WS Chronicle

Dr. Norman Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association, distinguished scientist and graduate of UNCG’s master’s and doctoral programs in clinical psychology, will deliver the 2013 UNCG commencement address.

Spring commencement will take place Friday, May 10, at the Greensboro Coliseum. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Currently, 2,726 candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees have applied for May graduation.

“I am honored to be asked to serve as the 2013 Commencement speaker at UNCG,” Anderson said. “My education at UNCG laid the foundation for my life’s work and I am pleased to be asked to share a few thoughts with the new graduates.”

The UNCG Board of Trustees recommended in March that Anderson receive an honorary doctorate during the ceremony.

Brady

“Dr. Anderson is a native son,” said Chancellor Linda P. Brady. “He grew up in North Carolina and earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from public universities in this state. We are honored to welcome him back and acknowledge his outstanding contributions to scholarship and national leadership on understanding the relationship between physical and mental health, on health disparities, and as a strong advocate for interdisciplinary research and health care.”

Anderson has enjoyed a wide-ranging career as a leader in the fields of psychology and health behavior, first as a scientist and tenured professor, and later as an executive in both governmental and nonprofit sectors. He earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from N.C. Central University. After earning advanced degrees from UNCG, he served on the faculty of Duke University and later at the Harvard University School of Public Health.

A former associate director of the National Institutes of Health, Anderson was also the founding director of the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research. He is currently serving his eleventh year as CEO of the American Psychological Association, the nation’s largest organization for scientific and professional psychology, with 134,000 members including researchers, educators, clinicians and students. Anderson is the second longest serving CEO in the 121-year history of the organization.

Anderson is well-known for his research and writing on health and behavior, and on racial and ethnic health disparities. In addition to his important contributions to scientific literature, Johnston noted, Anderson has proven to be a strong and effective advocate at the national level for the importance of the behavioral and social sciences in understanding health and disease.

Anderson is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the Society of Behavioral Medicine and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. He is past-president of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

He is a Greensboro native and the son of the late Drs. Charles and Lois Anderson, former co-pastors of United Institutional Baptist Church. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.