A committee of University of Wyoming Student Alumni Association members has selected Brett Deacon, Department of Psychology associate professor, as this year’s Outstanding Faculty Award recipient.
The award recognizes faculty members who are “dedicated to student success and who make significant impacts in students’ lives.”
Annie Zhang of Laramie, who is scheduled to graduate this spring, nominated Deacon for the award. She has been one of Deacon’s students and also was an undergraduate researcher.
“I have had the pleasure of taking two of (Deacon’s) classes and conducting research in his lab for three years,” says Zhang. “With an average acceptance rate of 7 percent, the research-oriented, clinical psychology Ph.D. program is the most difficult graduate program in which to gain admission. It was to the amazement of many that I was able to receive acceptance as an undergraduate, without any additional research experience. The reason I have been able to accomplish this enormous goal is because of Dr. Deacon.”
She continues, “Professor Deacon goes above and beyond anyone’s expectations in helping his students, academically, professionally and personally. He inspires passion for his field, and leads by example to show us how to become successful, fearless and honest teachers, researchers and therapists.”
Deacon describes his main area of study as clinical psychology, specifically the nature and treatment of anxiety disorders.
He joined the UW faculty in 2004. He completed his undergraduate studies at Truman State University in Missouri and received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northern Illinois University in 2002.
