Psychology alum wins distinguished award

Dr. James Prochaska, '64, M.A. '67, Ph.D. '69, is the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally and through service to Wayne State University.

The award honors individuals who have made a distinct impact and outstanding achievement in their field of service and serve as role models to enhance the visibility of Wayne State and the community.

Dr. Prochaska is director of the Cancer Prevention Research Center and professor of clinical and health psychology at the University of Rhode Island. He is the author of over 400 publications, including four books.

The founder of Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Dr. Prochaska is internationally recognized for his work as a developer of the stage model of behavior change. He also is the principal investigator on over $80 million dollars in research grants for the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Dr. Prochaska has won numerous awards, including being named one of the top five most-cited authors in psychology from the American Psychology Society and receiving an innovator's award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

He also is the first psychologist to win a Medal of Honor for Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society.