Division 51 Candidates for Office: 2007 Election

President

Michael Addis 

I am honored to be considered as a candidate for President of Division 51.  As President I would prioritize accomplishing two goals.  There is a clear need for growth in our membership. We are the leading organization in psychology devoted to clinical and research work on men and masculinity, and we must continue to reach out to individuals and organizations to diversify our membership and facilitate continued realization of our mission.  We also need to find creative means for
drawing on the strengths of both clinicians and researchers in Division 51.  We cannot afford to fall into the perennial schism between research and practice.

I have already begun focusing on membership in Division 51 both locally and nationally.  In addition to training numerous graduate and undergraduate students with interests in the psychology of men and masculinity,  I recently led the development of a Special Interest Group on Men's Mental and Physical Health in the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, an international organization with over 4500 members.  

I also have a longstanding interest in the relationships between clinical practice and research.  My collaborative work with students and professionals has always focused on ways to enhance the quality of mental health care in communities by bridging research and practice.  I believe there is a strong need to foster just these sorts of bridges in the psychology of men and masculinity. I thank the members of Division 51 for considering my candidacy.  
 

Aaron Rochlen 

I am quite humbled to be considered for the Division 51 President-Elect position. This Division and its respective members have (in the words of Sammy Sosa) been so "Very very good to me" that it would be an honor to serve as President, increasing my level of service and leadership to the division.  I first became involved in this division as an enthusiastic graduate student at the University of Maryland.  Ten years later, I have many cherished personal and professional relationships and consider Division 51 to be my APA home.  Division 51 leaders have had a tremendously positive influence on my career that I could only hope to have a similar role in the professional lives other division members. Although my formal appointments in the Division have been limited to Program Chair (New Orleans, 2006), I have been an active member of the division in several different areas.  Subsequently, I feel confident that I would be able to successfully carry through the leadership and administrative responsibilities of this office.  In doing so, I would  work closely with all Officers, past-Presidents, and the current President to further my familiarity with the administrative responsibilities of the position and to maximize what I could achieve in one year of service.  My presidential objectives would center around increasing membership, providing further mentorship opportunities, and networking with other divisions.  I also would like to create opportunities to enhance our Division’s (and Journal) national and international visibility and impact.

Member-at Large, Ethnic Minority Position 

Christopher T. H. Liang

I am humbled to have been nominated for the Member-At-Large position (ethnic-minority slate). My initial interest in the psychology of men grew from my desire to have an understanding of my own experiences as an Asian American man. I now devote my energy to the science and clinical practice of psychology of Asian Americans and men from racially diverse backgrounds. I have co-led psychotherapy groups for adult men and at-risk adolescent boys. I have taught a graduate course and initiated a research program to examine the intersection of masculinities and racism. Professionally, I have served as (1) a panelist to discuss clinical issues in working with men with privilege, (2) a steering committee member for the first National Conference on Psychotherapy with Men, (3) the Secretary/Historian for the Asian American Psychological Association, and (4) am the Chair-Elect for the awards committee for Section VI: Clinical Psychology of Ethnic Minorities
(CPEM; Division 12). Given my very positive experiences within our Division, I proudly recommend it as a professional home to men and women colleagues and students. If elected my goal will be to increase the level of awareness
of the scholarship, activities, and professional opportunities available through our division to members of Division 45, the Section on Ethnic and Racial Diversity (Division 17), Section on CPEM, and the national psychological associations which represent the professional interests of African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/a Americans, and Native Americans. I look forward to the opportunity to serve the Division. Thank you for your consideration.

Derrick Gordon

My interest in Div 51 has grown out of my personal and professional interests in the role that men and boys play in our communities and society at large.  Important in this consideration is the role of socialization and its impact on how men and boy's identities are shaped.  I have worked in addressing issues related to domestic violence; the healthy involvement of low income, minority men in their children's lives; the promotion of health outcomes for poor men; and the social aspects of prevention with men.  These activities have and continue to bring me close to this Division as I seek support and identify the key components used in this work across disciplines.  I also feel that my experience, status as a man of color, and interests afford me the unique opportunity to add to the discussion that is ongoing in Division 51.  I feel that my participation can add to the continued progress envisioned as Div 51 continues to grow, develop and move forward.

Bio:

I am an Instructor in Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and at The Consultation Center, Division of Prevention and Community Research.  I am the Director of Research, Policy & Program on Male Development.  Currently, I serve as the clinical supervisor for the Connecticut State EVOLVE Program, a 26/52 week domestic violence batterer intervention program. I am involved in the Greater New Haven Domestic Violence Task Force where I have held various leadership positions.  My interests also extend to work with the State of Connecticut’s Department of Public Health as it develops protocol and policy related to sexual assault prevention with men.  I am Director of Research for the Male Involvement Network which seeks to support low income, non-custodial fathers' healthy involvement with their children, families and community.  This has lead to discussions at the city of New Haven level as we consider how to support men moving from incarceration to the community.  In general, my interests include risk and protective factors for adolescents identified as at risk, fatherhood contributions to child development, the impact of violence on the development of children, fathers, and families and the impact of social and individual ethnic/racial identity on academic outcomes.

