November 15, 2004

British Psychological Society Espy among conference keynote speakers

by K.C. Jaehnig

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Kimberly Andrews Espy, associate professor of family and community medicine in Southern Illinois University Carbondale's School of Medicine, received a visiting fellowship from the British Psychological Society, a 103-year-old professional society chartered by the Crown.Espy, a pediatric neuropsychologist, delivered one of five keynote speeches at the society's annual conference Sept. 2-5, in Leeds, England, speaking on executive (self) control in preschool children. The fellowship paid for her attendance at the conference and at workshops at the University of Warwick and the universities of Aberdeen and St. Andrews, both in Scotland.

Espy, who is currently at work on a five-year, $1.65 million study of executive control underwritten by the National Institute of Mental Health, spoke about previous research that resulted in this project, which eventually will involve some 400 preschoolers from all over Southern Illinois. Her earlier work focused on toddlers exposed prenatally to cocaine.

Espy came to SIUC in 1996 from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She earned her bachelor's in 1985 from Rice University in Houston and her master's and doctorate from the University of Houston in 1988 and 1992 respectively.

Leading in research, scholarly and creative activities is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.