The Society of Clinical Psychology will honor Tom Ollendick, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology in the Virginia Tech College of Science, with its 2017 Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Clinical Psychology.

He will be given the award at the annual American Psychological Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. , in August. The Society of Clinical Psychology is a division of the 116,000-member association.

The award is presented to those who have consistently contributed to the field of clinical psychology throughout their careers, according to the society. Ollendick was chosen because of the impact of his work on clinical psychology and the strong letters of nomination from colleagues and support from the society’s board of directors. 

Ollendick has edited or written several books, book chapters, research articles, and presented professional talks and invited addresses throughout his storied career. He recently was named as lead editor of the new "Oxford Handbook of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology," a book that will be produced with two Department of Psychology colleagues, Associate Professor Susan White and Assistant Professor Bradley White.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Loras College in 1967, his master’s degree and doctorate in 1971 from Purdue University, and a postdoctoral research fellowship, Ollendick began his academic career as an assistant professor of psychology at Indiana State University.

In 1980, Ollendick joined Virginia Tech as an associate professor of psychology and assistant department head. He has since held multiple positions within Virginia Tech’s psychology department while also serving as an adjunct honorary professor at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia; Sydney Institute of Technology in Sydney, Australia; and Roehampton University in London.

In 1999, Ollendick was named a Virginia Tech University Distinguished Professor. In 2011, the University of Stockholm awarded him an honorary doctorate in the social sciences. In 2013, he received the Lifetime/Achievement Career Award from the Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies.

He is founding co-editor of Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review and on the editorial boards of 12 other journals. He has received nearly $8 million in research grants during his career.

Written by Jessie Rogers, of Suffolk, Virginia, a junior in the Department of English, part of the College Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

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