Department of Educational Psychology Alum Now President of American Psychological Association - April 5, 2010

University of Texas at Austin College of Education alumnus Dr. Melba T. Vasquez has been elected president of the American Psychological Association (APA), a 150,000 member professional organization that represents psychology in the U.S. and works to advance psychology as a science. The APA is the largest association of psychologists in the world.

Vasquez is a graduate of the Counseling Psychology Program in the Department of Educational Psychology.  She is a psychologist in full-time independent practice in Austin, Texas, as well as a member-at-large of the APA Board of Directors, a past president of the Texas Psychological Association and of APA Divisions 35 (Society of Psychology of Women) and 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology).

She is a Fellow of the APA and holds the Diplomate from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). During her career, she has been honored with numerous awards, including the 2007 APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Independent or Institutional Practice in the Private Sector, the 2006 Woman of the Year Award from the APA Division 17 Section for the Advancement of Women, and the 2004 James J. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award from the APA Minority Fellowship Program.

She has authored or co-authored over 30 books, journal articles and chapters in the areas of ethics in psychotherapy, multicultural competency and psychotherapy, and currently is completing a volume titled “Multicultural Theory” as part of the APA Theories of Psychotherapy Series. Vasquez is co-author, with psychologist Ken Pope, of “Ethics in Psychotherapy & Counseling: A Practical Guide” (3rd edition in press) and “How to Survive and Thrive as a Therapist: Information, Ideas and Resources for Psychologists in Practice” (2005) and has served on the editorial boards of journals such as “Professional Psychology: Research and Practice,” “The Counseling Psychologist” and “Ethics and Behavior.”

“Our faculty is very proud to count Dr. Vasquez as one of our graduates,” says Dr. Ed Emmer, chair of the Department of Educational Psychology, “and she is a great model and inspiration for our students.”

The College of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology will be hosting a reception for Vasquez in late April to celebrate her election as APA president.

The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education is a national leader in teacher education, health, kinesiology, educational administration and special education.  U.S. News & World Report - 2010 Best Graduate Programs has ranked the College of Education third in the nation among public universities and seventh overall.

—Kay Randall, University Communications, 512-232-3910