The Lester and Helen Milich Professorship for Children at Risk in the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky was established in 2019 by Professor Emeritus Richard Milich in memory of his parents. The Milich Professorship supports the enhancement of clinical child psychology education through the examination of existing research, as well as with the generation of new ideas, concepts and research findings.

Christia Spears Brown, professor and associate chair in the Department of Psychology, has been named the first Milich Professor. As well as an author, researcher and professor of Developmental Psychology, Spears Brown is also the Director of the Center for Equality and Social Justice in the UK College of Arts & Sciences.

The professorship is awarded to a faculty member who:

• Holds the rank of associate or full professor;
• Has research interests clearly linked to child psychology and children at risk;
• Is a tenured faculty member; and
• Has made outstanding contributions to research and education in the field of child psychology and children at risk.