UCR psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky was presented with the Christopher J. Peterson Gold Medal in July from the International Positive Psychology Association — one of two major awards she’s received in the past year.

The medal honors leading scholars who make important contributions to the field of positive psychology. The organization presented the award to Lyubomirsky at the association’s Sixth Annual World Congress in Melbourne, Australia, last month.

Lyubomirsky has devoted much of her research to studying human happiness.

“The scientific study of happiness is important because most people believe that happiness is meaningful and desirable, and because happiness yields numerous rewards for the individual and for society,” she said.

Lyubomirsky recently received the Carol and Ed Diener Award in Personality Psychology, which recognizes midcareer scholars whose work has added substantially to the body of knowledge of the field of personality psychology.

She was announced as the 2018 winner in December and presented with the award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology at its February conference in Portland, Oregon.

A distinguished professor and vice chair of the psychology department, Lyubomirsky has also received the UCR Distinguished Research Lecturer Award, a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize, and multiple foundation and federal grants.

She is the author of the best-selling books “The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want,” and “The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, But Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy, But Does.”