UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Max Crowley, associate professor of human development and family studies, and public policy, and director of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at Penn State, was recently elected to the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice’s board of directors.

Formed in 1924 as the American Society for Orthopsychiatry, the Global Alliance informs policy, practice and research regarding issues of behavioral health, social justice and well-being. It was formed as a common meeting ground for individuals engaged in the interdisciplinary research and practice of human development and applies principles of social justice to a wide range of issues affecting children, adolescents, adults, families, schools, community mental health and life-span development.

“I am honored for the opportunity to represent Penn State on the board of directors and look forward to contributing to its mission of achieving social justice through translation of scientific evidence by leaders around the world,” said Crowley

The Global Alliance is an interdisciplinary membership organization of individuals committed to addressing some of society’s most challenging issues through research, policy development and practice. For nearly 100 years, the Global Alliance has promoted an understanding of behavioral health concerns in their social context. As an interdisciplinary society, it is comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, sociologists, public health professionals, lawyers and educators.

Crowley directs the Social Science Research Institute’s Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC), a research center studying the science of scientific impact — aiming to improve the relevance, value and use of research evidence to improve societal well-being. The EIC offers expertise and research infrastructure in administrative data, intervention design, program evaluation and optimization, as well as research translation.