Two members of the Psychology faculty at SUNY Old Westbury were inducted as Fellows recently by the American Psychological Association.
Fred Millán, interim dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and distinguished service professor in Psychology, and Lorenz S. Neuwirth, professor of Psychology, were recognized for their national and international contributions advancing the field of psychology during the APA’s annual conference in August in Denver, Colorado.
Earning Fellow status from the American Psychological Association (APA) is an honor bestowed upon members of the organization who have shown evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology.
Millán and Neuwirth are now the second and third members of the campus’ Psychology faculty to be inducted as APA Fellows. The first APA Fellow from SUNY Old Westbury was F. Michler Bishop, professor emeritus.
"Having three APA Fellows emerge from SUNY Old Westbury is a significant achievement that highlights the exceptional quality of education provided by the Psychology Department to both undergraduate and graduate students," said David Lanoue, provost at SUNY Old Westbury.
The APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with 173,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as its members and supporters. Its mission is to promote the advancement, communication, and application of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.
About Dr. Fred Millán
A member of the SUNY Old Westbury faculty since 1990, Millán was promoted in 2021 to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor, among the highest faculty ranks with the State University of New York system.
A bilingual Latinx psychologist and founder of the campus’ Mental Health Counseling graduate degree program, he has been recognized numerous times for his work and commitment to advancing the discipline.
Most recently he was presented by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists with its 2023 Alfred M. Wellner Lifetime Achievement Award for Practice, the highest honor bestowed by the organization credentialed psychologists who demonstrate -- via clinical innovation, outreach, legislation, community engagement, or policy and social advocacy -- that they have advanced the standing of health service psychology.
His impressive record to the profession includes service as the former president of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), former chair of the New York State Board for Psychology, former president of the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA), and former chair of the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee. Additionally, he has received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Millán currently serves as president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity & Race (APA Div 45), chair of the American Insurance Trust Board of Trustees; member of the University Advisory Council on Distinguished Service Professorship ; member of the New York State Board for Licensure/Discipline; Chair, EPPP-I Domain 8 (Ethical/Legal/Professional Issues) Item Writing Committee; and APA Division 45delegate to the Coalition of National Racial and Ethnic Psychology Associations; and member of the NLPA Council of Past-Presidents. Dr. Millán is a Fellow of ASPPB, the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Academia de Liderazgo, and the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute, the Society of Counseling Psychology and the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race.
About Dr. Lorenz S. Neuwirth
A member of the SUNY Old Westbury faculty since 2015, Neuwirth is a tenured professor in the campus’ Psychology Department. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he conducts research focused on Biopsychology, Developmental Behavioral Neuroscience and Neuropsychology through the SUNY Neuroscience Research Institute, based on the Nassau County, New York, campus.
In 2025, he earned a Business Higher Education Forum Faculty Innovation Fellowship. As one of 28 Business Higher Education Forum Faculty Innovation Fellows in 2025 -- an intensive nine-month experience designed to align education with industry needs, acquire critical skills to grow and sustain the innovation and leadership skills for faculty, and ultimately enhance student success outcomes through the creation of new industry partnerships.
In collaboration with Bright U. Emenike, Ph.D., an associate professor of Chemistry and Physics at SUNY Old Westbury, Neuwirth has submitted two provisional patents for psychopharmacological treatments to ameliorate low-level lead poisoning through taurine and its derivatives. Neuwirth was appointed in 2024 by New York State Govenor Kathy Hochul to serve as an Educator Member for the New York State Advisory Council on Lead Poisoning Prevention. He continues to actively serve the state supporting new bills, policies, and legislation protecting people (especially children) from lead poisoning source exposures broadly defined.
In 2022, Neuwirth was recognized by the APA with the Early Career Psychopharmacologist Award. The award, given by Division 28 Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse, recognized him for his work on developing new preclinical pharmacological treatments addressing issues posed by lead poisoning. In 2018 he was also recognized by the APA with the “Brenda Milner Award” from Division 6 the Society for Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology for his breakthrough research on identifying lead poisoning effects on the frontal lobes of the brain and recovering it with taurine.