Dr. Barbara Jean McManamy Byrne
Senior Vice President Emeritus for Academic Affairs
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

As Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Barbara Byrne has demonstrated a dedication to the pursuit of academic excellence and support of PCOM's partnerships with USP. Dr. Byrne has been a central contributor and collaborator in PCOM's successful partnerships with the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, regarded as a valuable colleague and supporter of joint efforts in Physician Assistant Studies and Health Policy graduate programs.

Dr. Byrne earned an undergraduate degree in Biology from Blackburn College and pursued graduate study at Indiana University, earning a Master of Arts in Zoology, and a PhD in Genetics. Her initial teaching career focused on Genetics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Science Writing. Dr. Byrne is known for her focus in the area of innovative science pedagogy: a belief in education whereby faculty members enhance their teaching and contribution to society by remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in research. She has served as Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Richard Stockton College of NJ, Associate Dean and Professor of Biology at Wells College, and as a Research Scholar at Indiana University and Cornell University.

Dr. Byrne's extensive involvement with the Council on Undergraduate Research - leading workshops; co-editing the organization's quarterly publication and publishing several articles addressing the funding challenges and administrative responsibilities to undergraduate research best articulates her dedication to teaching in undergraduate education. Through her early involvement with programs such as the Extramural Associate of the National Institute of Health, and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Fund's Summer Program for High School Biology Teachers, Dr. Byrne worked to broaden the scope of participation in cutting edge biomedical and behavioral research and research training to include faculty from under-represented minority and women's institutions as well as secondary school educators.

Dr. Byrne's professional activities include an Advisory position with the South Carolina Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence Program as well as service to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Dr. Byrne is an active member of the Philadelphia Math and Science Coalition Steering Committee; the Council on Chiropractic Education Task Force on Standards, and is the current Commissioner on Chiropractic Education.

Dr. Byrne has been the honored recipient and administrator of numerous grants from the National Science Foundation, including a 1994 Academic Research Infrastructure Grant. Further honors include a National Institutes of Health AREA (Academic Research Enhancement Award) Grant and the AT&T Grant for Women and Minorities in Science.

Honorary Degree Recipient
Dr. Aaron T. Beck

Aaron T. Beck, M.D., is the President of the non-profit Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, and University Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Brown University (1942) and Yale Medical School (1946). Dr. Beck developed cognitive therapy in the early 1960s as a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania. He had previously studied and practiced psychoanalysis. A researcher and scientist at heart, Dr. Beck designed and carried out a number of experiments to test psychoanalytic concepts of depression. Fully expecting research would validate these fundamental precepts, he was surprised to find the opposite. This research led him to begin to look for other ways of conceptualizing depression. Working with depressed patients, he found that they experienced streams of negative thoughts that seemed to pop up spontaneously. He termed these cognitions "automatic thoughts," and discovered that their content fell into three categories: negative ideas about themselves, the world and the future.? He began helping patients identify and evaluate these thoughts and found that by doing so, patients were able to think more realistically, which led them to feel better emotionally and behave more functionally.

Since that time, Dr. Beck and his colleagues worldwide have researched the efficacy of this form of psychotherapy in treating a wide variety of disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, drug abuse, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and? many medical conditions with psychological components. Some of his most recent work has focused on cognitive therapy for schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and for patients who are repeat suicide attempters.

The recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Dr. Beck is the only psychiatrist to receive research awards from both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. He is also a senior member of the Institute of Medicine and a recipient of the 2003 Sarnat International Award in Mental Health and the 2004 Grawemeyer Award for his role as "a revolutionary in psychology". Dr. Beck has published over 500 articles, authored or co-authored seventeen books, and lectured throughout the world. He has been named one of the "Americans in history who shaped the face of American Psychiatry"1 and one of the "five most influential psychotherapists of all time" by The American Psychologist (July 1989).

Dr. Beck is the Honorary President of the non-profit Academy of Cognitive Therapy, an organization of over 500 cognitive therapists worldwide. As part of its mission, the Academy supports continuing education and research in cognitive therapy, provides a valuable resource in cognitive therapy for professionals and the public at large, and actively works towards the identification and certification of clinicians skilled in cognitive therapy.

Among his many activities, Dr. Beck is currently involved in a number of research studies at Penn, and conducts biweekly Case Conferences at Beck Institute for area psychiatric residents, graduate students, and mental health professionals.

1 Talbott, J.A. (2002). Dix Personalit Qui Ont Chang le Visage de la Psychiatric Amricaine. L'Information Psychiatrique, 78(7), 667-675.

Awards and Honors

1942	Brown University Phi Beta Kappa Francis Wayland Scholar Gaston Award (for Oratory) Bennet Essay Prize
1948	Rhode Island Medical Society Award for Research
1978	Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists: Distinguished Researcher Award
1979	American Psychiatric Association: Foundation's Fund Prize for Research in Psychiatry
1983	American Psychopathological Association: Paul Hoch Award
1983	American Association of Suicidology: Louis Dublin Award for Suicide Research
1987	Royal College of Psychiatrists, Fellow
1989	American Psychological Association: Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology
1989	Brown University: William Rogers Award
1991	National Institute of Mental Health Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award for Research Grant #MH47383 Risk Factors for Suicide in Psychiatric Outpatients
1991	American Suicide Foundation, Research Award for Lifetime Work on Hopelessness and Suicide
1992	Harvard University: The Karen Stone Lectureship
1992	New York Academy of Medicine: Honoree, Thomas William Salmon Award
1992	Albert Einstein College of Medicine The Einstein Award in Psychiatry
1993	American Psychological Society James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award in Applied Psychology
1995	Assumption College, Doctor of Humane Letters (Honorary)
1996	California Psychological Association, Lifetime Achievement Award
1996	Society for Psychotherapy Research, Distinguished Scientist Award
1996	Belmont Behavioral Health System, Outstanding Researcher Award
1997	The Nicholas & Dorothy Cummings Foundation Cummings PSYCHE Award for Lifetime Achievement
1997	Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Senior Member
1998	Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy Lifetime Achievement Award
1999	Society for Research in Psychopathology The Joseph Zubin Award for Distinguished Contributions in Psychopathology
1999	Brown University, Distinguished Scientific Award for The Study and Treatment of Mental Disorders
2000	American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Greater Philadelphia Chapter, for Outstanding and Innovative Research into the Detection and Treatment of Suicidal Individuals
2001	Heinz Award for the Human Condition
2001	Philadelphia Psychiatric Society Lifetime Achievement Award
2001	Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute: Brickell Award
2002	Yale University: Cherlin Lectureship
2002	Treatment and Research Advancements National Association for Personality Disorders First TARA Exemplary Achievement Award
2003	Institute of Medicine Sarnat Award
2004	University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology
2005	International Academy for Suicide Research - Morselli Medal for Lifetime of Research in the Field of Suicide
2006	American Psychiatric Association - Adolf Meyer Award
2006	University of Pennsylvania Health System Strecker Award for outstanding contribution in the field of clinical psychiatry
2006	American Foundation for Suicide Prevention ? Lifetime Achievement Award
2006	Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research
2006	Gustav O. Lienhard Award