Divs. 2, 26 announce 2007 Best Practices in Teaching Psychology conference

Div. 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology), Div. 26 (Society for the History of Psychology), the National Institute on theTeaching of Psychology and the Kennesaw State University Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning announce the sixth conference in the "Best Practices in Teaching Psychology" series started in 2002.

Held Oct. 12-13 in Atlanta, the conference focuses on innovative and effective instructional strategies for courses that introduce and clinch the undergraduate psychology major. The theme for this year's conference is "Beginnings and Endings: Best Practices for Introducing and Bringing Closure to the Under-graduate Psychology Major," and will include keynote speakers, concurrent symposia and workshops and poster sessions. The target audience includes teachers from high school, two-year and four-year college, and university settings. For further information, visit the conference Web site at www.kennesaw.edu/cetl/conference/bp6/bp6index.htm or contact APA Div. 2 program director Bill Hill at e-mail.

In other division news, Div. 2 has updated its Web site, www.teachpsych.org, to include a new look, improved text and graphics (including a newly redesigned logo), a cleaner organization of links and easier navigation. The update also includes a search engine for locating teaching resources available via the Division's Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology.

Div. 5 invites award nominations

APA's Div. 5 (Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics) invites nominations for three awards that recognize outstanding accomplishment in measurement, statistics, assessment or evaluation. The nominator or nominee need not be a current or former member of either APA or Div. 5. The division will consider both self-nominations and nominations of others.

Award recipients will receive an invitation to present at APA's Annual Convention; a cash award of $200 to help offset convention travel expenses; a convention registration waiver for the year the award is conferred; an honorary one-year membership to Div. 5; and an award plaque.

Award recipients who do not attend the convention will receive an honorary one-year membership to Div. 5 and an award plaque. The awards are as follows:

• The Distinguished Dissertation award recognizes an exceptional dissertation completed in the previous three years that addresses a topic in assessment, evaluation, measurement, research methods or statistics. Nomination materials should include an abstract of 1,000-2,000 words summarizing the dissertation; a cover page showing the dissertation completion date; a support letter (from the advisor or other faculty member from the institution where the dissertation was completed); the nominee's curriculum vitae, and the name, address, phone, fax and e-mail. of the nominator and nominee.

• The Samuel J. Messick Distinguished Scientific Contributions award honors an individual who has a long and distinguished history of scientific contributions to Div. 5-related areas. Nomination materials should include a nomination letter and two letters of support; the name, affiliation and curriculum vitae of the nominee; and contact information for both the nominator and nominee.

• The Jacob Cohen Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Mentoring recognizes demonstrated excellence in teaching and mentoring in Div. 5-based areas. The award favors contributions through such public forums as workshops, conference presentations and publications. Nomination materials should include a nomination letter and two letters of support; the name, affiliation and curriculum vitae of the nominee; and contact information for both the nominator and nominee.

Send the nomination materials, including the name of the award, to Sara Hennings at e-mail. Nominations must be submitted electronically. The submission deadline is Dec. 1.

Arts division debuts new journal

APA's Div. 10 (Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts) announces a new quarterly journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. The journal promotes scholarship on how individuals participate in the creation and appreciation of the arts, as well as the nature of creativity in scientific, professional and everyday life. The multidisciplinary journal publishes original research on aesthetic perception and all facets of creative behavior, production, thought and development. It appeals to a broad range of practitioners and scientists working in and studying diverse areas such as organizations, science, business, education, sports, professions and psychotherapy. The first issue, released in February, pays tribute to the life and work of Rudolph Arnheim, PhD, emeritus professor of the psychology of art at Harvard, with Gerald Cupchik, PhD, serving as a special editor for the issue.

For more information go to www.apa.org/divisions/div10/bulletin.html or contact journal editors Jeffrey K. Smith, PhD, at e-mail. Lisa F. Smith, PhD, at e-mail. and James C. Kaufman, PhD, at e-mail.

