Biography
I grew up in Northern California and completed my undergraduate studies at Stanford, majoring in Psychology and Biology. While there I had the pleasure of working with John Flavell, studying the development of language and non-verbal communication in infants. I subsequently completed a Masters in Biology, working in Peter Getting’s invertebrate neurobiology lab. After completing my doctorate at Purdue, I moved to Philadelphia, where I completed a post-doctoral fellowship with Aaron Beck at the University of Pennsylvania. These three disciplines—developmental psychology, neuroscience, and evidence-based clinical psychology—came together and have informed my work over the years.
I returned to the Midwest in 1987, joining the faculty of the University of Chicago, where I directed the Center for Cognitive Therapy. Our focus there was on understanding, preventing, and treating depression and suicide among children and adolescents, the focus of my career. In 2000 I came to Northwestern, where I served as Chief Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for 18 years. In addition to our lab and clinic, I headed up the Division of Psychology’s doctoral program in clinical psychology, internship, and fellowship programs. Pivoting to a science-first model, we developed a range of exciting, evidence-based clinical and research programs, including the nation’s first LGBTQ clinical psychology internship. I had the pleasure during these years of working with dozens of truly exceptional students and of collaborating with many wonderful colleagues. I received several teaching awards, as well as the Cynthia D. Belar Distinguished Service Award from the American Psychological Association. I’ve also had the opportunity to serve as a visiting professor at institutions in Europe and Asia.
Through the years I’ve enjoyed gardening, white water rafting, and baseball (I follow both the Cubs and my childhood team, the San Francisco Giants). Since becoming Professor Emeritus in 2019 I seem to have ever more writing projects. The questions and opportunities are still there. My wife and I are working on a book together and our daughter, Gracie, is finishing her doctorate in developmental psychology (we’re proud parents!). Perhaps someday I’ll retire.