Congratulations to Dr. S. Alexandra Burt, SSC Diamond Distinguished Professor and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychology, on receiving the 2026 Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award. This prestigious national award recognizes academic faculty members who have inspired their former students to make a significant contribution to society.
Dr. Burt was nominated by her former graduate student, Dr. Ashlea Klahr, who now serves as the Acting Director for the Defense Personnel Analytics Center Acting Director for the U.S. Department of War. In the nomination letter, Dr. Klahr shared how rigorous scientific training, clarity of thought, and disciplined writing were instilled in her by having Dr. Burt as an advisor. She uses that foundation in her work today — work that directly impacts the well-being, safety, and daily lives of military members and their families.
“It is my honor to nominate Dr. Burt for the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award. Her ability to develop students to the highest standard—and to support them generously even when they choose an unconventional path—embodies precisely the kind of influence this award was created to honor,” said Dr. Klahr. “I am thriving in my career because of the technical preparation, the clarity of thought, and the steady support Dr. Burt gave me. Her mentorship, given to a single student two decades ago, now reaches millions. This is exactly the kind of influence this award was created to honor.”
In 2019, Dr. Klahr led a massive redesign of a climate survey administered across the entire US military. This transformed measurement now places accurate and actionable data about people’s experiences directly into the hands of leaders responsible for them. It is now woven into the Department, backed by legislation, and is the backbone of how the military understands the experiences of its people.
“It was quite an emotional thing to learn that I’ve helped someone improve the world a bit,” said Dr. Burt. “That I’ve been an instrument of real growth for the next generation blows my mind. It’s really the best that any of us can ever really do. I’m so proud of Ashlea.”
Dr. Burt is the inaugural SSC Diamond Distinguished Professor in the College of Social Science and the Department of Psychology. As a clinical scientist, much of her research has focused on the development of youth mental health problems. Her particular focus is on the role of neighborhood disadvantage, specifically how neighborhoods may act to turn genes related to these outcomes on and off. She is equally interested in understanding how it is that some youth continue to thrive despite exposure to high levels of disadvantage.
Dr. Burt was honored and recognized at an award ceremony in Atlanta Georgia this past September. The Beckman Award is generously funded by the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Trust and administered by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. It was established in 2008 by Gail McKnight Beckman in memory of her mother, Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman, who was an educator, author, and pioneer in the field of psychology.