Assistant Professor of Psychology Thomas P. Le has been awarded the 2024 Asian American Psychological Association’s (AAPA) Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research.
Given to one researcher per year, the award recognizes contributions to the field of Asian American Psychology from a psychologist early in their career who has demonstrated achievement in the development or advancement of psychological theories in Asian American psychology and/or has made noteworthy research contributions that further the knowledge base of Asian American psychology. They were honored during the Awards Banquet at the annual AAPA convention held in October 2024
Le is a counseling psychologist who integrates cultural and clinical psychology perspectives into their work. Within a liberation psychology and intersectional framework, the goal of their research is to understand both the individual and structural factors that promote mental well-being among marginalized communities, with an emphasis on Asian Americans and LGBTQ+ people of color.
They also received the Researcher of the Year award from the Society of the Psychology of Men and Masculinities of the American Psychological Association in 2024.