APF's noteworthy speakers

The American Psychological Foundation (APF) is sponsoring a variety of lectures and symposia at APA's 2007 Annual Convention in San Francisco on topics that advance psychology's efforts to promote health, education and human welfare.

This year's distinguished speakers include:

• University of Virginia distinguished professor of law and professor of psychology and psychiatric medicine John Monahan, PhD, who will present the William Bevan Lecture on Psychology and Public Policy on "Danger and Disorder: Should Treatment Ever Be Mandated?" on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m. Monahan is the founding president of APA's Div. 41 (American Psychology-Law Society) and received the APA Distinguished Contribution to Research in Public Policy Award in 1990. He has served as director of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Mandated Community Treatment since 2000.

• University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh professor Baron Perlman, PhD, who will deliver the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology Award address on "Thoughts from a Think House: Reflections on Teaching" on Sunday, Aug. 19, at 2 p.m. Perlman's research focuses on undergraduate teaching preparation, ongoing mentoring and development of faculty.

• Donald T. Stuss, PhD, professor of psychology and medicine at the University of Toronto and director of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care at The Rotman Research Institute, who will give the F.J. McGuigan Lecture on Understanding the Human Mind on "Demystifying the Human Mind: Studies of the Frontal Lobes" on Sunday, Aug. 19, at 4 p.m. His primary research emphasis is on understanding and rehabilitation of the functions of the frontal lobes in patients with focal lesions or those with traumatic brain injury or dementia.

• University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, professor James Gallagher, PhD, who will present the Esther Katz Rosen Lecture on Gifted Children and Youth on "Contributions of Gifted Students to General Education" on Sunday, Aug. 19, at 4 p.m. Gallagher was the first director of the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped in the U.S. Office of Education and directed the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at UNC-Chapel Hill for 17 years.

• Rockefeller University professor Bruce McEwen, PhD, who will give the Arthur W. Staats Lecture on Unifying Psychology on "Of Molecules and Mind: Integrating the Psychology and Biology of Stress and Adaptation" on Saturday, Aug. 18, at noon. McEwen's research deals with the impact of stress and stress hormones on the brain and immune function. He also studies sex differences and sex hormone effects on the brain.

• Michael G. Wessells, PhD, professor of psychology at Randolph-Macon College, professor at Columbia University, and senior advisor on child protection for the Christian Children's Fund, who will present the Lynn Stuart Weiss Lecture on the Psychological Study of Social Issues on "Child Soldiers, Terrorism and Torture: Making Human Rights Matter," Saturday, Aug. 18, at 1 p.m. Wessells, co-chair of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (UN-NGO) Task Force on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, helps develop community-based, culturally grounded programs that assist children, families and communities affected by armed conflict in Africa and Asia.

The Rosalee Weiss Lecture for Outstanding Leaders in Psychology will take place on Sunday, Aug. 19, at 3 p.m. The speaker will be determined.

Emotion, motivation and personality

APF will host the 12th annual Charles D. Spielberger Symposium on Emotion, Motivation and Personality (EMPathy) on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. The goal of the EMPathy Symposium is to stimulate and facilitate the integration and dissemination of knowledge in these areas of psychological inquiry. The speakers and their presentations are:

• Mark Richard Leary, PhD, professor in the department of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, on "The Social and Psychological Functions of Self-Esteem."

• James J. Gross, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Stanford University, on "Emotion Regulation: Personality Processes and Individual Differences."

• Mahzarin Banaji, PhD, Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics at Harvard University, on "Ingroups and Outgroups: Lessons from Brains, Babies, and Primates."

Diabetes treatment

On Monday, Aug. 20, 1-5 p.m., APF will sponsor the continuing-education workshop "Psychological Implications of and Treatment for Diabetes." The course, taught by Richard R. Rubin, PhD, of the American Diabetes Association and the Johns Hopkins University, and Suzanne Bennett Johnson, PhD, of Florida State University, aims to:

• Help psychologists recognize patients' management issues, the pathophysiology of diabetes and patients' ancillary problems, including the impact diabetes has on the whole family.

• Determine the psychological problems diabetes patients manifest most often.

• Create awareness among clinics, doctors, hospitals, industry and other groups so that they refer patients to psychologists for help in treating the psychosocial aspects of diabetes.

• Determine coding and billing issues for psychologists who treat diabetes patients.

--E. Merck