Outstanding Alumnus Award

Outstanding Alumnus Award

The Outstanding Alumnus Award is presented to two alumni who have done stellar work in the field of psychology. This year's award recipients are Dan Y. Han and Marko Mihailovic.

Dan Y. Han, Psy.D.
2012 Outstanding Alumnus (Psy.D.)

Dr. Dan Han serves as the chief of neuropsychology service’s clinical section in the department of neurology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center, director of the UK Multidisciplinary Concussion Program, and an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. After graduating from the Adler School in 2008, he completed a two-year fellowship in neuropsychology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, specializing in acute neurological disorders. Dr. Han developed the neuropsychology service curriculum for the multidisciplinary stroke clinic at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health, where he received grant funding to streamline neuropsychology in the state’s marginalized stroke population. 

At the University of Kentucky, Dr. Han contributed to the KY Stroke Affiliate Network, comprised of 24 medical centers in the state, providing care to those from low SES, rural, and remote regions of Appalachia. Historically, this population has been quite marginalized due to separation of culture and lack of resources in their geographic region. Beyond just epidemiological research, the KY Stroke Affiliate Network attempts to bridge the communities to provide access to healthcare to those who could not prior. As stroke often accompanies physical, affective, and cognitive impairments, the goal of the network is to deliver state of the art acute stroke care, follow up management, risk-factor management, prevention, patient rehabilitation, and community reintegration for patients. Without effective provision of such goals, up to 795,000 people per year in the US risk being marginalized due to post-stroke disability. The risk for premature mortality, disability, and increased difficulty in rehabilitation and community reintegration is significantly higher in regions such as Appalachia, where resources have been traditionally far from sufficient. In the spirit of gemeinschaftsgefühl, this is where the network’s effort for multidisciplinary healthcare, including neuropsychology, attempts to make a difference.

Dr. Han received three independent nominations for the 2012 Outstanding Alumnus for the Psy.D. program, more than any other nominee.

Marko Mihailovic, MAO
2012 Outstanding Alumnus (MA)

After graduating as a Clinical Psychologist from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, Marko MihaiIovic started his professional career as a psychotherapist. At the Trauma Center of Novi Sad, heconducting individual and group psychotherapy sessions with refugees and war veterans who mostly suffered from PTSD, as well as abused and neglected Romani children at the Center for Social Work in Novi Sad as the lead for workshop facilitation.

Once living in Chicago, Marko realized that there was a lack of non-profit organizations that provide psycho-social support for immigrants. Understanding first-hand the hardships that immigrants encounter when faced with the challenge of adjusting to a new country, he established Serbian-Arc, a non-profit organization, which offers psychological, social, legal, and educational support for this underserved population. Over 300 immigrants, burdened with the stress of relocation, naturalization, and acculturation, have benefitted from Serbian-Arc’s services.

Additionally, and as a volunteer, Marko promotes Serbian culture and art as it encourages a sense of identity and heritage within the immigrant populations he works with. He provides pro bono consulting services to the Serbian Arts and Cultural Center, a Chicago-based non-profit entity that hold a variety of cultural events and services. Marko also serves as a Board Member for the Serbian American Museum “St. Sava” to support its mission of promoting and preserving Serbian culture and art. Marko’s currently holds the position of Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Department of Neurosurgery where his research contributions are supporting the discovery and promotion of novel treatments for terminal and chronic diseases.

In his own words, Marko states, “My experience at the Adler School of Professional Psychology has helped to reinforce my sense of purpose and realize with greater clarity how to apply the underlying principles of encouragement and community empowerment. I will continue to apply what my education and life experiences have taught me to make a positive difference in society." Mr. Marko Mihailovic was selected unanimously by the ASAA Leadership Board as its 2012 Outstanding Alumnus for the MA programs.