On April 28th, 2022, the OSU Department of Psychology was delighted to honor Dr. Janelle Wagner as the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Pediatric Psychology Alumnus Award for her significant and longstanding contributions to the field of pediatric psychology, including her research, support, and advocacy for children with epilepsy and their families. Dr. Wagner received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2004. She completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at the Medical University of South Carolina where she currently holds the rank of Research Associate Professor.
For the past 19 years, Dr. Wagner has dedicated her research career to focusing on behavioral health assessment and intervention in pediatric epilepsy. She has been funded by the Epilepsy Foundation, NIH, and the CDC and has over 100 peer reviewed publications. Dr. Wagner serves in leadership positions within the national and international epilepsy professional communities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Society of Pediatric Psychology, American Academy of Neurology, International League Against Epilepsy, and American Epilepsy Society. In her free time, Dr. Wagner enjoys traveling, watching her boys play soccer, practicing yoga, and participating in a book club.
During her visit, Dr. Wagner presented a colloquium, Pediatric Epilepsy Across the
Spectrum of My Life: A Career Path Less Traveled, as part the ongoing Sol Goldman Colloquia series. Dr. Wagner presented an overview of her career path. Dr. Wagner discussed her innovative, trailblazing research in pediatric epilepsy, including her NIH-funded research bringing psychosocial care and self-management to focus within pediatric epilepsy. Dr. Wagner also described how her personal life experiences with family illness and grief have impacted her career trajectory. Dr. Wagner shared her values for maintaining personal well-being and contributing to advocacy.
After her presentation, Dr. Wagner was honored with a department reception and formally presented the Center for Pediatric Psychology Distinguished Alumnus Award. The Center for Pediatric Psychology looks forward to continuing to honor exceptional alumni such as Dr. Wagner in the future.
Dr. Wagner’s visit was supported by the Vaughn Vennerberg Endowment for Children with Developmental Disabilities, the Sol Goldman Trust, and the Center for Pediatric Psychology at OSU.
