The Provost’s Office is pleased to announce that Professor Maria Valdovinos, professor of psychology, has been appointed a Levitt Distinguished Professor of Psychology.

The Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professorship has long been an important way to recognize and reward superior performance by Drake University faculty members. The criteria for selection includes teaching effectiveness as demonstrated by teaching in a classroom setting and/or mentoring in an experiential learning setting, professional contributions through scholarly activity, demonstrated leadership, consulting activities, and contributions to the mission of the department, college and university.

Some highlights from her nomination packet:

Dr. Valdovinos has a Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She specializes in the application of behavior analysis to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She teaches multiple courses within her areas of expertise including lower division classes appropriate for first and second year students as well as upper level seminars appropriate for students of junior and senior level standing. Students often describe Professor Valdovinos as a “fantastic teacher” and a “phenomenal professor”. She is also an outstanding mentor, guiding students in meaningful scholarly endeavors and applied learning experiences.

Dr. Valdovinos has an exemplary record of scholarly accomplishments that is programmatic, high quality, and impactful.  Her research integrates basic and applied scientific methods, examining how psychotropic medication affect problem behaviors.  She was named a Fellow of the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Drake students appear as co-authors on most of her presentations and publications.  She has been principal investigator on two large federal research grants, and she has been named both a Troyer Fellow and a Centennial Scholar. 

Dr. Valdovinos has contributed significantly to the University, College and Department through her service activities.  She served as Director of DUSCI for a year and a half, on the Faculty Senate, and the A&S Promotion and Tenure Committee.  She has also provided substantial service to her profession and to the community.  She is currently the associate editor for Behavioral Development and serves on the board of editors for the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Behavior Analysis:  Research and Practice. She is a member of the National Board of Directors for the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts. And she was awarded the Madelyn Levitt Distinguished Community Service Award in 2014.

Dr. Valdovinos worked relentlessly to establish the Applied Behavior Analysis graduate program at Drake.  This was accomplished through her efforts at securing funding from the State of Iowa This program produces trained behavior analysts to address the treatment needs of children and adults with autism and behavior disorders.

We congratulate Professor Maria Valdovinos on her selection as a Levitt Distinguished  Professor of Psychology.

— Arthur Sanders, Associate Provost