Rate My Professor Rebecca Allen

Rebecca S. Allen is Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at The University of Alabama, serving as Executive Director of the Alabama Research Institute on Aging (ARIA). She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis in 1994 and is board-certified in Clinical Geropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology as of January 2025. A first-generation scholar, Dr. Allen is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the American Psychological Association Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging). She serves as President of APA Division 20 since August 2025, member of the APA Committee on Aging (2023-2025), and contributes to the Society of Clinical Geropsychology and the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs. She teaches specialty courses in geropsychology and supervises clinical training.

Dr. Allen's primary research concentration is clinical geropsychology, with a secondary focus in clinical health psychology. Her interests encompass clinical training issues such as substance and opioid use disorders, empowering underserved communities through partnerships to address health and mental health disparities, interventions to reduce stress for caregivers of those with advanced chronic or terminal illnesses, and cultural dynamics (race/ethnicity, rural/urban) influencing healthcare and financial decision-making. With over 150 publications, key works include the edited book Perspectives on Behavioural Interventions in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (Routledge, 2018); "Substance use screening in geriatric primary care: Cultural issues and alcohol consumption in the Deep South" (Clinical Gerontologist, 2024); "Pet ownership is associated with greater cognitive and brain health in a cross-sectional sample across the adult lifespan" (Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2022); and "Preparation and planning for future care in the Deep South: Adapting a validated tool for cultural sensitivity" (The Gerontologist, 2019). Her contributions advance ethical interprofessional practices, dignity interventions, and advance care planning diversity. Dr. Allen has received the University of Alabama President's Faculty Research Award (2019) and the Excellence in Community Engagement Award (2016).