Chronis-Tuscano Receives Prestigious Award Named for Mentor

In a full-circle moment, Professor Andrea Chronis-Tuscano of the Department of Psychology received the inaugural Pelham Visionary Award for ADHD Research and Practice—named to honor the mentor who had a tremendous impact on her career.

Chronis-Tuscano serves as the Joel and Kim Feller Endowed Professor, and is a renowned researcher who focuses on understanding factors that predict developmental outcomes for children with ADHD—and developing treatments which target these factors at key developmental transition points. Chronis-Tuscano and her lab also aim to reduce mental health disparities by delivering evidence-based treatments in less stigmatizing community settings like primary care and in schools.

The Pelham Visionary Award was presented to Chronis-Tuscano at the Miami International Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference, where she also served as a keynote speaker. The award is named for Dr. William E. Pelham, Jr., who passed away in 2023. Pelham is recognized as the leading authority on the behavioral treatment of ADHD.

Pelham founded the Summer Treatment Program—a comprehensive summer camp for children with ADHD and related behavioral, emotional, and learning challenges—that has been recognized as a Model Service Delivery program by the American Psychological Association, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and other organizations. Similar camps have been implemented across the United States and internationally.

Pelham was also one of Chronis-Tuscano’s first mentors in the field.

“Many of my colleagues and I who were encouraged by Dr. P, as we called him, have been trying to honor him in various ways after his unexpected death. And so, when I was invited to be the inaugural speaker in his honor and receive this award, it was incredibly meaningful for me,” Chronis-Tuscano said.

The conference itself was founded by Pelham in Niagara on the Lake, New York, when Chronis-Tuscano was pursuing a Ph.D. at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Chronis-Tuscano’s original mentor retired after her first year, so it was serendipitous that Pelham joined the university and welcomed her into his lab at a critical stage.

“I was fortunate that Bill moved to Buffalo, and took me into his lab. The opportunities I had with him were larger-than-life, and I would often find myself in the room with leaders in the field beginning as a second-year graduate student. For example, I worked on the very first paper on evidence-based treatments for children with ADHD,” Chronis-Tuscano said. “It was because of him that I developed a passion for working with youth with ADHD and their families.”

When it comes to serving as a mentor herself, Chronis-Tuscano aims to inspire that same passion in her students, and to give them as many opportunities as possible, from hands on clinical work with individuals with ADHD of all ages, to grant-writing, manuscript writing and presenting at conferences and in the community.

“I try to expose my mentees to the aspects of what it means to be an academic clinical psychologist,” Chronis-Tuscano said. “I try to support whatever career trajectory they take, because there are many ways to work toward the goal of helping individuals with ADHD thrive across the lifespan.”

Another way in which Chronis-Tuscano followed in her mentor’s footsteps is that both she and Pelham before her were both presidents of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, as well as the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.

Chronis-Tuscano’s teaching, research and advocacy have a positive impact on countless people with ADHD and their broader support communities. She highlights the need for evidence-based treatments to reach diverse audiences. Reducing mental health disparities is a cornerstone of her efforts.

“I am devoted to disseminating information to lay audiences and training providers and school personnel who work with youth to ensure that evidence-based information about different treatments and approaches get out there,” Chronis-Tuscano said. “Like Dr. P, I never lose sight of my ultimate goal, to improve the lives of children with ADHD and their families.”

Along with Dr. Erin Raashel Jones, Chronis-Tuscano directs the UMD SUCCEEDS College ADHD Clinic. SUCCEEDS stands for: Students Understanding College Choices, Encouraging and Executing Decisions for Success. SUCCEEDS supports students through weekly group sessions led by a therapist, individualized academic and mental health coaching, supervised study halls, and more.

Chronis-Tuscano is an inspiration to her colleagues across the University of Maryland.

“It is entirely fitting that Andrea receive an award recognizing 'visionary' contributions. Her innovative and collaborative work has helped countless people of all ages effectively navigate life with ADHD. She also has empowered family members, educators, health professionals, and the public with expanded knowledge and effective tools,” said BSOS Dean Susan Rivera. “Andrea is also a dedicated mentor who is inspiring the next generation of researchers and practitioners. Our college is proud of her achievements and contributions.”

Published on Tue, Feb 25, 2025 - 11:23AM