Matteo Bugatti, an intern with the Division of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center, earned the Student Excellence in Practice Award presented by the American Psychology Association Division 29, the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy.

The award honors the achievements of the society's student members in the area of clinical practice. It is given to the candidate who best demonstrates a commitment to the practice of psychotherapy and to exemplary achievement in clinical work.

"I plan to devote my career to the advancement of psychotherapy, so I was very honored to receive this award," Bugatti said. "Division 29 is committed to promoting our understanding of how psychotherapy works, as well as the dissemination of findings from psychotherapy research, which will ultimately foster science-practice integration. These aims mirror my personal career goals, and receiving this award further inspired me to contribute to this shared mission with my clinical and research efforts."

Consistent with the spirit of the award, Bugatti has promoted the use of evidence-based psychotherapies by adapting the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders, a group treatment for adolescents, to the specific needs of patients in an integrated care setting. Also, during a practicum in family medicine, he created and facilitated a workshop for medical residents aimed at promoting an appreciation for psychotherapy and other psychology interventions that can work in concert with other treatments implemented in a primary care interdisciplinary setting.

Bugatti earned a bachelor's degree in psychology, with a minor concentration in studio art, from The City College of New York, City University of New York, and a master's degree in psychology from Boston University. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York, where he earned the Benevolent Association Research and Creative Activity grant, which supports graduate research.

Bugatti's graduate training career has included a range of clinical experiences in a broad variety of settings, psychotherapies, formats and patient lifespans. His research interests include psychotherapy processes and outcomes, the use of routine outcome monitoring to promote clinical responsiveness, science-practice integration, and tailoring evidence-based psychotherapies to the individual needs and preferences of patients.