Foxx receives national psychology award

Dr. Richard Foxx

Dr. Richard Foxx, Penn State Harrisburg professor of psychology and adjunct professor of pediatrics at the Penn State College of Medicine, has been named the recipient of the 2013 American Psychological Association’s (APA) Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research.

The award is given to a psychologist whose contributions have led to major developments in the field of applied psychology. Foxx was selected for his internationally recognized research on the treatment of severe and challenging behavior, including work from ten books he authored or co-edited, the latest of which is “Interventions for Treating the Eating Problems of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities,” and for his 16 years of service as editor-in-chief of the clinical psychology journal, Behavioral Interventions.

“This premiere national award by the country's foremost organization of psychologists is testimony to Dr. Foxx's contributions, commitment, success, and impact not only on his field, but also on the broader practice of applied psychology,” said Dr. Catherine Surra, director of the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education.

Foxx will receive the award at APA's annual conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, in July.

A licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst, Foxx has published more than 130 articles, and serves on the editorial boards of six scientific journals. His areas of research include the treatment of severe and challenging behavior, enuresis (urinary incontinence), echolalia (a repetitive speech condition), and cigarette smoking; social and problem solving skills training; toilet training; and the long term maintenance of treatment gains.

Dr. Foxx is a fellow in five divisions of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and the American Association on Mental Retardation. He has served as president of the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and the Division of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities of the American Psychological Association. His recent awards include the Murray Sidman Award for Enduring Contributions to Behavior Analysis from the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy (2009), the inaugural John Jacobson award from Division 33 of the American Psychological Association (2007), and the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis Award for Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media (2003).

The American Psychological Association is the world's largest association of psychologists, with more than 137,000 members. APA advances psychology as a science and profession, and as a means of promoting education and human welfare.