Dr. Will Canu

Dr. Will Canu
Provost’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity
Award Year: 
2024

Dr. Will Canu

Professor, Department of Psychology

Dr. Will Canu is a professor in App State's Department of Psychology, where he has taught since 2007.

Throughout his career, Canu has been a principal or co-principal investigator on internal and external grants totaling over $1 million. His other research projects have garnered $2 million in grant-funded support. Canu's research is primarily related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). With a focus on better understanding ADHD in adulthood, he has published two books, three edited book chapters, 50 articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals and has made over 160 presentations at professional conferences. His publications have been cited more than 2,000 times.

"He has consistently demonstrated exceptional research performance, and the quality, quantity and impact of his research output has been outstanding," said one of Canu's nominators. "His groundbreaking research has significantly advanced our understanding of ADHD. It is not at all hyperbole to say that his work is quite literally shaping the field of clinical psychology."

Outside of his ADHD research, Canu has published research on other clinical topics, including the psychological impacts of mountaintop coal removal mining and the trait of anxiety sensitivity.

Canu earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Davidson College. He holds master's and doctorate degrees in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, and he completed his pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship at the State University of New York's Upstate Medical University.