Tuppett M. Yates, a professor of psychology at UC Riverside, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Bowlby-Ainsworth Award in recognition of her distinguished contributions to developmental research on attachment and trauma, as well as her outstanding mentorship in the Bowlby-Ainsworth tradition.

The Bowlby-Ainsworth tradition stems from the foundational work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, who developed attachment theory to explain how early caregiver-child relationships shape emotional and social development. The tradition emphasizes the importance of secure attachment, caregiver sensitivity, and the long-term impact of early experiences on mental health. 

The award includes a crystal sculpture engraved with the images of Bowlby and Ainsworth, the recipient’s name, and a brief award citation. Other recipients of the award can be found here.

In addition to recognizing career achievement, the award, presented by the Center for Mental Health Promotion and the New York Attachment Consortium, is occasionally given to early-career researchers for significant and lasting contributions, or as a special award for singular impact. Selections are made by an international committee of distinguished scholars.

Yates holds a joint Ph.D. in clinical and developmental psychology from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on how children respond to adversity — including poverty, family and community violence, trauma, loss, and illness — and how we can support positive adaptation despite adversity (i.e., resilience) in childhood and beyond.

Yates is the director of the Adversity & Adaptation Laboratory at UCR. She is the founder and executive director of the UCR Guardian Scholars, a program that supports emancipated foster youth attending UCR. Currently, she serves as the chair of the UCR Department of Psychology.