The psychology department will sponsor a free lecture tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Gordon Palmer 208. The topic is “What We Know and What We Don’t Yet Know About Treating Anxiety in Youth” and will be given by Philip C. Kendall, director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic at Temple University in Philadelphia.

He has had over 400 publications in various media, including over 30 books and 20 treatment manuals, as well as workbooks. His work has been translated into several languages.

Kendall has also won numerous awards, including the Inaugural Research Recognition Award by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and the “Great Teacher” award at Temple University. Philadelphia Magazine named him one of the “top therapists” in the region.

“The prevalence is high (10 percent), and child anxiety is a gateway disorder. If left untreated, it is associated with other disorders later in life. With terrorism, school pressure, peer social pressure and economic stress, anxiety is on the rise in families and in youth,” Kendall said.

Kendall’s speech will be part of an annual lecture series sponsored by the Dinoff Memorial Lecture, psychology department. It is named in honor of Michael Dinoff, who was a professor of psychology at the University. He was also the director of the University’s psychological clinic from 1963 until his death in 1982.

“We are excited about Phil Kendall’s talk here,” said Randy Salekin, associate professor of psychology and the director of the Disruptive Behavior Clinic. “We have been able to obtain excellent speakers for this series, and Phil is right up there amongst the very best.”

“Phil Kendall has been a productive researcher, scholar, and clinician,” Salekin said. “He is such a very impressive psychologist in multiple domains. You can bet it will be a state-of-the-art talk.”