York University Professor Thomas Teo in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, has won the 2022 Joseph B. Gittler Award for scholarly contributions to the philosophical foundations of psychological knowledge from the American Psychological Foundation.
The award was established through a bequest from Joseph Gittler, PhD, who wished to recognize psychologists who are making and will continue to make scholarly contributions to the philosophical foundations of psychological knowledge. Applicants must demonstrate contributions to the philosophical foundations of psychology, particularly over the last five to 10 years.
The award includes a $4,000 prize.
“Discerning the nexus of ontology and epistemology is foundational to progress in any science. And, it is most complex in psychology, owing to the mind/body duality of psychology’s subject matter. I can think of no living psychologist who has done more to advance this foundational philosophical work than Thomas Teo, who has devoted his three-decade career to illuminating the complex nature of psychological kinds and their epistemic implications,” said Barbara S. Held, psychology professor at Bowdoin College, in her nomination letter. “Because he has shed considerable light on this matter, it is with enormous pleasure that I nominate and recommend him most strongly for the 2022 APF Joseph B. Gittler Award.”
Teo is a professor of psychology and has been active in the advancement of theoretical, critical and historical psychology throughout his professional career. His research has been meta-psychological to provide a more reflexive understanding of the foundations, trajectories, and possibilities of human subjectivity. He is co-editor of the Review of General Psychology (Sage), editor of the Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology, and co-editor of the Palgrave Studies in Indigenous Psychology. He is former president of the International Society for Theoretical Psychology, of the American Psychological Association’s Society of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology (Division 24), and former Chair of the History and Philosophy of Psychology section of the Canadian Psychological Association.
He has a research record with more than 200 academic publications and refereed conference presentations.
The American Psychological Foundation, affiliated with American Psychological Association, is a grant-making foundation that offers funding opportunities for psychologists and students using psychology to address major issues and improve lives.
Past recipients of this award include, among others, Daniel Kahneman (Princeton University) and Jerome S. Bruner (New York University).