Cal State San Bernardino professor of psychology Jodie Ullman was recently honored with the Western Psychological Association’s (WPA) Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the lifetime of outstanding achievements in teaching, research and professional involvement by a WPA member.

“I’m so honored to receive this award; it just seems unreal! It is a wonderful recognition of my professional accomplishments,” Ullman said. “I look at past awardees and feel so privileged to be a part of the group. My colleagues in the psychology department and the university have always been incredibly supportive. I could not have achieved this honor without all of their support and encouragement throughout the years. I believe that when any one of us succeeds, we all succeed, so I share this award with them!”  

Ullman, a quantitative psychologist who earned her Ph.D. in measurement and psychometrics from UCLA, has been a professor of psychology at CSUSB for 26 years.

“This award is an acknowledgement of what I have known about Dr. Ullman since my arrival at CSUSB in 2015,” said Rafik Mohamed, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, where the psychology department is housed. “She has consistently demonstrated the deepest dedication to our students and campus, her scholarship, and the broader professional community in psychology. I could not be happier for her or think of a more fitting recognition.”

Christina Hassija, psychology department chair, said, “Dr. Ullman’s contributions to the field of psychology are remarkable and I cannot think of anyone more fitting for this recognition. Dr. Ullman has made considerable contributions to the field of quantitative psychology and has dedicated her career to service and leadership both as a faculty and as a professional. She has also served as a mentor to countless students, faculty, and colleagues at CSUSB and within the broader field of psychology, and her legacy will carry on. We are so proud of her many accomplishments and this incredible recognition.”

She has been a member of WPA since 1988 when she made her first poster presentation as a graduate student. Since then, she has been extensively involved in WPA leadership, serving as program chair, statistics workshop coordinator, secretary/treasurer, and president. She was awarded Fellow status in 2012, received the Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012 and received the Distinguished Service Award in 2016. She was appointed executive director of the organization in November 2021.

The WPA — which includes Canada, the western United States and Hawaii — was founded in 1921 to stimulate the exchange of scientific and professional ideas and to enhance interest in the processes of research and scholarship in the behavioral sciences. 

Ullman has also been a member of the American Psychology Association (APA) since she was a graduate student in 1992 and has served and chaired several of the association’s committees.

She has been honored with the APA’s prestigious fellow status in recognition of her teaching and writing, which has had a national impact in the field of psychology. Her writing has been cited more than 11,200 times and is required reading at many universities in the United States and internationally.

She has held a number of leadership positions at CSUSB, serving as a special assistant to the provost and as chair of the Faculty Senate. In addition, she served on the Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) from 2011 to 2020 and was recognized with a commendation for her service.