CAHSS Psychology Student Awarded Goldwater Scholarship for Researching Evidence-based Interventions to Improve Parenting

Undergraduate psychology student Katie Lamberton was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the United States. The Goldwater Scholarship seeks to identify, encourage and financially support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming research leaders in technical fields. 

As the first recipient of this award at the University of Denver since 2020, Lamberton said, “I felt extremely honored, humbled and grateful.”  

A research assistant in DU’s Protect Lab, Lamberton focuses on finding evidence-based interventions to improve parenting. “I study parents who have experienced childhood trauma and how they navigate parenting,” she explained. “My research is about breaking generational cycles of trauma and abuse.” 

At the Protect Lab, Lamberton works under the mentorship of Angela Narayan, associate professor of psychology. A key method in the lab’s research is the five-minute speech sample, in which parents are asked to reflect on their own childhoods or relationships. “This helps us understand how their early experiences shape their parenting practices,” Lamberton said. 

Narayan said “Katie is one of the most hardworking and ambitious undergrads with whom I have worked. She is extremely passionate, eager to learn, willing to work hard and great at taking feedback. These are all key ingredients in making a highly promising young scholar.” 

Lamberton plans to pursue a PhD in developmental psychology after graduating from DU and hopes to continue researching parenting interventions. “There’s no one right answer when it comes to parenting,” she said. “My goal is to find ways to make evidence-based strategies accessible and parent-friendly.” 

Lamberton also serves in the Student Leadership Council (SLC) at the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS). She explained that “The SLC has an integral professional development component. We work on CVs, resumes, personal statements and thinking through how we find our career path and how all those elements come together, which really helped in my application for the scholarship.” 

Winning this scholarship “reflects all the staff and faculty at DU who have helped me get here,” she said. Lamberton noted the mentoring she received from Sarah Huff, teaching assistant professor of psychology. Huff has guided Lamberton during the distinction program, a five-quarter program at DU that pairs students with a faculty member. 

Huff said, “Katie is the type of student and person that would make any professor love their job. She is a strong and dedicated student who takes advantage of every opportunity and is constantly working on her own growth. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of Katie's vast mentorship network and can't wait to see the wonderful things she accomplishes in her bright future.” 

Lamberton said Huff encouraged her during Lamberton’s research. “This was the first time I applied my knowledge of psychology versus just learning about it in a classroom,” she added. 

The Goldwater Scholarship has connected Lamberton to a wider network of researchers. When she won the award, Lamberton was greeted on Zoom by past award winners. “It was like a welcome party. Meeting everyone else and hearing their stories, I felt really inspired,” she said.  

Students interested in competing for the Goldwater Scholarship or other nationally or internationally competitive awards can get support from DU’s Office of Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising.