Awards

Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award - William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES

2020 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award

William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES

Oustanding Educator in Diabetes Award Lecture
"Tedious, Tiresome, and Dull - An Unrecognized Problem That We Can Solve"

William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES, is the recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award. This award recognizes a distinguished health professional who has made outstanding educational efforts in the field of diabetes. Dr. Polonsky will present the Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award Lecture on Saturday, June 13. 

Dr. Polonsky is president and cofounder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, the world’s first organization dedicated to studying and addressing the unmet psychological needs of people with diabetes, and associate clinical professor in medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Yale University and served as senior psychologist at Joslin Diabetes Center, faculty member at Harvard Medical School, and chairman of the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators.  

An active researcher in the field of behavioral diabetes, Dr. Polonsky has authored or coauthored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications focusing on quality of life in diabetes, diabetes-related distress, hypoglycemic fear, influence of diabetes technology on quality of life, and attitudes and behavior regarding cardiometabolic medications and glucose monitoring.

A licensed clinical psychologist and certified diabetes care and education specialist, Dr. Polonsky has authored books for lay audiences, including Diabetes Burnout: What to Do When You Can’t Take it Anymore, and coedited several others for healthcare professionals. In 2014, he received the American Diabetes Association’s Richard R. Rubin Award for distinguished contributions to behavioral medicine and psychology.   

Please join us in celebrating William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES, for outstanding contributions to diabetes education and care.