WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) -

A professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington has been elected the 2017 president of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Antonio Puente, a psychology professor at UNCW, is the first person from the UNC system to ever be elected to the position. The only other person from North Carolina to be elected to the position was from Duke University, nearly 70 years ago.

“This is an extraordinary achievement,” said Julian Keith, Department of Psychology chair. “We are proud of Tony’s commitment to the APA and the enthusiasm that led him to seek the presidency of this national organization. His achievement is representative of the dedicated, highly qualified faculty who make up the UNCW Department of Psychology.” 

Born in Havana, Cuba, Puente received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Florida and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. He has lectured in more than a dozen foreign countries and holds appointments as a visiting professor at the Universidad de Granada (Spain), UCLA and UNC-Chapel Hill.

The American Psychological Association was founded in 1892, and Puente will hold the top leadership post during its 125th anniversary year. Prior to that, he will serve a one-year term as president-elect beginning Jan. 1, 2016.

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