Submarine Psychologist From Islip Receives Prestigious Award

SEATTLE – A Navy submarine psychologist from Islip has received a high honor from the American Psychological Association.

Lieutenant Samantha Giangrande, an Islp native and U.S. Navy submarine psychologist, was honored with the prestigious Arthur W. Melton Early Achievement Award during an American Psychological Association conference on August 8.

“Receiving this award exemplifies the work I have done throughout my career in the Navy,” Giangrande said in a statement. “Much of the work I do as a psychologist focuses on how I can empower others to live a more fulfilling life and overcome personal and occupational challenges.”

According to officials, Giangrande was selected from 1,200 potential military mental health professionals and received the 12th annual award for “early achievements in military psychology," usually within five to 10 years of entry into the field.

The APA states that award recipients have "clearly shown the advancement of the profession of military psychology, improved effectiveness of the military psychology system, and service on behalf of the welfare of military personnel.”

“This award is a reminder that I am making an impact on the military psychology community and that the sacrifices I have made along the way are appreciated and valued,” Giangrande said.

Giangrande is an Islip native and graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2019. She joined the Navy in 2018 after her training director encouraged her to get into military psychology.

“I expressed that I was interested in a career that challenged me, aligned with my values, and would increase opportunities for making a national and global impact,” she said. “During my fourth year of the doctoral program, I obtained a recruiter, applied for Navy internship sites and was matched with a Navy Psychology internship via the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers.”

Giangrande plans to serve in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force as she transfers to Naval Submarine School next year in Connecticut, where she currently resides.

Giangrande is assigned to Submarine Readiness Squadron 32, whose medical clinic treats Groton and Portsmouth-based submariners assigned to 19 submarines homeported in the U.S. northeast.

According to the Navy, SRS 32’s main mission is to "centralize administrative and support functions, economize resources and provide a common pool of experts who provide complete functional support to the commanders of Submarine Squadrons 2, 4 and 12."

The squadron provides support with administration, medical, legal, chaplain, supply, combat systems, engineering, communications and operations to improve operational readiness.

The award is named after Arthur W. Melton, a World War II Air Force psychologist who revolutionized the way psychologists operate in the military.