UMRA member John L. Romano was honored at last year’s American Psychological Association (APA) Convention for the best paper published in 2020 in the Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion. As of mid-January 2022, his paper, “Politics of Prevention: Reflections From the COVID-19 Pandemic,” had been downloaded more than 8,400 times.

Romano is professor emeritus of counseling psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology. His article emphasized the importance of adapting prevention applications to the intended recipients, especially ethnic and cultural groups, during the pandemic.

Romano retired in 2015. His continuing professional work was supported by UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees (PDGR) program. A 2018 grant allowed him to attend the APA conference where he organized an international session of scholars in prevention science which, in turn, grew into the COVID paper.

“The PDGR funds certainly helped to support my continuing professional activities,” Romano said. “The funds are a valuable source of financial support, and they encourage retired faculty to maintain scholarly activities. The activities not only benefit the faculty member, but also demonstrate the University of Minnesota’s commitment to retired faculty and staff.” 

The PDGR awards for 2022 will be announced in March. 

—Will Craig, Communication & Outreach Committee member