Congratulations Psychology Graduates 2022!

Dr. Balster received his B.A. in Psychology at the University of Minnesota in 1966 and went on to receive his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Houston in 1970. After post-doctoral training in Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Chicago and a short time on the faculty at Duke University, he moved to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he has been ever since. Currently, he is the Butler Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at VCU. He is a leading figure in scientific research on the prevention and treatment of addiction. From 1997 to 2013 he was the founding director of the VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies. Among many other professional awards, Dr. Balster received the 2009 Nathan B. Eddy lifetime achievement award for addiction research from the leading research society in this field, the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. In addition to his academic work, he has served as a scientific advisor for the World Health Organization and also for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), helping to lead the agency into evidence-based practices in preventing child mortality and promoting maternal health.