Widiger Named Distinguished Scientist

LEXINGTON, KY. (Dec. 18, 2009) --Thomas Widiger, professor of psychology in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the winner of the 2009 Distinguished Scientist Award by the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology. The SSCP Distinguished Scientist Award is given each year to an individual who has made an extremely important career contribution to the science of clinical psychology.

As the winner of the award, Widiger will receive a $1,000 honorarium and the opportunity to present an address at the annual meeting of either the American Psychological Association or the Association for Psychological Science.

In addition to his academic appointment at UK, Widiger serves as associate editor for the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology and the Journal of Personality Disorders. He also serves on the editorial boards of additional journals including: the Psychological Bulletin; Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice; and the Journal of Personality Assessment.

Widiger is a member of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the American Psychiatric Association Research Planning Committee for the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). In the past he has served as a panel member for NIMH review committees for clinical psychopathology and for behavioral and biobehavioral processes. Widiger served as the research coordinator for the DSM-IV, helping to develop and monitor the process by which the construction of the diagnostic manual was guided.

Widiger’s clinical interests are concerned primarily with the treatment of anxiety, mood and personality disorders. His theoretical perspective for clinical treatment is guided largely by cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic principles. Widiger also maintains a strong interest in ethical and legal issues, teaching a course on ethical issues in clinical psychology and serving in the past as an investigator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Psychology.

“Tom is recognized internationally as a leading force in the development of classification systems for mental disorders. Our department is most fortunate to have an individual of his professional stature who is dedicated to the task of guiding and training the next generation of clinical scientists. Tom models for all of us what it means to make a difference through his prodigious work ethic and commitment to excellence as a clinical psychologist,” said Charles R. Carlson, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology.