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Knoxville Area Psychological Association


The Ted Jones Excellence in Professional Psychology Award

Malcolm Spica, Ph.D. and Brianne Blevins, Psy.D., for whom we are sincerely grateful. 

Perhaps the development of which we are most proud in 2022 has been the introduction of the Ted Jones Excellence in Professional Psychology Award, which will continue annually. This award was born out of the desire to both express the organization's lasting appreciation for Dr. Ted Jones and his outstanding and unparalleled decades of service to KAPA and to provide financial assistance for University of Tennessee graduate students preparing for applied careers in clinical and counseling psychology.  

The Board reviewed applications this Fall and we are happy to announce that first year clinical psychology student

The Ted Jones Award also recognizes Dr. Jones as a consummate practitioner-scientist who has used his UT training in a wide variety of applications in his 40 years as a psychologist. In both public and private settings, Ted has served as a clinician, administrator, program evaluator, instructor, supervisor, and accomplished researcher. Dr. Jones is a leading expert on opioid risk assessment and is nationally recognized as a pain psychologist and educator. Who could possibly be a better inspiration and model for our graduate students? Thank you, Ted, for your incredible contributions to and leadership within the Knoxville area psychology community, and congratulations on your recent retirement!


The Ted Jones Excellence in Professional Psychology Award is awarded by the Knoxville Area Psychological Association (KAPA) to support clinical training opportunities for University of Tennessee graduate students. The award of up to $500 can be used to support any APA-accredited clinical training offered to students (funds can be applied toward registration, required materials, or travel expenses).

This award is available to any graduate student in Clinical or Counseling Psychology who intends to pursue a career as a Health Service Psychologist.  

To apply, please send 1) a letter of interest detailing how the clinical training opportunity will support your broader clinical training and help to prepare you for your future career, 2) a budget of estimated expenses related to training, 3) a current CV, and 4) a brief letter of support from a clinical supervisor to [email protected]

The deadline for the 2025 Award will be October 1, 2024. Students will be notified of the award by the KAPA Board no later than November 1, 2024. The student(s) selected for the award will be asked to provide a short bio and a summary of their training experience for KAPA membership. 


The Ted Jones Excellence in Professional Psychology Award honors Dr. Ted Jones for giving so freely and consistently of his time in support of KAPA. He served in all Board positions at least once and served on the Board in each of the four decades of his very impressive career. Dr. Jones was a model of an involved member and dedicated leader who has frequently rolled up his sleeves in service of the organization and his professional colleagues. Ted served for the last time in 2019 with several other past presidents who worked together at a critical time to stabilize KAPA when there was a question of whether the organization could continue in the absence of new volunteer leaders. We are grateful for his efforts, expertise, and willingness to carry and guide our professional association through the years.

The Ted Jones Award also recognizes Dr. Jones as a consummate practitioner-scientist who has used his UT training in a wide variety of applications in his 40 years as a psychologist. In both public and private settings, Ted has served as a clinician, administrator, program evaluator, instructor, supervisor, and accomplished researcher. Dr. Jones is a leading expert on opioid risk assessment and is nationally recognized as a pain psychologist and educator. Who could possibly be a better inspiration and model for our graduate students? Thank you, Ted, for your incredible contributions to and leadership within the Knoxville area psychology community.


Past Recipients 

2023 Zanned Rodriguez Clinical Psychology  Culturally Modified TF-CBT for Hispanic Children and Families

2024 Caterina Obenauf Counseling Psychology  Geriatric Clinical Neuropsychology Psychometric Preparation


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