Rodney R. Baker, Ph.D., a retired faculty member at UT Health San Antonio, will receive the Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Practice of Psychology from the American Psychological Foundation.
The award will be presented at the 125th Annual Convention of the association on Aug. 4.
In 1977, Dr. Baker became the chief of psychology at the San
Antonio VA and was appointed clinical associate professor
in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas
Health Science Center at San Antonio. Through a 40-year career, Dr. Baker served in a variety of leadership roles in the VA, including president of the Association of VA Chief Psychologists.
Another career highlight was Dr. Baker’s contributions to
community programs. From 1980 to 2003, he helped train
over 1,300 volunteers for a telephone counseling program of
the United Way of San Antonio, receiving many awards for
his assistance in that program.
Baker retired from the VA in 2004 with a Distinguished
Career Award from the Secretary of the Department of