Psychology Professor Recognized
For Early Contributions

The prestigious international award is given to researchers who have had PhD's for less than five years and have made outstanding contributions to law and psychology. It is awarded by the American Psychology-Law Society (a division of the American Psychology Association) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. The award also carries a $2,000 honorarium.

Edens, who joined the SHSU psychology department in 1998, earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Texas A&M University in 1996. He also completed a two year post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology with the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida in August 1998.

While in Florida he served as project coordinator for the Florida Department of Corrections Dual Disorder Treatment Program and a co-project director for a study designed to develop a psychological tool to assess criminal defendants' competence to proceed to trial.

His current projects at Sam Houston State include the evaluation of a program designed to train monitors who supervise sex offenders released into the community. This project is funded by the Violence Against Women Office, Office of Justice Programs. He is also involved with research projects relating to the evaluation of psychological tests used to screen incarcerated sex offenders.

He has written numerous books, chapters, articles and manuals on release decision making and planning for offenders, psychopathic personality disorder, addictive behaviors, aggression and violent behavior in children and adults, and psychological evaluation. He currently serves as associate editor for the "American Psychology-Law Society News."

During the 1999-2000 academic year Edens provided forensic services at the Psychological Services Center on the SHSU campus. He has also supervised clinical services provided by doctoral students at the PSC, as well as various off-site placements including the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Sex Offender Treatment Program, Gateway Dual Diagnosis Program, and the Texas Youth Commission Hamilton School.

Edens will receive the Saleem Shah Award in August at the American Psychology Association conference in San Francisco.

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SHSU Media Contact: Julia May
Feb. 15, 2001
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