PEOPLE

Psychologist Robert B. McCall, PhD, has been given the rare distinction of winning two Chancellor?s Distinguished Awards?one in public service, the other in research?from the University of Pittsburgh.

McCall, professor of psychology and director of the office of child development at the university, received the public service award for communicating important child development research to professionals, policy-makers and parents. The award also recognizes his leadership and advocacy skills. Under his direction, the office of child development has created numerous effective community health, education and welfare programs for children and families in western Pennsylvania.

McCall?s research award recognizes his early leadership in the field of human infant development and his efforts to communicate research to the public.

McCall, who earned his PhD from the University of Illinois, conducts research on the cognitive development of infants, the development of intellectual performance, and underachievement. University chancellor Mark Nordenberg says McCall earned the research award for improving the methodological sophistication of developmental psychology through his basic research and by studying the effectiveness of programs for young children.

Psychologist Edward Singleton, PhD, will lead efforts to expand research on outpatient group treatment for substance abuse as the new director of the Substance Treatment Research Program at the Mayatech Corp., in Silver Spring, Md.

Singleton serves as senior research scientist for Mayatech, a professional and technical services firm that provides applied research and evaluation services to federal and state agencies, research organizations, educational institutions and advocacy groups. He is examining the effectiveness of treatment at outpatient substance-abuse treatment facilities throughout the United States?a project sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Singleton also serves as Visiting Scientist in Psychiatry at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Behavior Therapy Treatment Research Center at the Johns Hopkins University Medical School, where he studies assessment techniques used in the treatment of cocaine and heroin dependence. He is a diversity adviser to a project co-sponsored by APA and the National Institute of General Medicine, which fosters minority biomedical research talent in psychology.

He was appointed chair of the Underrepresented Minority Populations Committee of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence this year.

Psychologist Ira Progoff, 76, who was known best for designing the Intensive Journal method of journal writing as a tool for personal growth and therapy, died in January of supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological condition.

Progoff worked with Carl Jung in Switzerland in the early 1950s and was one of the first U.S. psychologists to recognize Jung?s work. At that time, Progoff unfolded his theories on depth psychology, which emphasizes creativity and knowledge of the inner self as ways for personal growth.

Progoff earned his PhD from the New School for Social Research in New York City. From 1959-1971, he worked as a psychotherapist and director of the Institute for Research in Depth Psychology at Drew University in Madison, N.J.

In 1966 his theories culminated into a series of workbooks called the Intensive Journal ™ method. This program uses journal writing as a way to help people develop their lives and provide insights into their work, relationships and body. The method enables writers to access deep layers of their consciousness through structured journal writing. Progoff established an organization to support his journal workshop program, called Dialogue House Associates, Inc. For years Progoff taught his intensive journal method in workshops held across the country. Dialogue House estimates that more than 200,000 people have attended them. In 1977, as the popularity of the journal method grew, Progoff formed the National Intensive Journal Program, which now employs more than 110 certified leaders to conduct his workshops across the United States.

Progoff has outlined his theories in 14 books, including his seminal book, At a Journal Workshop (Dialogue House Library, 1975, rev. ed. Tarcher/Putnam, 1992).

?Jamie Chamberlin