The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) has conferred the prestigious Raymond Katzell Award to Professor David Chan, Director of the Behavioural Sciences Initiative and Professor of Psychology of the Singapore Management University (SMU) for his outstanding contributions in using scientific research to address social issues and make a difference to people and society.
Professor Chan, who makes history for being both the first Singaporean and the first Asian to receive this top award, will receive the award and deliver his keynote address at the Annual SIOP conference to be held this April in the United States.
In addition to recognising the wide-ranging impact of Professor Chan’s lifetime scientific and practical contributions, the awards committee highlighted his societal contributions on managing the COVID-19 pandemic in various ways and in particular his bestseller book, Combating a crisis, which explains the psychology of Singapore’s response to COVID-19. The book, published by World Scientific in 2020, is a clear example of using science to address social issues and solve practical problems for policymakers, organisations, and the general public.