Dustin Wygant, assistant professor of psychology at Eastern Kentucky University, has been selected as the 2010 John E. Exner Scholar by the Society for Personality Assessment.

The award honors the memory of John E. Exner, Ph.D., a pioneer in personality assessment, by supporting the research of a young personality assessor. Exner was committed to advancing the science of personality assessment by empirical research in the development and application of assessment instruments.

This award – only one is given each year – honors that commitment by recognizing and supporting a young investigator examining any method of personality assessment.

The Exner Scholar receives an honorarium to help defray the expenses of her or his research, but the award is not a grant for a specific project. Nominees for the award must have obtained their terminal degree, but must be no more than five years past the receipt of that degree.

SPA is dedicated to the development of methods of personality assessment, the advancement of research on their effectiveness, the exchange of ideas about the theory and practice of assessment, and the promotion of the applied practice of personality assessment.

With 1,500 international members, the Society is the largest organization in the world with this focus. Membership is varied and includes clinicians in private practice, forensic assessors, researchers in private and public setting, and educators in academic settings.

Wygant, who is a licensed psychologist in Kentucky and Ohio, joined the Eastern faculty in August. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Kent State University.