UA Professor Wins Key Award in Gerontology from APA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Forrest Scogin, an expert in mental health and aging and professor of clinical psychology at The University of Alabama, has won the M. Powell Lawton Distinguished Contribution Award for Applied Gerontology from the American Psychological Association. The award was given at the APA’s convention last month in Boston.

The award recognizes “those whose contributions have improved the quality of life of older persons,” according to the award’s Web site. “The contributions being honored include developing or implementing a program, practice, policy or treatment that has had or will have the great potential to improve the lives of older adults.” The winner receives $5,000 and a plaque.

Scogin’s recent research has involved assessing treatment interventions into the lives of elderly persons who may be suffering from depression, anxiety and memory loss and the efficacy of self-administered and home-delivered treatments for older persons.

He has been on the UA faculty for more than 20 years and has helped to establish one of the few clinical geropsychology concentrations in the United States. Scogin also has served as chair of graduate studies in psychology and has written more than 100 articles, papers, books and book chapters.

“My colleagues and I would like to nominate Dr. Forrest Scogin as this year’s recipient because he embodies the purpose of the award,” wrote Dr. Martha Crowther, associate professor of psychology at UA, who nominated Scogin. “Dr. Scogin has systematically focused on improving the lives of older adults through his research, teaching, mentoring and service.”

The psychology department is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.