Charles R. Figley

Charles R. Figley, Ph.D.

Biographical Academic Description, 2022

Charles R. Figley is the Paul Henry Kurzweg Chair in Disaster Mental Health at Tulane University. Dr. Figley joined the faculty in 2008 as its Distinguished Professor and Kurzweg Chair. Prior to Tulane, Dr. Figley served as a senior Professor and Director of the Traumatology Institute at Florida State University (FSU). Before FSU, Dr. Figley attained full professor status in 1983 at Purdue University with a joint appointment as professor of psychological sciences. While at Purdue Dr. Figley established the Purdue University Family Research Institute which led to numerous innovative and influential studies. He was appointed Book Review Editor by the American Journal of Family Therapy (1981-1996) and Book Series Co-Editor with Therese Rando for Innovations in Psychology (1995-2003). Dr. Figley was named Founding Editor of the Journal of Family Psychotherapy and the Journal of Traumatic Stress. The latter became the official organizational journal of the Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. And his Psychosocial Stress Book Series, established in 1978, continues with Routledge.

At FSU Professor Figley served as the senior professor and specializing psychosocial health and trauma (impacting individuals and families). He was elected Director of the accredited PhD Program in Marriage and Family Therapy. His psychosocial stress research program led to establishing the first Traumatology Institute in 1997 which was connected to the emergence of the field of trauma. The Institute was recognized in 2000 as the best program of its kind by the University Continuing Education Association.

Charles Figley helped establish and served as the first editor of three journals: Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 1983-1990 (Haworth Press); Founding Editor of the Journal of Traumatic Stress by the Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and Plenum (initial publisher), 1987-1992, and; Founding Editor of Traumatology, the International Journal by the Green Cross Academy (currently published by the American Psychological Association) in 1995. Professor Figley served as Editor of three book series. They include: Editor (Founder) of the Routledge Psychosocial Stress Book Series, 1978-present; Editor (Founder), Innovations in Psychology Book Series, 1995-2003 (CRC Press); Co-Editor (Founder) with Therese Rando, the Death and Trauma Book Series, 1996-2001 (Taylor & Francis Publishers). Dr. Figley move the Institute to Tulane University in 2008.

Charles Figley is a highly published and popular speaker. He has published more than 315 scholarly works including more than 200 refereed journal articles, 29 books and 85 book chapters. Collectively, his work reports on more than 37 research projects focusing primarily on traumatic stress and resiliency of individuals, families, and communities. His 2012 book, Encyclopedia of Trauma (Sage Press) was honored as the top book of its kind by the American Library Association and his 2013, First Do No Self Harm: Understanding and Promoting Physician Stress Resilience (Oxford University Press) were highly praised by the American Psychological Association. His co-edited book, Combat Social Workers: Applying the Lessons of War to the Realities of Human Services, was published last year and his long-awaited book written with Mark Russell, Psychiatric Casualties: How the Military Ignores the Full Costs of War was published in 2021. He is cited as among the most productive scholars by Google Scholar.

Dr. Figley is an elected-Fellow of the five of the leading national professional associations and received many other honors in recognition for his scholarship. He is the recipient of numerous lectureships and other honors throughout the world including Northern Ireland, South Africa, England, Australia, Canada, and universities through the United States. He was awarded a senior Fulbright Research Fellowship to conduct research in Kuwait in 2004 and follow-up on work that was started in 1992, shortly after the liberation from and end of the occupation by Iraq. In 2004, Dr. Figley was named lifetime Alumni Fellow by the Pennsylvania State University, the highest honor awarded to its graduates. More recently, Figley was honored by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York with an honorary degree in June 2014 in recognition of his career-long achievements in social justice for the traumatized and those who work to help them.