2009 Presidential Citation of Merit 

Diane J. Willis, PhD  

Dr. Willis was honored for her exemplary service to Ortho, the mental health professions, and the public, especially Native Americans.  As president-elect, president, and past president, Dr. Willis tirelessly worked to strengthen Ortho’s capacity as a scientific society and, in particular, to assure the continuation of a strong and distinctive journal and the programmatic growth of a university-based central office.  As a pioneer in pediatric psychology, she has demonstrated career-long recognition that real-world problems require interdisciplinary approaches.  Both within the mental health professions and in the political arena, she has long been an advocate for children with disabilities and their families.  She has demonstrated particular concern about the economic, educational, and social support available to families in which a risk of neglect is present.  In all of these professional activities, Dr. Willis has been a teacher, inspiring colleagues, engaging professionals in training, and facilitating their participation in professional activities in the public interest. 

Perhaps most impressively, Dr. Willis expresses her social concern as an active volunteer.  At a time in her life when many would have quite reasonably taken down their shingle, Dr. Willis not only has been active in Ortho and other professional associations, but she also has used her considerable expertise to enhance the well-being of families in need.  Dr. Willis’s vehicle in retirement has not been a rocking chair but instead an all-terrain vehicle as she has driven to the remote areas of Indian country to ensure that children’s opportunities are not limited by their families’  economic and social disadvantage.  Dr. Willis is not just a past president (although that service is important in itself).  She is also a living example of Ortho’s historic emphasis on the application of professional skills and knowledge to ‘straighten’ the paths of children and families in need. 

2009 Presidential Citation of Merit 

Nancy Felipe Russo, PhD  

Dr. Russo was honored for her service to Ortho and for her career-long commitment to mental health and social justice.  As Ortho’s executive officer, Dr. Russo has shown leadership and perseverance in strengthening the Association’s administrative foundation.  Simultaneously, as editor of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, she has served with distinction in affirming the Association’s values and standards.  In much of this service to Ortho, she has volunteered her time and expertise.  As a scholar and advocate, Dr. Russo has made important contributions to the mental health professions and the public by bringing recognition to issues related to women’s mental health.  Throughout her career, her work has demonstrated a fervent commitment to the generation and application of psychological science for the improvement of policy and practice in the public interest.

2004-2006 Distinguished Presidential Award

Gary B. Melton, PhD 

Gary B. Melton, PhD, served as President of the American Orthopsychiatric Association from 2004-2006.  Dr. Melton was presented with the Distinguished Presidential Award for his outstanding vision, dedication, and leadership as President and for his significant contribution to human rights and social justice around the world. 

2005 Presiential Citation of Merit

Oscar A. Barbarin, III, PhD 

Oscar A. Barbarin, III, PhD, was President of the American Orthopsychiatric Association from 2001-2004.  He was honored with the Presidential Citation of Merit for his exceptional service to the Association.  A thoughtful scholar on children’s resilience in the face of illness, poverty, prejudice, violence, and political unrest, Dr. Barbarin is an outstanding interdisciplinary researcher, teacher, and public servant dedicated to the pursuit of social justice.  Going far beyond the ordinary expectations (themselves substantial) of the president or past president of a national professional association, Dr. Barbarin was an influential leader during a period of organizational transition.  His humane perspective, wise counsel, calm demeanor, and obvious dedication to Ortho’s principles set the tone for the Association’s continuing evolution in the application of historic values to contemporary concerns.