Candidates for APA President
Q1: What do you see as the most critical issues facing psychology with respect to education and training at all levels (including internships) and how would you focus on these concerns?
The most serious issue we face is the imbalance between number of students receiving professional training and number of internships, an issue with both practical and moral implications. I would like to pursue aggressively the development of internship opportunities in traditionally underserved settings such as federally qualified health centers. We can also do more to inform undergraduates about how to evaluate options in graduate training. From high school through the doctoral level, I am also excited by the opportunities for using research and statistical methods in the psychology curriculum as a way to enhance critical thinking skills and personal resilience.
Q2: What do you see as the role of science in psychology?
What is the role of water in life? I became a psychologist because it is a scientific discipline, and I consider myself both a scientist and a clinician. Cognitive science and neuroscience are poised to have a profound influence on all branches of our discipline, providing the framework for new theories of mind and behavior, and helping professionals become better and more objective decision-makers. It is the commitment to empiricism that brands psychology as distinct among health-care professions, and offers us the best mechanism available for improving the quality of care we provide the public.
