Diane Janice Willis is an American psychologist who focuses on clinical adolescence and

child psychology Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, ...

. As of 2024 she is a

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center.

Early life and education

Diane Janice Willis was born on May 9, 1937 in Northern Oklahoma. Her father, William Paschal, was a teacher and high school principal, but when he met Willis' mother, Zelma Bynum Willis, he began to work for a business to provide for the family. Her family moved around, and eventually settled in

Tahlequah, Oklahoma Tahlequah ( ; , ) is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It is part of the Green Country region of Oklahoma and was established as a capital of the 19th-century Cherokee Nation in 1839, as p ...

. Willis graduated with a Bachelor's in Biology from

Northeastern State University Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university with its main campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The university also has two other campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow as well as online. Northeastern is the oldest institution of hig ...

in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and went on to get her Master's of Arts in Psychology from

George Peabody College Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education and Human Development (also known as Vanderbilt Peabody College, Peabody College, or simply Peabody) is the education school of Vanderbilt University, a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

in 1965. She decided she wanted to return home and was offered to start her PhD in University of Oklahoma's clinical training program where she worked with

Muzafer Sherif Muzafer Sherif (born Muzafer Şerif Başoğlu; July 29, 1906 – October 16, 1988) was a Turkish- American social psychologist. He helped develop social judgment theory and realistic conflict theory. Sherif was a founder of modern social psych ...

. In 1970 she was awarded her PhD in Psychology from the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

Career and research

In 1973 Diane became editor for the ''Society of Pediatric Psychology'' newsletter, which was later renamed the '' Journal of Pediatric Psychology''. After finishing her postdoctoral training from

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, is the health sciences branch of the University of Oklahoma. It serves as the primary place of training for many of Oklahoma's health professions. It is ...

, Willis took on the Chief Psychologist position at John W. Keys Speech and Hearing Center. From 1974 until around late 1975 Willis worked as a psychology consultant. She then accepted the position of Director of Psychological Services at the Child Study Center. Willis’s research focused on understanding how learning disabilities and outside factors affected their learning. She is also known for her work starting outreach programs for Native Americans.

Awards and recognition

In 1992 Willis received the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...

's Citizen Psychologist Presidential Citation for her leadership in elevating behavioral services that are available to children and families in Native American communities. In 2012 the Diane Willis Award for an outstanding article in the ''Journal of Pediatric Psychology'' was established. She received the Distinguished Professional Contribution to Clinical Psychology Award in 2017. Willis is a member of the Native American Kiowa tribe and was awarded the Indian Woman of the Year by the Oklahoma Federation of Indian Women.

Selected publications

* * * Review of ''Prevention of child maltreatment'' *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Diane Living people Northeastern State University alumni University of Oklahoma alumni Peabody College alumni Oklahoma State University faculty 1937 births Kiowa people American women psychologists