TLU’s Dr. Scott Bailey has been named this year’s Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA) Fellow. SWPA, a nine-state affiliate of the American Psychological Association, has a mission to promote and strengthen scientific, promotional, and educational facets within the field of psychology, and the fellowship is the highest honor it can bestow. SWPA Fellows are chosen based upon significant contributions to the discipline of psychology.

“It was an honor to be named Fellow of the Southwestern Psychological Association,” says Bailey. “I’ve been involved with the organization for over a quarter-century. As a professional organization, it has provided many opportunities for development.” Over the years, Bailey has served as a state representative, conference chair, president, and has been on a host of ad hoc committees in support of the organization and its membership.

“SWPA began archiving programs online in 2009,” he explains. “Since then, TLU has had over 200 unique contributions to the organization’s annual program. As a student-friendly organization, we take pride in supporting strong student work.” Bailey goes on to say that despite TLU’s program being solely for undergraduates, they are routinely mistaken for graduate students by students and faculty from other institutions. “The networking TLU students do at SWPA often parlays into opportunities for collaborative cross-institutional research and/or graduate study opportunities.”

Dr. Bailey is department chair and professor of Psychology, and director of TLU’s Integrated Science and Honors programs.