Cynthia D. Belar, PhD, ABPP, was awarded a Presidential Citation for championing quality education and training, raising awareness of the value of education advocacy and being an education visionary.
Belar's legacies as executive director of APA’s Education Directorate include the Education Leadership Conferences, Education Advocacy Trust, a focus on education/training across all levels and an appreciation of psychology’s role in education. As professor emerita in the department of clinical and health psychology at the University of Florida Health Science Center, she developed innovative, premiere medical psychology training programs. She chaired landmark national conferences on internship and postdoctoral training, and the scientist-practitioner model. A prolific health psychologist, she has published on psychology's role in health care and has promoted recognition of psychology’s contributions in health care settings. She received APA’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology, the Timothy B. Jeffrey Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Health Psychology, and the Alfred M. Wellner Memorial Award. A mentor and role model par excellence for generations of educators and trainers, Belar is a friend to all in psychology.