Harold Yuker Award for Research Excellence 

This annual award is given to the first author of the best paper published in the journal Rehabilitation Psychology during the previous year. As a researcher, Dr. Yuker focused primarily on attitudes toward and perceptions of individuals with disabilities.

Past Awardees:

1994: Roger Rape, Joseph Bush & Lesley Slavin (paper appeared in 1992)

1995: Stephanie Hanson, Susan Buckelew, etc. (appeared in 1993)

1996: William Fals-Stewart & Stephen Lucente (1994)

1997: Dan Clay et al. (1995) & Kathie Chwalisz (1996)

1998: Charles Bombardier (1997), Darlene Hawkins & Allen Heinemann (1998)

1999: Not awarded

2000: Charles Callahan (1999)

2001: Not awarded

2002: Not awarded

2003: Arne Eide & Espen Roysamb

2004: Nicholas Doninger

2005: John M. Chaney

2006: Gail M. Williamson

2007: Amy Latimer

2008: Shelly Wiechman Askay

2009: Dana Dunn

2010: Richard Shultz

2011: Terri deRoon-Cassini

2012: Joseph F. Rath

2013: Not awarded

2014: Not awarded

2015: Not awarded

2016: Mark Sherer

2017: Kimberley Monden

2018: Anxiety, Depression, and Function in Individuals with Chronic Physical Conditions: A Longitudinal Analysis
Samuel L. Battalio

2019: #SaytheWord: A Disability Culture Commentary on the Erasure of “Disability” Erin E. Andrews, Anjali J. Fober-Pratt, Linda R, Mona, Emily M. Lund, Carrie R, Pilarski & Rochelle Balter

2020: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Stress and Coping Strategies in Individuals with Disabilities and Chronic Conditions
Emre Umucu & Beatrice Lee

2021: Suicidal Ideation after Acute Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model of Patients and Caregivers in Latin America Grace B. McKee, Paul B. Perrin, Yaneth Rodriguez-Agudelo, Silvia Leonor Olivera Plaza, Maria Cristina Quijano-Martinez, Duygu Kuzu, Chimdindu Ohayagha, Mickeal Pugh Jr., & Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla

2022: A Meta-Synthesis of Individual, Interpersonal, and Systemic Factors Impacting Resilience After Traumatic Brain Injury
Sarah M. Bannon, Nathan S. Fishbein, Brenda C. Lovette, Katherine Wang, Camden Waterhouse, Caitlin E. Rajala, Helena Costantini, Kaitlyn H. Lichstein, Joseph T. Giacino, Ana-Maria Vvanceanu, & Jonathan Greenberg

As Dr. Yuker once explained, "Attitudes toward disabled persons are complex and multifaceted. Many perspectives are possible. Data indicates that it is difficult to measure, change, and even to understand attitudes toward disabled persons. Even though these things are difficult, they must be done in order to improve the quality of life and status of persons with disabilities." 

 Dr. Harold E. Yuker was born in Newark, New Jersey on April 15, 1924, with cerebral palsy. His motto was, "The most important thing for a disabled person is to learn to get along in a non-disabled world." At the time of his death in 1997, Dr. Yuker was a distinguished professor of psychology and a founding director of the Center for the Study of Attitudes Toward Persons With Disabilities.