2025 Irene E. Harms Graduate Scholarship Award Recipient Announced

We are pleased to announce the 2025 Irene E. Harms Graduate Scholarship Award recipient: Hunter Mattern, a Developmental Psychology graduate student.

Hunter, a fourth-year graduate student, focuses on the social challenges faced by autistic individuals and developing strength-based approaches to foster positive social relationships. Her mentor is Suzy Scherf, Ph.D. Hunter received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Mount Union and a master’s degree in experimental psychology from Saint Joseph’s University. Working with Dr. Scherf at Penn State, Hunter has helped advance knowledge on social attention and self-report discrepancies in autistic youth and their parents. Hunter also works with Dr. Witherspoon where she is gaining qualitative and community-informed research methods experience. The Irene E. Harms Award will provide Hunter with the means to initiate an independent, community-engaged research project that explores whether fostering a sense of belonging among college students with autism is associated with positive outcomes. Hunter aims to create practical, evidence-supported programs informed by the autistic community.

The Irene E. Harms Award recognizes the outstanding academic potential of students who strive for academic excellence in one or more of three areas of child psychology: translational science, community-engaged research, and outreach to communities. Translational science includes research that bridges basic science and real-world applications and includes policy research. Child Clinical and Developmental graduate students in the Department of Psychology can apply for the award, which provides $4000 to be used for a variety of research-related activities and costs for translational and/or community-engaged research, and/or for community outreach.

Please join us in congratulating Hunter!