Lula A. Beatty, PhD
Lula A. Beatty, PhD, is a member of the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology and is Director of the Special Populations Office, Office of the Director, at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Her responsibilities include developing racial/ethnic minority research and health disparities programs, developing initiatives to encourage the increased participation of underrepresented scholars in drug abuse and addiction research, and monitoring NIDA's support of racial/ethnic minority and health disparities research. Programs in her office include the Diversity Supplement Program, the Research Development Seminar Series, a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative, an African American Initiative on HIV and Criminal Justice, and a Southern Africa Initiative. Before joining NIDA, she was Director of Research at the Institute for Urban Affairs and Research at Howard University. She was involved in programs on child abuse prevention, strengths in Black families, and father involvement in Head Start.
Lula has received awards for her work in increasing the participation of racial/ethnic minorities and women in research and stimulating research on drug abuse and addiction in health disparity populations. They include the Public Service Award from the Science Directorate, APA; the Distinguished Career Award from the Society on the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, APA; the NIH Director’s Award for Leadership; and the NIDA’s Directors Award of Merit for implementing the African American Initiative. She has also received the Enduring Contributions to Science award from the Lonnie Mitchell Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Consortium on Substance Abuse.
Lula has served as the President of the Section on the Psychology of Black Women, Society for the Psychology of Women, APA and member and vice chair of the Committee on Women in Psychology. She is a Fellow of the Society on the Psychology of Women and received the Sue Rosenberg Zalk Award for service to the society.
She has been active in civic and community organizations. She is President of her civic association, was appointed to the state of Maryland’s Women’s Heath Promotion Council, was a founding member and past president of the Bonnie Johns Children’s Fund, and was chair of the Prince George’s County Commission for Children and Youth and Black Family History Project. She received a proclamation from the county in recognition of her work with the Black family history project and her community received an award from the Prince George’s County Historical Society for the community’s 50th anniversary program and celebration planned under her presidency.
Lula received her A.B. degree from Lincoln University (PA), and her master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from Howard University. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Lincoln University.
