Cowell alum elected president of the California Psychological Association

Robert deMayo (Cowell, psychology, '78) has been elected president of the California Psychological Association.

DeMayo, professor and associate dean of clinical and educational psychology at Pepperdine University, will assume the post of CPA president-elect January 1, 2013, become president a year later, and finally past president for 2015. He also serves as program director for Pepperdine's master of arts in psychology program.

The CPA is one of the largest professional associations representing psychologists in the nation. It promotes the profession through education, training, and legislation. In his candidate's statement, deMayo said he is proud of how psychology has developed multiculturally responsive methods of working with diverse populations.

"I am excited about the potential for psychology to play a central role in the integrated health care system of the future," he said. "Yet, I am also concerned that as a profession we may choose to ignore the many challenges we are facing and allow other health care professions to shape the health care landscape in a way that will marginalize psychology."

DeMayo's research interests are in health psychology and training of mental health professionals. A licensed clinician, he also maintains a small practice in Santa Monica.

He said he has fond memories of his time at UCSC where he worked as a research assistant to professor Melanie Mayer. He was also very involved in activities at Cowell College. He obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. from UCLA.

UCSC psychology professor Campbell Leaper, who knew him during graduate school at UCLA, said deMayo told him such good things about UCSC that he decided to apply to teach here.

DeMayo is immediate past chair of the CPA's division of education and training and served four terms as chair of the continuing education committee. In April, he won the CPA's Distinguished Service Award, division II, education and training, and in 2006 won the associations Distinguished Contribution to the Profession of Psychology Award.