Dr. Despina Stavrinos, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, has been selected to receive the Routh Early Career Award from the Society of Pediatric Psychology, which recognizes an early career member of the society who has made significant contributions to the field of pediatric psychology in research, clinical training and service.

Stavrinos studies distracted driving with particular attention to at-risk populations. She serves as the director of the Translational Research for Injury Prevention (TRIP) laboratory. The focus of the lab’s research is the prevention and control of unintentional injuries that result from motor vehicle crashes.

The TRIP lab offers students at various levels of training, from high school to postdoctoral, and from various disciplines the opportunity to conduct high-quality behavioral research. Since its establishment in 2009, nearly 100 students have been trained under Stavrinos’ mentorship.