Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman, Dr. Amanda Baden, who is an outstanding example of someone who has made a critical difference in the lives of children through work on adoption issues. Dr. Baden, a Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Montclair State College, is my congressional district's Angel in Adoption. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the gala honoring her, so I hope to honor her now.
Dr. Baden's commitment to adoption issues is rooted in her own history: She was born in Hong Kong and adopted as an infant by a couple from New York. She has used her personal experience to advance the understanding of trans-racial adoption by academics and professionals. Her contributions to the adoption community have touched many lives.
Through her passion and determination, she has actively engaged and educated professionals in the adoption process. She co-developed the Cultural-Racial Identity Model, which has gained recognition for its value as an alternative means for considering the identity paths for transracial adoptees. Dr. Baden, along with Mary O'Leary Wiley, recently published a journal article pertaining to birth parent issues in The Counseling Psychologist. She was also part of the writing team that published the ``Outstanding Major Contribution'' in The Counseling Psychologist on adoption issues in 2003. She has lectured regionally and nationally and she has co-chaired the series of adoption-related conferences at St. John's University in New York City. She has conducted numerous workshops about the psychology of adoption for professionals, families, and adoptees of all ages. I look forward to her soon-to-be-published work, The Handbook of Adoption, which I believe will become a singular reference for families interested in adoption.
In addition, Dr. Baden gives freely of her time to many organizations involved in adoption. She is a consultant and board member to both the Korean Adoptee and Adoptive Family Network (KAAN) and the Families with Children from China of Greater New York (FCCNY). She also contributes her time to International Adoption Alliance and the Children's Aid and Family Services organizations in New Jersey. Dr. Baden has even found time to initiate and lead a peer-support group for professionals dealing with issues of adoption in their own fields.
Dr. Baden is highly recommended by her peers in the academic world and by those in the adoption field. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Penn State University, a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Michigan State University. I invite you to visit her website www.transracialadoption.net to learn more about her work and adoption issues.
Dr. Amanda Baden is a remarkable individual who has set an example of passion and commitment we should all strive to achieve.