Biography
Frank C. Worrell, PhD, is a distinguished professor in the Berkeley School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves as faculty director of the school psychology program, the Academic Talent Development Program, and the California College Preparatory Academy. He is a certified school psychologist as well as a licensed psychologist.
Born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Worrell originally intended to become an English teacher. In his senior year of high school, he saw a student fall apart on stage at a school concert and decided to minor in psychology in order to help his future students. But an introductory psychology course piqued his interest in psychology and a Commonwealth Scholarship from Canada and Trinidad and Tobago resulted in him changing his major and he never looked back. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Western Ontario and his doctorate from UC Berkeley.
In addition to his position at UC Berkeley, Worrell is an affiliate professor in the social and personality area in the department of psychology. His areas of expertise include at-risk youth, cultural identities, scale development and validation, talent development/gifted education, teacher effectiveness, time perspective, and the translation of psychological research findings into school-based practice.
Worrell has long been active at APA, serving as a member at large of the Board of Directors from 2016−18. Worrell served as president of APA’s Division of School Psychology in 2007 and then on the APA Council of Representatives representing that Division from 2010−15. He is a member of seven APA divisions, with fellow status in five, and has served on multiple APA committees, boards, and task forces.
He has authored more than 300 academic publications and co-edited The Cambridge Handbook of Applied School Psychology, published in 2020.
His professional awards include the Distinguished Contributions to Research Award from APA’s Division for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race; the Outstanding International Psychologist Award from APA’s Division on International Psychology; the Nadine Lambert Outstanding School Psychologist Award from the California Association of School Psychologists; a Presidential Award from the National Association of School Psychologists; and a Presidential Citation from APA in 2011. He is also a member of the National Academy of Education and the Society for the Study of School Psychology.