EIU Graduate School

The EIU Graduate School is proud to recognize Laura Heuermann as the recipient of the 2025 Robert and Kathryn Augustine Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. Laura completed her Master of Science in Psychology in May 2022, and in May 2024 she completed coursework for Specialist in School Psychology, preparing her for a career as a school psychologist dedicated to supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being.

Her thesis, Teacher Acceptability of Praise Across Grades (K–12), explored whether teachers’ preference for using praise changes as grade levels increase. As her mentor, Dr. Margaret Floress, Graduate Coordinator for the School Psychology master’s program, explained, Laura’s study aimed to address a gap in the teacher-praise literature by examining whether teachers’ attitudes toward praise shift across the K–12 spectrum.

Laura’s scholarship has drawn recognition well beyond Eastern Illinois University. In February 2025, Laura presented at the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Floress shared the NASP conference “is the world’s largest and most important gathering of school psychologists, and the selection of Ms. Heuermann’s study “is a testament to its importance and rigor.”

Laura’s thesis has also been prepared for publication. She submitted her manuscript to the Journal of Positive Behavior Supports in September 2024 and, following an invitation to revise and resubmit, submitted her revised manuscript in August 2025.

Laura Heuermann’s thesis may be found in Booth Library’s “The Keep” by using this link: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/5012/