Member-at-Large; GLBT Position

Francisco “Cisco” J. Sánchez, Ph.D.

Like our heterosexual counterparts, many gay men have been affected by traditional notions of gender roles.  Consequently, many gay men have internalized messages that being masculine is better than being feminine and that being gay is antithetical to what it means to “be a man.”  In fact, I have witnessed many gay men struggle with masculinity and express a fear of femininity both personally and in clinical settings. 

The work of many of our leaders in Division 51 has shown how traditional notions of masculinity adversely affect heterosexual men’s relationships and their well-being.  Yet, the affect on gay men has often been overlooked or received little attention.  Thus, it is of great interest to call attention to gay men’s struggles with masculinity in both my academic and professional work. 

Academically, my research projects have sought to explore how gay men construct gender roles and what impact conflict with masculinity has on feelings about being gay.  Professionally, I have worked with gay organizations to explore these issues and have promoted these interests in my work within APA.  Being an active member within my profession has been of great importance to me.  In particular, I have worked for several years with Division 44 and have assumed a coordinator’s role for the National Multicultural Conference & Summit.  I would like to further my work to highlight gay men’s struggles with masculinity by working more closely with Division 51’s Executive Committee and by serving as a Member-at-Large in order to advocate for these issues.

David Whitcomb, Ph.D.

For the past two years I have been honored to serve as SPSMM’s Member-at-Large for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men’s issues and hope to be re-elected to this position. During this first term I have become better acquainted and more involved with the leadership, policies, and proceedings of this organization. There is an amazing wealth of collective wisdom and a legacy of accomplishments in this group of psychologists, but also opportunities for students and newer members. One of my main objectives is to increase my role as a mentor and the already considerable commitment within SPSMM to mentorship.

Since joining the Board, I have been a program reviewer each year, contributed to pending bylaws revisions, and participated in the annual Men’s Retreat in San Antonio and Seattle. My most visible contribution to SPSMM was being an author and editor for the Special Focus of the Spring 2006 Bulletin, namely, the essays entitled Men and Masculinity: Lessons from Brokeback Mountain. These projects have all been enjoyable team efforts, which motivates me to seek another term. As SPSMM explores new ways to expand and diversify its membership, my experience in sexual orientation and gender identity issues in Divisions 17, 44, and elsewhere will become increasingly valuable. Masculinity is an amorphous ideal for many men but a particularly problematic concept for many GBT men. As this phenomenon is fascinating but understudied, I hope to use a second term to promote awareness and scholarly activity of masculinity issues for GBT men.

Council of Representative

Neil A. Massoth, Ph.D. 

I wish to serve a second term (two terms permitted) as the SPSMM Council Representative.  I enjoy the work of Council, and the opportunity to serve our professional community as well as SPSMM.  In addition to serving on Council, I am currently a member of CRSPPP (Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology) and recently served as a member of the APA Ethics Committee (3 years) and the Board of the College of Professional Psychology (6 years).

As your Council representative, I will work to:

• increase membership by making our division more visible at APA

• make members aware of boards, committees, and task forces on which they can serve, as well as assist members with the political process of securing support for these elections and appointments

• cooperate with other divisions and states to pass legislation of mutual interest;  develop support for the passage of our Guidelines for Working with Men and Boys that is currently being written

• serve as spokesperson for issues regarding gender and diversity.

I would appreciate your vote.

Warren Spielberg, Ph.D.

Leadership

My professional career has been dedicated to helping underserved and vulnerable individuals and communities to develop their strength and resilience.   I have also dedicated myself to helping diverse ethnic and racial groups resolve trauma laded intractable conflicts.   Growing up in Brooklyn, among diverse populations of class and race has sensitized me to the emotional deprivations that undermine the strength of boys and men and our communities.  The early loss of my father and the harsh ways that boys  learned to deny denied their emotional needs for tenderness in school yard society familiarized with the challenges inherent in healthy male development.   My history of service to psychology began in the late seventies when  I worked at APA and with other mental health groups to increase the role of psychology in  public policy during the early 1980’s.   I worked closely with the President’s Commission on Mental Health and its legislative product- the Mental Health Systems Act and wrote a Advocacy amendment  on behalf of the serious mentally ill that remains law today.  As a  psychologist and  psychoanalyst, I  have worked to help improve the psychological, physical and emotional lives of boys and men.  At  the New School University and at the  Wolfson Center for  National Affairs,  I pioneered the introduction of gender, male development courses men at the University.  As a clinician, I have worked to help vulnerable populations of boys and men both in my private practice and in the Community.    Initially working at Ground Zero on 9/11 with uniformed services I later mobilized and led close to a hundred psychologists  to work in the most traumatized firehouses effected by 9/11.  Working closely with the FDNY,  this nationally recognized  intervention in over 100 firehouses in New York City  helped thousands of traumatized firefighters and their families.   For this work I was proud to be recognized by Division 51 with a Practitioner of the Year award.  Since 2000, I have been the co-director of the Brotherman Study, which has explored the lives of  African American boys and their families.  Since 1996, I have helped create and continue to consult to the Peace Now youth dialogue project which brings together groups of mostly boys and men to meet the “other” in Israel and on the West Bank. I am extremely proud of our efforts on this project to chip away albeit slowly, the intractable psychological underpinnings of this conflict.    Finally, I currently serve on the APA Guidelines Task Force for boys and men an extremely important APA initiative spearheaded by our division. 

