Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia professor of psychology Josh Miller was awarded the 2016 Theodore Millon Award in Personality Psychology from the American Psychological Foundation.
The annual award honors an outstanding early- to mid-career psychologist engaged in advancing the science of personality psychology including the areas of personality, personality theory, personality disorders and personality measurement, according to the foundation.
As director of clinical training in the UGA department of psychology, Miller has focused his research on the idea that personality disorders can be conceived of, assessed and diagnosed using general trait models of personality—an approach that is now being recognized in the major psychiatric manuals used across the world.
Miller has applied this idea broadly but with a specific focus on psychopathic and narcissistic disorders. For instance, his research has helped delineate the core trait components of psychopathy and narcissism, and demonstrated the substantial heterogeneity that exists within conceptualizations of narcissism.
“I was thrilled to learn of this award and appreciate the recognition of the American Psychological Foundation,” Miller said. “It is an honor to receive an award named after one of the most important scholars in the history of the study of personality disorders.”
Millon, who died in 2014, was a prolific writer who penned many scholarly books and articles and contributed to multiple editions of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” which is used in clinical and research settings around the world. He became the founding editor of the Journal of Personality Disorders and the inaugural president of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders.
“It is great to see a recent Creative Research Medal winner like Josh receive national recognition for his work in personality psychology,” said Keith Campbell, a professor and psychology department head. “This shows that UGA’s best can compete successfully with the best in the nation and reinforces the strong international reputation of our department of psychology.”
For more information on UGA’s department of psychology, visit http://psychology.uga.edu/.