Dr. Andy Lattal, Centennial Professor of Psychology, is the 2023 recipient of the Faculty Award for Outstanding Global Contributions. Each year, the Office of Global Affairs honors one deserving faculty member with the award for Outstanding Global Contributions and grants them $3,000 to help promote and develop their international efforts. The award recognizes faculty who have made significant contributions to WVU’s global efforts through long-term commitment to working with international students, numerous years of leading education abroad, or a one-time major-impact engagement.
Dr. Lattal has been teaching at WVU since 1972, and in that time, has taught graduate and undergrad students, chaired 48 Doctoral dissertations, received the University’s Outstanding Teaching Award, Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award for research, and now the Award for Outstanding Global Contribution. Lattal started his international efforts in the early 1990’s in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Listen to his first experience abroad and learn how that grew into multiple lifelong partnerships!
After the success of these partnerships, Lattal continued his work and gradually took an interest in the French language. After taking a multitude of French courses at WVU, Lattal earned a degree in French and decided to go to France to practice. Lattal was invited to join the Behavior Analysis program in Lille, France for a year, and eventually returned to the University of Lille again on a Fulbright Scholarship.
“It has been one of those things that started small and just kind of snowballed,” said Lattal. “I’ve had a number of students from France here as post-docs, and one student came and did part of her dissertation with me. It has just been a great experience to meet all these people.”
Hear how a couple of chance encounters lead Dr. Lattal to Turkey and Jordan!
"This has completely changed my world view,” said Lattal. “I had lived abroad when I was a kid but never really thought much about it. I thought I had been there done that, but I had no idea, and it has been a very broadening experience to be in touch with so many people in so many parts of the world.”
Listen to Dr. Lattal explain how his research with students at WVU is similar to
his work with his international colleagues.
Lattal says his reputation for being receptive to others has preceded him and allowed him to make many international connections. These connections have led him to places like England, Mexico, and Japan, invited him to serve as the English Language Editor for the Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis for twelve years, and allowed him to welcome a multitude of international students to Morgantown.
As the years pass and students come from across the globe to WVU, a tradition has emerged between Lattal and his students.
Hear about Dr. Lattal’s tradition with international students and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater!
Lattal has been invited to Madrid, Spain as a keynote speaker for a conference in October 2023, as well as an offer to be a visiting professor at the University of Lille. Lattal says WVU has been incredibly supportive of his international work and has always worked with him on accepting international opportunities and creating partnerships.
“This hasn’t been just me. It has been my department, my college, and the University as whole that’s facilitated so much of the work I’ve been able to do,” said Lattal. “In so doing, we have established a nice international reputation in Psychology. Not just by me alone, but others that have been able to travel and take advantage of it.”