to advance science: psychlearningcurve.org/dont-be-a-marshmallow.

The Department of Psychological Science at the University of Arkansas has twice been awarded Graduate Psychology Education grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Health Resources and Services Administration. The GPE director, Dr. Ana Bridges, Dr. Tim Cavell, and GPE trainees such as Rodriguez have visited with Arkansas senators and congresspeople on Capitol Hill for the past five years to encourage funding in graduate education.