SCCAP Fellows Committee Update

SCCAP Fellows Committee Update

By Martha C. (Marcy) Tompson, PhD
Chair, SCCAP Fellows Committee

By Martha C. (Marcy) Tompson, PhD
Chair, SCCAP Fellows Committee

I am the Chairperson for the SCCAP Fellows Committee and am honored to be joined by two SCCAP Fellows – my colleagues Joaquin Borrego, PhD and Rhonda Boyd, PhD – on this committee.  Their service to SCCAP is highly appreciated.

SCCAP Fellow status is a valued honor and recognizes outstanding contributions, with national impact, to psychology overall and to SCCAP specifically. Fellow status is awarded based on long-term impact and broad achievement contributing to the science and practice of clinical child and adolescent psychology. Thus, a Fellow designation is most often achieved at least mid-career or beyond. The SCCAP Fellows Committee considers both SCCAP Fellows (already an APA Fellow through another division and applying for SCCAP Fellow status) and Initial Fellows (applying for both APA and SCCAP Fellow status concurrently). For the 2025 cycle (Fellow Status for 2026) we are currently completing our review of both Initial Fellow applicants and SCCAP Fellow applicants in the coming months. 

As Fellows Chair I am taking opportunities to showcase some of our wonderful SCCAP Fellows. This month we introduce Dr. Matthew Lerner, who became a Fellow on January 1, 2025.

Featured Fellow: Dr. Matthew D. Lerner

Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Leader of the Life Course Outcomes Program Area, and Director of the Social Connections and Treatment Lab, in the AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University. He is also a co-Founder and Research Director of the Stony Brook Autism Initiative at Stony Brook University. Dr. Lerner’s research focuses on understanding emergence and “real world” implications of social challenges, especially among autistic people, as well as development, evaluation, and dissemination of novel, evidence-based approaches for ameliorating those challenges. More recently, he has worked to develop clinical and community-based programs to both improve the quality of life for autistic people, and improve understanding of both the science and lived experience of autism among those who work in the field. Dr. Lerner has received grants from organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Medical Foundation, the American Psychological Association, the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He has published ~150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters; he serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, on the Editorial Boards of 7 other academic outlets, and as the Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Autism Research.

If you are interested in becoming an SCCAP Fellow, you are encouraged to apply!  Applications for the 2026 cycle are due December 1, 2025, so you have plenty of time.  Please be aware you’re your APA dues must be up-to-date and membership current at the time of application.  For information on requirements, please visit the SCCAP website (https://sccap53.org/membership/).