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Leighton Whitaker Memorial Scholarship AwardThe Leighton Whitaker Memorial Scholarship Award honors outstanding scholarly work that significantly contributes to the field of college and university counseling. Presented annually at the AUCCCD Conference, this award recognizes theoretical or empirical research that advances the understanding and practice of student mental health and development. 2026 nominations are now closed.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination. Jump to: Purpose | Eligibility & Criteria | About Leighton Whitaker | Past Recipients PurposeThis award celebrates the legacy of Dr. Leighton Whitaker by promoting and recognizing impactful research and publications that directly support the work of counseling center professionals and the well-being of students in higher education. Award PresentationRecipients will be recognized at a business meeting during the 2026 AUCCCD Conference in Pittsburgh, receive a commemorative plaque, and be celebrated through a formal announcement to their institution and the broader AUCCCD community. Eligibility & CriteriaFor the 2026 award, nominated work was required to:
Nomination Requirements2026 nominations included:
Self-nominations were welcome.
About Leighton Whitaker
A Ph.D. from Wayne State University and a diplomate in clinical psychology, he directed three psychological services: at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; the University of Massachusetts Amherst; and Swarthmore College. His more than 90 publications focused on social justice, college student suicide, understanding and preventing violence, and schizophrenic thinking. He chaired ACHA's mental health section and edited a second journal, Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry. Known for his empathy and staunch support of the downtrodden, he fought to introduce an "empathic ward" to replace the prison-like conditions he encountered on a psychiatric ward, and he developed a comprehensive community mental health center in response to the institutionalized "poverty, racism and urbanism" he observed while working side-by-side with oppressed workers at an oil refinery. At a baseball tryout in Florida for the Cincinnati Reds system — he was a talented pitcher — it was Lee, typically, who broke protocol by going to the back of the bus to talk to the African-American players and to the bleachers to talk to Black fans. Those who were lucky enough to know him remember his kindness, ethical passion, marvelous stories, warm laugh, and, of course, his improbable quarter-century tenure at the helm of the Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, an invaluable publication expressly dedicated to the themes and issues of college counseling centers. All of us in college counseling and college mental health are in his debt. Past Recipients2025 Scholarship AwardLynn Braun and Marcus Hotaling for the article written by Kimberly Gorman, David Walden, Lynn Braun, and Marcus Hotaling 2024 Scholarship AwardThe Work of College Counseling Centers in the Early 21st Century What's Going on Around Here?: Applying a Develpomental Perspective to the Mental Health Crisis in Higher Education 2023 Scholarship AwardContextualizing Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Asian Americans 2021 Scholarship AwardThe Intersection between Leadership and Identity: Managing as a Counseling Center Director of Color 2019 Scholarship AwardPollard, J.W., Disabato, D.J., Polychronis, P.D., & Scalora, M.J. (2019). Counseling Center Clinicians Experience Providing Assessments of Risk to Self versus Risk to Others, The Journal of College Student Psychotherapy. DOI: 10.1080/87568225.2019.1574215 Troester, K. (2019). Food Insecurity, Inadequate Childcare, & Transportation Disadvantage: Student Retention and Persistence of Community College Students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2019.1627956 2018 Scholarship AwardStanford, J. and Manese, J.E. (2018). Administrative supervision: Attending to diversity in difficult times. Cases in multicultural supervision: Lenses, model and application. Manese, J.E. and Burnes, T.R. (Eds.). Cognella Pubs: San Diego, CA 2017 Scholarship AwardAuthors and various chapters in: Mental Health: New Directors for Student Services. New York: Jossey-Bass 2016 Scholarship AwardThe Role of Threat Assessment and Management in College Counseling Centers: How's that net working? 2015 Scholarship AwardSuicide Prevention with Diverse College Students 2014 Scholarship AwardThe Utility of an Efficient Outcome Assessment System at University Counseling Centers 2013 Scholarship AwardEvaluating Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training in a college setting 2012 Scholarship AwardDifferences in suicidal experiences of male and female undergraduate and graduate students 2011 Scholarship AwardTreatment of Bipolar Disorder: In The University Student Population 2009 Scholarship AwardTragedy at Virginia Tech: Trauma and Its Aftermath 2008 Scholarship AwardManaging Violent and Other Troubling Students: The Role of Threat Assessment Teams on Campus 2006 Scholarship AwardAchieving Social Justice for College Women with Disabilities AUCCCD AwardsLearn more about AUCCCD awards and recognition opportunities through the related award pages. Questions? Contact the AUCCCD Office. |
Leighton (Lee) Whitaker was the founder and, for 25 years, editor of the AUCCCD-sponsored Journal of College Student Psychotherapy. Dr. Whitaker made numerous contributions to psychology and was a seminal influence on college counseling centers and college mental health.