Candidates for president
Meet the candidates for Div. 54 president.
Scott Powers
Scott Powers is professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and staff psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He received his PhD from the University of Alabama and completed internship and fellowship training at Brown University. Powers is a Div. 54 fellow, served as APA Convention program chair for SPP (2002) and on the editorial board of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, and was honored by SPP with the Martin P. Levin Mentorship Award (2011) and Logan Wright Distinguished Research Award (2013). Powers is a clinician, scientist, mentor and research administrator. He developed programs in Cincinnati dedicated to the integration of clinical care, research and training (Center for Child Behavior and Nutrition Research and Training; The Headache Center). Powers has earned over $25 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) and foundation grants, published over 135 articles, and served on numerous grant review panels. He is a mentor to graduate students, residents, fellows, and early career faculty in psychology and pediatrics. Powers is currently director of clinical and translational research for the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation, a CCRF endowed chair and member of the Strategic Advisory Committee for the Department of Pediatrics
Candidate Statement
It is indeed an honor to be nominated for the position of APA Div. 54 president. Our society has been a home to me since I was a graduate student and continues to be such a wonderful and welcoming group of professionals. To me, this is such an exciting time to be a pediatric psychologist because of the collective potential of the clinicians, educators, researchers, advocates and students who are members of SPP. I believe the future has no limits for our field and that our society is making a meaningful, positive impact on child health. The idea of helping to lead our organization along with such a talented group of colleagues and friends is energizing and also humbling. Some of the goals I would like to advance if elected to this position include: development of pediatric psychologists as vital members and leaders of team science groups, accelerating the translation of evidence into practice, and advocating for the rights of children to have access to the most effective treatments available. Most of all, I think our highest priority is mentoring and helping students and early career colleagues succeed with their goals and become the leaders of tomorrow. I would very much appreciate your support.
Celia Lescano
Celia Lescano, PhD, received her PhD in 1998 from the University of Florida Department of Clinical and Health Psychology. She went on to an internship at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University, where she stayed on faculty until 2010. She is currently a research associate professor in the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy at the University of South Florida and the co-director of the USF Center for HIV Education and Research. She has been a student or full member of SPP since 1992, having achieved fellow status in 2014. Lescano was the inaugural SPP member at large for diversity from 2010-2013, and she has been active as a reviewer for student and faculty conference submissions and awards and as a long-standing member of SPP’s Diversity Committee. She serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, most recently as a co-associate editor for a special issue on diversity and health disparities and is a frequent reviewer for NIH. Her research interests are in the area of HIV prevention and health promotion among minority and underserved populations.
Candidate Statement
To put it simply, I love pediatric psychology. While it pains me to realize that I have been a member of this organization for 23 years (am I really that old?!), SPP has always been near and dear to my heart. I am completely honored and humbled to be nominated for this position. I know that there are two very strong women who precede me and, should I be elected, I look forward to working with Drs. Jelalian and Berry, learning from them, and continuing their vision for where SPP is headed. Both of them mentioned the “changing landscape of health care and reform” in their candidate statements, and I have no doubt that this will continue to be a very important topic for our field for many years to come. As we elbow our way into these discussions and stick our feet in doors that are positioned to be closed on us, it is increasingly important for pediatric pychology to have a strong voice and to have a seat at the table. My career has been dedicated to working for inclusion and fighting for those who are often not heard. I look forward to the possibility of being a voice for the future of pediatric psychology.