Vision

I am an activist at heart.  My intent is to expand both the presence and impact of our groundbreaking division at APA and beyond.  Building on the efforts of the founding generation, my goal is to raise membership and to expand our influence throughout the other divisions at APA.  The expansion of the role of psychology in the delivery of health care and particularly men’s health is another goal for which I will work. I will work to achieve the following:

1)      Greater Collaboration with other divisions that intersect with men’s psychology e.g. child and adolescence, women’s division, health psychology, minority issues, peace studies, trauma, military psychology , psychoanalysis and others.

2)      Working to improve the image of APA in the minds of the public with regards to the Torture policy debate.

3)      Expanding and enlarging the men’s paradigm to include more attention to class, race and ideology and using this enlarged vision to build membership.

4)      Expanding the impact of our work into legislation and into media outlets both nationally and internationally. 

Summary

The breath of my experience, commitment and creativity, make me uniquely suited to represent Division 51 in the council of representatives. Thank you for your consideration.

Gary Brooks, Ph.D.

Since the early days when Ron Levant and I envisioned an APA division for the study of men’s issues, we recognized that such a division would only survive through tireless  work from a core group of committed people.  That core group appeared and has subsequently broadened with the incorporation of new persons sharing our vision.  For continued growth that is harmonious with our original mission, our division will need ever greater contributions from new members, as well as continued involvement from those familiar with divisional history.  With that in mind, I am pleased to have been nominated for the important role of Divisional Council Representative.

Over the past fifteen years, I have been fortunate to have served this division as President and Member of the Executive Board.  During that time, I have gained considerable appreciation of the central importance of the Council Rep position, as well as highest regard for the energy and wisdom Neil Massoth has provided our division in that role.  Of all governance positions, Council Representative seems to have the steepest “learning curve” and the greatest demands for appreciation of APA-wide political forces and sensitivity to social issues.  Neil Massoth has mastered those challenges and served our division exceptionally well.  Over the next few years, I hope to become more exposed to the inner workings of the APA Council and hope to lean on Neil to mentor me in these matters.  For the time being, however, I believe that it is in the Division’s best interest for Neil Massoth to continue his service in this position.  Therefore, I will cast my vote for him and urge others to do so as well.  In a few years, I hope to be fully prepared to run for this position again and to feel worthy of your confidence.

Treasurer

Chen Z. Oren, Ph.D.  

I am honored to be considered for Treasurer of Division 51.  I would like to continue my involvement with our division where I find friendship, integrity, vulnerability, and honesty.  This year I had the pleasure of being the division’s program chair for the APA convention.  We have developed a great program including Jean Kilbourne and Neil Chethik as invited addresses. I am proud to have continued our collaboration with Division 35.  I have been fortunate to attend the last three winter retreats, and each time return home with a stronger sense of purpose and commitment to the significant issues we discuss.   

I am a professor in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Phillips Graduate Institute where I am finding relevance in looking at both men’s and women’s issues throughout my classes, particularly Gender and Sex Roles and Diversity.  As a male faculty member, I am able to bring a new perspective to this setting.  I find deep meaning in being able to expand future professionals’ awareness of men’s issues and have students who are completing doctoral projects focusing on men and masculinity.  I have been involved in the organizing committee of the National Psychotherapy with Men Conference.  I also maintain a part-time private practice where I work primarily with men as well as with women, couples and student athletes.   

In summary, I would be pleased to be Treasurer and bring my dedication and commitment to our division.  I hope to see all of you in San Francisco.

Ed Tejirian, Ph.D.

Although managing divisional funds probably falls within the skill range of the average academician-clinician, I will mention that, before retiring from the City University of New York, I did budget allocations for three years as Chair of my academic department.  

However, apart from financial duties, the treasurer is also a member of the Executive Committee and divisional Board.

In that capacity, I would plan to work with colleagues to: (1) explore ways of broadening the appeal of SPSMM by welcoming input from psychologists studying men and masculinity from all perspectives, including: psychoanalytic, Jungian, social constructionist, biological, social psychological, and mytho-poetic; (2) encourage open discussion and free-wheeling debate on any issue via the SPSMM discussion listserve (3) emphasize the status of SPSMM as one of the Divisions for Social Justice, while stressing the importance of relating the study of men and masculinity to issues of war and peace and  human rights; 4) encourage the development of an attractive and informative SPSMM website as a way of keeping members abreast of each other's scholarly and literary activities, while enabling prospective members to get to know us better and, thus, decide to join us; promote outreach to younger men and women as a way of building strength and diversity in our division.

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