Rice University’s expert receives American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology
Eduardo Salas, professor and chair of Rice University’s Department of Psychological Sciences, is a 2023 recipient of the American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology.
The award (previously known as the Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement) recognizes the work of a psychologist or group of psychologists that is impactful, innovative and transformational. It can be given either for a body of work in a particular field that has led to change or for moment-in-time “game-changers.”
Salas was nominated for his sustained record of outstanding contributions to the field of team science and translation of that knowledge into practice to address some of the most critical issues facing society.
“His body of work is an exemplar for what it means to be transformational,” wrote Pat DeLucia, a professor of psychological sciences and associate dean of research in Rice’s School of Social Sciences, who nominated Salas for the honor.
“Eduardo is not just a top-notch scholar but also a terrific mentor, colleague and longtime chair of Psychological Sciences,” said Rachel Kimbro, dean of Rice’s School of Social Sciences. “I’m thrilled that his many contributions to the discipline are being recognized in this way.”
“I am really honored to receive this recognition,” Salas said. “Making a difference with our organizational science has always been my goal and passion. This is very fulfilling. My sincere thanks to Pat for the nomination and my colleagues who supported it.”
Salas will be honored at the 2023 American Psychological Association Convention Aug. 3-5 in Washington, D.C. His prize includes a $1,000 cash award and $1,000 travel stipend.
A prolific and influential researcher with more than 650 published papers, Salas also has two authored books and 37 edited books. His work has been cited more than 120,000 times. His research focuses on uncovering what facilitates teamwork and team effectiveness in organizations; how and why team training works; how to optimize simulation-based training; how to design, implement and evaluate training and development systems; and generating evidence-based guidance for those in practice.