BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig has been named the 2026 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the growth and vitality of the OBM field. He will be presented with the award at the Association for Behavior Analysis International’s 52nd Annual Convention in San Francisco, CA, in May.
The OBM Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have fundamentally advanced the understanding or application of behavioral principles in organizational settings. Past recipients are widely regarded as leaders whose contributions have significantly shaped the field.
In announcing the award, a member of the OBM Network Awards Committee wrote, “Not only have you contributed significantly already, but you have also continued to contribute to our field. We, the OBM Network, are happy to formally recognize your lifetime contributions.”
Ludwig is a professor in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management (IOHRM) program, an interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree offered jointly by the Department of Psychology and the Department of Management. After completing post‑doctoral work at Virginia Tech, he joined App State's Department of Psychology as an assistant professor in 1994. He went on to direct the IOHRM program from 1995-2003 and later served as chair of the university’s Institutional Review Board from 2009-11.
His teaching excellence has been recognized through several of App State’s highest honors, including induction into the College of Arts and Sciences Academy of Outstanding Teachers, the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award, and the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.
A behavioral psychologist with more than 35 years of experience, Ludwig is internationally known for his speaking and consulting in behavioral safety. He has authored more than 50 scholarly articles documenting the effectiveness of behavior‑based solutions and is the author of five books, including the best‑selling Dysfunctional Practices that Kill Your Safety Culture (and what to do about it).
For Ludwig, the recognition carries deep personal meaning. “The past recipients of this award have been the giants in our field that I’ve ‘stood on the shoulders of,’” he shared. “They have been the models I’ve looked up at as the pinnacle of what is possible in OBM...All of them impacted the lives and careers of thousands outside our OBM community in ways we will never be able to document...To be considered among them will be the greatest honor of my career, as I have profound gratitude for those who came before.”
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About the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology
Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology serves more than 1,400 undergraduate majors seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, as well as 90 graduate students across four graduate programs: psychological science (MA), industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management (MA), school psychology (MA/SSP) and clinical psychology (MA/PsyD). Learn more at psych.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Gibbs
March 25, 2026
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Timothy Ludwig
Dr. Timothy Ludwig is a professor in Appalachian State University's Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management program. Photo submitted