Diane J. Willis

Education

1960 Earned a baccalaureate degree in biology at Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, OK
1961 Received Medical Technology training from St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, OK
1964 Earned a master’s degree in psychology with a minor in special education from George Peabody College in Nashville, TN
1970 Earned a doctorate in experimental psychology with a major emphasis in child psychology from the University of Oklahoma

Focused much of her effort on children with developmental disorders especially children who have been abused
Became Director of Psychological Services at the Child Study Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Was elected president-elect of the Society of Pediatric Psychology
Helped establish the Child Protection Committee at the Child Study Center just after the Child Abuse Act was passed in the 1970’s
Was the Associate Editor of the Pediatric Psychology Newsletter for one year and then became editor from 1973-75
1975-76 Developed the Newsletter into a journal, and was the first editor of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology
1977-1982 Appointed editor of the Journal of Clinical Child Psychology
Co-founded, with her staff, the Parents Assistance Center to provide vitally needed therapy and parenting skills
Along with Logan Wright, the first person of American Indian background to become President of the APA, met with Oklahoma officials to explain the need for Medicaid payment for the therapy and assessment of children
As a result, Oklahoma became the first state to reimburse mental health services under Medicaid
2005-2006 President-elect for the American Orthopsychiatry Association
Worked closely with the American Indian Institute to develop Early Head Start programming in Indian Country

2000 Indian Woman of the Year from the Oklahoma Federation of Indian Women
1993 Nicholas Hobbs Award for Distinguished Child Advocacy from Division 37 of the APA
1992 Karl F. Heiser Award for Distinguished Child Advocacy from the APA
1989 Distinguished Psychologist Citation Award from the Oklahoma Psychological Association
1982-83 Distinguished Contribution Award from the Society of Pediatric Psychology from Division 12 of the APA