M. Dolores Cimini, PhD

Dr. M. Dolores Cimini is a New York State licensed psychologist and director of the Center for Behavioral Health Promotion and Applied Research at the University at Albany, State University of New York. She is also the director of the nationally recognized Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program. Cimini has led comprehensive efforts in research-to-practice translation at the University at Albany for the past 30 years with over $10 million in support from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, and New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. The screening and brief intervention program developed by Cimini, the STEPS Comprehensive Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention Program, has earned 13 national awards for best practices and innovation in behavioral health care. Cimini has co-edited two books, including a volume focused on college student health and well-being entitled Promoting Behavioral Health and reducing Risk Among College Students: A Comprehensive Approach (2018) and Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Substance Use: A Practitioner’s Guide (2020).

Cimini has served as a member of the National Advisory Council of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration from 2015-2019 and is currently a member of the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. She served on the governance board of the American Psychological Association, where she is a former Chair of the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest. In this role, she has had leadership for reviewing and disseminating APA’s practice standards focused on serving diverse and underrepresented groups and the addressing of issues related to psychology and social justice. 

In 2012, Cimini was recognized by President Barack Obama for her work in promoting access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for women with disabilities and for serving as a role model as a person with a disability. In 2014, she received a presidential citation from the American Psychological Association for her contributions to the psychology field and her advocacy on behalf of persons with disabilities in the STEM sciences. In 2018, Cimini earned a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM).