Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD

Clinical and community psychologist, policymaker, and health care innovator Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States.

Evans previously served in public policy positions in Philadelphia and Connecticut, where he led the transformation of their behavioral health systems and their approaches to serving a wide range of individuals with complex needs. An unconventional leader, Evans has employed science, research, community activism, spirituality, traditional clinical care, policy and cross-system collaborations to change the status quo around behavioral health.

Evans has also held faculty appointments at Yale University’s and the University of Pennsylvania’s Schools of Medicine, and he has been the author or co-author of over 60 peer-reviewed research articles and of numerous chapters, reviews and editorials. Over the years he has received national and international recognition, including the American Medical Association’s top government service award in healthcare, the Lisa Mojer-Torres Award from Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the Visionary Leadership Award from the National Council of Behavioral Health, as well as being named as an “Advocate for Action” by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. A major emphasis of his career has been equity and social justice and he has received multiple awards named for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for this work.