Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient
College of Education and Human Development, June 10, 2026
Professor Emeritus Dante Cicchetti earned a PhD in clinical psychology and child development from the University of Minnesota in 1977. In 2005, he returned to the University of Minnesota to become the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Child Psychology, a position he held until his retirement in 2023. Professor Emeritus Cicchettti is widely recognized as a leading architect of the discipline of developmental psychopathology, transforming approaches to mental health
for children and adolescents. This field shifted the understanding of children’s mental health to a biopsychosocial approach, viewing typical and atypical development as intertwined and focusing on how trauma and adversity impact development and resilience. His influence is marked by his prolific scholarship (over 800 papers, h-index of 184), founding the defining journal Development and Psychopathology, and establishing the globally renowned Mount Hope Family
Center to integrate research and interventions for children. Professor Emeritus Cicchetti’s work has secured over $30 million in federal funds and $94 million for the Mount Hope Family Center. He has received virtually every major honor in his field, including the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize (2012) and most recently, the American Psychological Foundation’s Gold Medal for Impact in Psychology (2025). Professor Emeritus Cicchetti's career has been transformative -
his scholarship, leadership, and mentorship have profoundly reshaped the field of psychology and improved the lives of countless children and families around the world.
Biographies are as-of time of award presentation.