What’s Smoking Got to Do with It? Improving the Health of Priority Populations by Treating Tobacco Use

Dr. Westley Clark is the Dean’s Executive Professor of Public Health, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA. He is the former Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Clark led the agency's efforts to provide effective and accessible treatment to all Americans with addictive disorders. Dr. Clark's areas of expertise include substance abuse treatment, methadone maintenance, pain management, dual diagnosis, psychopharmacology, anger management, and medical and legal issues. He is also a noted author, clinician, teacher and spokesperson in the field of addiction and forensic psychiatry.

Dr. Clark has received numerous awards for his contribution to the field of substance abuse treatment, including the 2008 President of the United States of America, Rank of Distinguished Executive in the Senior Executive Service Award in recognition of his personal commitment to excellence in government and public service. In 2003, he was honored with Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive Award for his sustained superior accomplishments in management of programs of the United States Government and for noteworthy achievement of quality and efficiency in the public service. Dr. Clark was also awarded the 2008 John P. McGovern Award from the American Society of Addiction Medicine for his contributions toward increased understanding of the relationship between addiction and society.

Dr. Clark received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Harvard University Law School. Dr. Clark received his board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in psychiatry and sub-specialty certifications in addiction psychiatry. Dr. Clark is licensed to practice medicine in California, Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan. He is also a member of the Washington, D.C., Bar Association.

Lula Beatty, Ph.D., is the Senior Director, Health Disparities, American Psychological Association (APA). She is responsible for the development and implementation of APA’s strategic initiative on health disparities including the conceptualization of initiative goals and translation into programs and activities and the development of resources and collaborations to support initiative goals. Specific responsibilities include the management of two working groups on health disparities in boys and men and stress and health disparities and a dissemination project on tobacco health disparities. Until 2012 she served as Director of the Special Populations Office, Office of the Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH where she was responsible for the overall administration of diversity and health disparities programs such as the Diversity Supplement Program and the Seminar Series, an early-career research mentoring workshop, and special initiatives, e.g., Southern Africa Initiative and African Americans and criminal justice. Before joining NIDA, she was Director of Research at the Institute for Urban Affairs and Research, Howard University. An APA member, she is a Fellow in the Society of Women in Psychology and the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, has served as President of the Section of the Psychology of Black Women and member of the Committee on Women in Psychology, and is a member of the executive committee of the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology. She is also a member of the Association of Black Psychologists, the American Public Health Association, and Sisters of the Academy.

She received her B.A. from Lincoln University (PA) and her doctoral degree in psychology from Howard University.