Harvard Catalyst Profiles

Gerald P. Koocher completed his B.A. degree in Psychology at Boston University, and his MA and PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Missouri. From 1971 through 2001 he served successively as an intern, post-doctoral fellow, and ultimately as Chief of Psychology at Boston's Children's Hospital and Judge Baker Children's Center. During this period he also served as a full time faculty member (Associate Professor) at Harvard Medical School. In June, 2001 Dr. Koocher became Professor and Dean of the School for Health Studies at Simmons College (Boston). He later served as Associate Provost at Simmons and became Dean Emeritus at Simmons in 2013. In June of 2013 he became Dean of the College of Science and Health at DePaul University in Chicago. He returns to Massachusetts frequently and continues to hold a medical staff appointment at Children's Hospital and as Lecturer in Psychology at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Koocher was elected a Fellow of twelve divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has earned five specialty diplomas from the American Boards of Professional Psychology (Clinical, Clinical Child /Adolescent, Family, Forensic, and Health Psychology). He has been licensed as a psychologist in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia.

Currently Editor of the journal Ethics & Behavior, Dr. Koocher previously served as Editor of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology and The Clinical Psychologist. He has published more than 350 articles and book chapters and authored or edited 17 books.

Areas of his expertise include:

• Adaptation to chronic and life-threatening illness in childhood (especially cancer, cystic fibrosis, and diabetes).

• Coping with bereavement and loss, psychological assessment.

• Professional and scientific ethics, and mental health malpractice.

Very active in professional affairs, Dr. Koocher served as President of the Massachusetts and New England Psychological Associations and of four APA divisions (Clinical Psychology, Pediatric Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Children, Youth, and Family Services). He served as President of the APA (2006).