Psychology Alumni, Dr. Andrew Craig Elected President of APA's Behavior Analysis Division

Dr. Andrew Craig, a distinguished professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University, has been appointed as the next President of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 25: Behavior Analysis. His term, starting in 2025, will mark a new chapter in his extensive career in behavior analysis.

Dr. Craig has been an active member of Division 25 since 2021, initially serving as a Member at Large and Chair of the Awards Committee. In this role, he had the opportunity to learn more about the innovative projects students in the field are working on and had the opportunity to spotlight them and their accomplishments. He also worked closely with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to increase representation of diverse populations among our award nominees and voters, “the undertaking is near and dear to me, and I hope that it helps, even a little, to keep the field moving in a direction that embraces and celebrates all the members of our scientific and practicing community.” As President, Dr. Craig is looking forward to helping direct activities and to build stronger connections between Division 25 and other psychology disciplines.

Dr. Craig’s journey in behavior analysis was kickstarted at USU, where he was influenced by Dr. Timothy Shahan’s research on behavior theories. “I was hooked by behavior analysis as an undergraduate because it just made sense to me… I was particularly interested in my advisor’s, Tim Shahan’s, work because it takes prediction one step further. Among other really cool contributions to the field, Tim develops behavior theories that are so precise that you can actually graph exactly what behavior should look like over sessions of an experiment.”

In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Craig specializes in basic behavioral research on drug addiction and the assessment and treatment of behaviors of concern in children and oversees the Master’s degree program at SUNY Upstate. His diverse career underscores his commitment to both clinical application and theoretical research.

For students pursuing a degree in psychology, Dr. Craig offers valuable advice. “Pursue opportunities that will help you figure out what lights your fire and pursue that. Psychology is a big, broad field, and you can do a lot of things with a psychology degree. When I was an undergraduate, I initially felt overwhelmed by the possibilities in front of me. So, I started working in research labs, teaching, and taking classes that were outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes those experiences weren’t for me, but that was really good information to have! Part of figuring out what you really DO like is figuring out what you really DON’T like. Take advantage of all of the experiences USU offers.”

Dr. Craig reflects on his time at USU, and shares that,” Tim Shahan, was and still is one of the most influential people in my life. He helped me to develop a strong skillset as a researcher, and he also taught me how to pursue questions and ideas that are important to me at full speed. Amy Odum, Greg Madden, and the rest of the graduate faculty I trained with were all incredible mentors. The cohort of students I studied with became my academic family. We bonded over challenging articles we read in our seminar, learned from our collective successes and failures in the lab, and supported one another through comps, theses, and dissertations.”

“Attending graduate school in the Psychology Department at USU was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I'm grateful for the incredible opportunities my training has afforded me.”