Hannah Weisman of the Gevirtz School at UC Santa Barbara was presented the 2012 American Psychological Foundation (APF) Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship. The Franks Scholarship promotes the application of psychology toward the mitigation of the stigma of mental illness through support of promising graduate students.
The American Psychological Foundation provides financial support for innovative research and programs that enhance the power of psychology to elevate the human condition and advance human potential both now and in generations to come. Since 1953, the APF has supported innovative research, scholarships and projects for students and early career psychologists, working to make a difference in people's lives.
Hannah Weisman began her doctoral program in UCSB's Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology in 2011. Her interests include eating disorders prevention, stigma reduction, and developing and testing school-based mental health programs that have potential for widespread dissemination. Weisman will use her Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship to evaluate a school-based intervention that seeks to reduce stigma and improve children's knowledge of mental illness. The program, called Mental Health Matters, is geared toward sixth graders and educates students about mental health issues.