Feature
During the Annual Convention opening session, attendees honored psychologists Patrick H. DeLeon, PhD, JD, MPH, and Alan E. Kazdin, PhD, with APA's highest honor, the Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology.
DeLeon, a clinical psychologist, lawyer, 2000 APA president and chief of staff to Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), has been a major public policy voice for psychology. He's worked tirelessly to push for psychologists' prescriptive authority. Last year, he was elected to the Institute of Medicine, making him one of the few psychologists ever to hold that honor.
"Dr. DeLeon has shown us through his right actions and public service that we don't need to focus on what other groups say about what psychology should or shouldn't do," said APA President James H. Bray, PhD. "We get to decide because we know what's right for us."
Kazdin, director of the Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic and APA's 2008 president, is a leading authority on child-rearing practices and the treatment of oppositional, aggressive and antisocial behavior among children and adolescents, as well as on the importance of translating research into practice. Through his mentorship, wisdom and good humor, Bray said, many of Kazdin's students have gone on to become leaders in their respective fields.
"For decades, my mother has been concerned about my self-esteem and so she sends me fake e-mails about awards I've won," Kazdin told attendees. "Naturally, I assumed this was just another one from her when I first heard about it, but she said, 'Although it was probably a mistake, this one was not from me.' I thank you all very much for this award."
—A. Novotney
