TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Anne McDonald Culp, professor of human development and family studies at The University of Alabama, was recently elected Division 37 president-elect for the American Psychological Association.

Culp, who will head the APA’s Division of Child, Youth, and Family Services, will be president in 2006 and past president in 2007. This division focuses on children’s mental health issues, child abuse, Head Start, child witnesses in court rooms, as well as media violence and other child and family issues.

“For many years APA has recognized child maltreatment as the national health epidemic that it is. However, the recognition that we must make gallant efforts to prevent it, rather than wait until it occurs, is clearly of critical importance. So, my goal within Division 37 of APA in those three years is to place the prevention of child abuse on the APA’s national agenda,” said Culp.

The American Psychological Association is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States. With more than 150,000 members, APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide.