08/14/08
Randolph, Mass. — Dennis C. Russo, Ph.D., ABPP, Chief Clinical Officer of May Institute, an award-winning national network of educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services for individuals with autism and other special needs, has been named a 2008 Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).
Dr. Russo’s distinction follows the selection of May Institute’s President and CEO Walter P. Christian, Ph.D., ABPP, as a 2007 ABAI Fellow. May Institute is now the first nonprofit human services organization in the country to have two such renowned experts in the field of applied behavior analysis.
The ABAI Fellows designation recognizes the most outstanding contributors to the field of behavior analysis in areas including research, scholarship, professional practice, teaching, administration, and service. “The Committee based its recommendation on your sustained commitment to excellence in the field of behavior analysis,” wrote M. Jackson Marr, Ph.D., Chair of the Fellows Selection Committee, in notifying Dr. Russo of the honor. “Your work in and contributions to the field provided clear evidence of your fulfillment of requirements for ABAI Fellow.”
A recipient of the Lee Salk Distinguished Service Award from the Division of Pediatric Psychology of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Russo holds a faculty appointment at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has also held appointments at Harvard Medical School, Children’s Hospital Boston, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the John F. Kennedy Institute for Handicapped Children.
A past president of both the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy and the Society of Pediatric Psychology, Dr. Russo has been elected as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the American Psychological Society, the American Association of Applied and Preventative Psychology, and the Massachusetts Psychological Association.
“I am very pleased to receive this honor and humbled to be among professionals whose contributions to the field are making progress possible for countless families living with autism and other disabilities around the world,” said Dr. Russo. “To be able to play a role in helping meet the critical need for evidence-based treatment in the area of disabilities is enormously rewarding on both a personal and professional level.”
Dr. Russo earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, and is board certified in behavioral psychology (ABPP) and behavior therapy (ABBP). In addition, he has served on a number of editorial boards and has published over 50 articles and several books including Behavioral Pediatrics: Research and Practice (1982), and Behavioral Medicine with the Developmentally Disabled (1988). This past year, Effective Practices for Children with Autism (2008) was released, which was edited by Dr. Russo and other colleagues.
The Association for Behavior Analysis International is a nonprofit professional organization that promotes the field of behavior analysis. Applied behavior analysis is a methodology that utilizes the application of basic behavior practices to facilitate the development of language, positive skills, and social behavior as well as to help reduce everyday social problems and serious behavior disorders in individuals with special needs.
For more than 50 years, May Institute has been a leader in providing behavioral healthcare services for children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness, and behavioral healthcare needs. Guided by a Professional Advisory Board that includes leading experts in behavioral psychology, the Institute is supported by the expertise of more than 40 licensed and credentialed doctoral-level professionals who are joined by over 60 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Board Certified Associate Behavior Analysts (BCABAs). May Institute serves over 25,000 individuals and families every year at more than 200 service locations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and on the West Coast. For more information, please visit www.mayinstitute.org.
Dr. Russo is a resident of Medfield, Massachusetts.
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