Patrick Tolan
American psychologist, academic, and author
Patrick Henry Tolan is an American psychologist, academic, and author. He is the Founding Director and now Emeritus Director of the Youth-Nex Center for Effective Youth Development, an Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and the Charles S. Robb Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia.
Tolan's research has focused on theory, methods, and policy, related to prevention of child and adolescent mental health and behavior problems and promotion of healthy development. The first half of his career focused on sound risk prediction and testing innovative intervention to prevent delinquency, violence, and related problems of youth. He later shifted to focus on how positive development is promoted. His contributions illuminated a developmental ecology perspective, family dynamics, and community factors that influence youth and adolescent well-being. His scholarly contributions include large-scale randomized-control studies and publications in journals such as Development and Psychopathology, Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, and Journal of Family Psychology. He has also authored book chapters and edited books, including Preventing Youth Substance Abuse: Science-based Programs for Children and Adolescents.
On January 16, 2010, Chicago's City Council and Mayor declared "Patrick H. Tolan Day" in honor of Tolan's contributions to children's and families' mental health. He has also been listed among the Top 2% of Scientists, received the Presidential Award from the Society for Prevention Research (SPR), and the Nicholas Hobbs Award from APA.
Prior to founding the Youth-Nex Center for Effective Youth Development at the University of Virginia, for ten years, Tolan served as director of the Institute for Juvenile Research at the University of Illinois.
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