Dr. Fred Millán, director of SUNY Old Westbury's Master's in Mental Health Counseling Program and Interim Psychology Department Chair, has been promoted by the State University of New York Board of Trustees to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor.
Among the highest ranks available to faculty within the SUNY system, the Distinguished Service Professorship is conferred upon instructional faculty having achieved a distinguished reputation for service not only to the campus and the University, but also to the community, the State of New York or even the nation, by sustained effort in the application of intellectual skills drawing from the candidate’s scholarly research interests to issues of public concern.
“All on our campus are very excited and proud that Dr. Fred Millán has earned this recognition,” said College President Timothy E. Sams in announcing the promotion. “His powerful and consistent commitment to this college, its students, and the cause of educational and professional development within the field of psychology has earned him the respect of colleagues and leaders both on and off campus.”
A member of the College’s faculty since 1990, Dr. Millán led the campus’ efforts to develop its Master of Science degree Mental Health Counseling, which launched in 2010. In 2020, he was one of 11 SUNY faculty and staff members statewide named as a fellow for the State University of New York Hispanic Leadership Institute, a group charged with developing and supporting the next generation of Hispanic/LatinX leaders throughout SUNY.
“I am humbled and honored to represent Old Westbury and its social justice and equity mission as a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor,” said Dr. Millán. “I look forward to working with the SUNY Distinguished Academy to continue to promote these issues within the university and within psychology.”
In addition to his various roles at Old Westbury, Dr Millán's currently serves as a member of the New York State Board for Licensure/Discipline, and as a trustee for The Trust, an independent trust offering insurance, financial security, and risk management programs for psychologists and related individuals nationwide. He is a former president of the Association of State & Provincial Psychology Boards and the National Latinx Psychological Association, former chair of the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee, former chair of the New York State Board for Psychology and former co-chair of the APA/ASPPB/Trust Joint Task Force on Telepsychology.
Millán, a resident of Bayside, Queens, has conducted numerous presentations, workshops and published articles on diversity issues in psychotherapy and clinical supervision; telepsychology; and ethics. Dr. Millán was the co-editor of “A Telepsychology Casebook: Using Technology Ethically and Effectively in Your Professional Practice.”