Meet the APA President

A Message from 2009 APA President
James H. Bray, PhD

Welcome to the Web site of the American Psychological Association and particularly to my presidential page. APA is the world’s oldest and largest organization of psychologists, and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve as the 2009 APA President.

The theme of my presidential year is the future of psychology. We will focus on creating a new vision and future for our association, profession and the people we serve. I hope to speak personally with many of you during this year — so if you receive a phone call or an e-mail from the APA president, I am calling to see how APA can better serve your needs. These are truly exciting times and I want all of you to engage with us and contribute to developing our future. Contact me anytime.

I have always been forward-thinking and interested in innovative ways to address problems. My graduate training instilled a sense of possibility for solving major problems in society through the application of psychology. In addition, my work at Baylor College of Medicine taught me the importance of creating collaborative partnerships across disciplines to affect positive change. These experiences and the current state of our profession led to my presidential initiatives.

My major initiatives for this year focus in three areas: the Future of Psychology Practice, the Future of Psychological Science Education, and Psychology's Contributions to Ending Homelessness. For more detailed information about my initiatives, click here.

Over the years I’ve spoken with many members about the annual convention and have been thinking about ways to improve it. This year, in collaboration with 35 Divisions and 6 APA Boards and Committees, I am pulling together a special block of thematic programming called the Convention Within the Convention. For more information about the CWC, click here.

Please look through the President’s web pages for more information about my initiatives and plans for 2009. We are facing unique challenges and opportunities in our profession and in society—many of them can be met and improved through the application of psychology. Thanks for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you!