Allan J. Schwartz, associate professor of clinical psychiatry and senior staff psychologist at the University Counseling Center at the University of Rochester, has received one of two Lifetime Achievement Awards given by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) at the association's 2011 annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., this fall.
The award honors AUCCCD members who have provided outstanding service to the association and have demonstrated exemplary leadership and scholarship in the field of college and university counseling centers.
"Dr. Schwartz has worked for more than 40 years in the counseling service at the University of Rochester. In that time, his work as scientist-practitioner in the area of college student mental health scholarship has been unrivalled," said Gregory T. Eells, director of Cornell University's Counseling and Psychological Services Center and outgoing president of AUCCCD, during his presentation of the award to Schwartz. "He has contributed to the field as a longtime director of services at the University, as a staff psychologist there, as a member of AUCCCD, and as a member of the AUCCCD board."
During the presentation, Eells praised Schwartz for his "significant contributions" to the field, which included various papers and presentations for the American College Health Association and the AUCCCD. Eells noted that Schwartz's work has addressed some of the field's most enduring questions related to student mental health, issues of college student suicide, and diagnosis in college student mental health settings.
"His work has consistently raised the level of discourse about these topics and sharpened our ways of thinking about these issues," Eells explained.
During his speech, Eells also recognized Schwartz's reputation among colleagues, noting that he is "nationally (and internationally) known and respected for his work" and that he is "held in highest regard for his professionalism and work as a psychologist."
Established in 1950, the AUCCCD currently represents more than 700 counseling center directors from the Unites States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. As a professional organization, the association assists directors in effective leadership and management of their centers and promotes the awareness of college student mental health through research, education, and training.