UW Psychology Professor Receives Excellence in Rural Psychology Award

Catherine Phillips Carrico, clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychology and associate director of the Wyoming Center on Aging at the University of Wyoming, is the recipient of the American Psychological Association (APA) Excellence in Rural Psychology Award.

The national award recognizes psychologists whose careers have significantly advanced the health and well-being of rural and frontier communities through leadership, innovation, service, education, research and advocacy.

Carrico co-leads one of the nation’s federally funded Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Programs. In this role, she has become a driving force behind statewide initiatives that strengthen behavioral health, healthcare access, caregiver support and workforce capacity in rural and Indigenous communities.

Additionally, she leads Wyoming’s Healthy U Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, which has expanded evidence-based health education to 20 of Wyoming’s 23 counties through a statewide network of more than 100 trained peer leaders. These programs improve chronic disease management while addressing social isolation, caregiver burden, self-efficacy and behavioral health resilience among older adults.

In UW’s ECHO in Geriatrics, Carrico has pioneered innovative uses of telementoring technology for Wyoming healthcare professionals, as well as in the Wyoming Dementia Together Caregiver Network, providing education, consultation and psychosocial support to family caregivers who often face significant geographic barriers to care.

She has served for 10 years on the board of the National Association for Geriatric Education and currently serves as president of the Board of Directors. Additionally, Carrico has contributed to numerous national initiatives focused on aging, dementia care, Indigenous health and workforce development. This contribution is exemplified by her appointment to the leadership committee for the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Alzheimer’s Association’s Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples.

For more than a decade, Carrico has dedicated her career to improving access to behavioral healthcare, chronic disease management, caregiver support, workforce development and telehealth services for older adults living in rural and frontier communities.

Her work has strengthened healthcare systems across Wyoming by expanding evidence-based programming, building sustainable community partnerships and developing innovative workforce training models that improve care for historically underserved populations.

The APA Excellence in Rural Psychology Award recognizes psychologists whose careers exemplify outstanding dedication to improving the lives of individuals living in rural and remote communities by transforming healthcare delivery and improving quality of life for rural Americans.

For more information about Carrico’s work, email her at ccarrico@uwyo.edu.