Doctoral Student Receives Innovation Research Award from American Psychological Association, Appointed to Faculty Position at West Virigina University

Doctoral student Matias Avellaneda, who studies behavior analysis in the Psychology Department at Utah State University (USU), recently received the Division 25 Innovation Research Award from the American Psychological Association (APA)—a competitive national award recognizing outstanding graduate student research in the field of behavior analysis.

“I’ve always felt good about the direction of my research, but it can be hard to know whether the work you’re doing is truly meaningful beyond your own expectations,” he shared. “Receiving this award has reassured me that my research is contributing something of real value to the field and that the questions I’m asking matter.”

Avellaneda’s award recognizes his research focused on decision-making mechanisms. During his master’s thesis, he used animal models placed in chambers with two levers—each representing a different activity—to study how long animals engaged in one option before switching to another.

This work laid the foundation for his dissertation, where he expanded the model to include a third lever, or activity. By adding this additional choice, Avellaneda aims to better understand how animals decide where to go after leaving their current activity. 

“We rarely have only two options in life,” Avellaneda explained. “By studying situations with more than one possible choice, we can better understand how decisions unfold in everyday settings and what that reveals about human behavior.”

Avellaneda's work recently received a commendation for dissertation excellence by his review committee. He plans to continue this line of research in his new role at West Virginia University (WVU) as an assistant professor in the university’s behavior analysis program.

“I feel very honored to be joining WVU. It feels like a culmination of years of hard work,” he shared. “While at WVU, I will continue studying how animals make decisions, and I also plan to explore other areas including how animals look for food and how they adapt to change.”

Avellaneda will start his new position in Fall 2026 after graduating this summer. He expressed gratitude for his experiences at USU and for the guidance of his faculty mentor, Tim Shahan, Ph.D., professor of psychology.

“I can’t imagine a better mentor,” Avellaneda said. “Tim always provided the right amount of guidance—enough that I wasn’t lost, but not so much that I wasn’t independent. That independence has prepared me for a faculty role and motivates me to support future students.”