Div. 13 names journal editor-elect

Div. 13 (Society of Consulting Psychology) has appointed Rodney L. Lowman, PhD, editor-elect of its Consulting Psychology Journal. Lowman will assume the position of editor Jan. 1 for a three-year term. The division has appointed Catherine M. Ruvolo, PhD, senior associate editor. Ruvolo will become editor-elect in 2010, then editor in 2011 for a three-year term. Richard C. Diedrich, PhD, is in his 10th and final year as the journal's editor.

Div. 22 approves new voting position on Executive Board

In March Div. 22 (Rehabilitation) added a new voting position to its Executive Board to represent Early Career Psychologists (ECPs). Key responsibilities for this position include increasing retention of student members as they transition to professional life; enhancing ECP participation in division governance and activities; and promoting ECP preparation for board certification in rehabilitation psychology. The Div. 22 representative also is expected to liaise with APA's Committee on Early Career Psychologists. In the future to be eligible, you must nominate yourself or be nominated by others, be a member in good standing of APA and Div. 22, and be within seven years postdoctorate.

Div. 24 hosts inaugural meeting

Div. 24 (Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology) will host an inaugural midwinter meeting to provide an opportunity for longer papers and more discussion than is possible during the division's summer meeting. The midwinter meeting will occur Feb. 22-24 at the Holiday Inn Coral Gables near the University of Miami. Blaine Fowers, PhD, is the local organizer and Henderikus Stam, PhD, is chair of the organizing committee. The call for papers will soon appear on the division Web site at http://soe.indstate.edu/div24/. For further information please contact Stam at e-mail.

Div. 41 announces Saleem Shah award recipient

Candice Odgers, PhD, receives this year's Saleem Shah Award from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology and Div. 41 (American Psychology-Law Society). Named for the late Saleem Shah, who pioneered the scientific study of violent behavior, forensic psychology, and psychology and law, the award honors early-career excellence and contributions to the field of psychology and law.

Another Div. 41 member, acting professor of law Donna Shestowsky, JD, PhD, wins the 2007 Distinguished Teaching Award at the School of Law at the University of California-Davis.

Volunteer, race with Div. 47 at convention

Div. 47 reminds APA members to plan for the 2007 Ray's Race, the 5K running race held during APA's Annual Convention. Register early at www.apa47.org

The division will also sponsor its annual Sport Psychology Giveaway-athon during convention. The initiative matches up groups or institutions desiring talks on sport psychology education with volunteer sport psychology professionals. If interested contact Judy Van Raalte, PhD, Div. 47 Giveaway-athon Coordinator at e-mail.

For more information on Div. 47, visit its new Web site, www.apa47.org.

Div. 49 plans 2008 Group Summit

Div. 49 (Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy) is collaborating with APA divisions and sister organizations who use groups in their practices on a Group Summit for this winter. The summit intends to foster discussion and future collaboration on critical issues in group psychology preparation and practice. To participate, contact Lynn Rapin, PhD, at e-mail.or Jennifer Harp, PhD, at e-mail. The division will soon provide specific dates and times on its Web site at www.apa49.org.

In other news, the Div. 49 board is also finishing a two-year project to update its bylaws; it will present revisions to division members for formal approval. The group will present its Group Psychologist of the Year Award to Phil Zimbardo, PhD, at the APA's Annual Convention in San Francisco. On accepting the award, Zimbardo will deliver a talk on group influences on evil.

Div. 51 to host author, filmmaker in San Francisco

Div. 51 (The Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity) will present invited addresses by Jean Kilbourne, EdD, co-sponsored by Div. 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women), and Neil Chethik, at APA's annual conference in San Francisco. Kilbourne is internationally recognized for her award-winning documentaries "Killing Us Softly," "Slim Hopes," and "Calling the Shots." Divs. 51 and 35 invite their members to the second annual joint social hour to socialize and meet Kilbourne.

Neil Chethik is an author, researcher and speaker specializing in men's lives and family issues(www.NeilChethik.com). He has written the books "VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework and Commitment" (Simon & Schuster, 2006) and "FatherLoss: How Sons of All Ages Come To Terms With the Deaths of Their Dads" (Hyperion, 2001). For more information on these programs, contact Chen Oren, PhD, Div. 51 program chair, at e-mail.

International division welcomes newcomers

Div. 52 (International) steadily urges students and early-career professionals to participate in the division and more generally in international psychology.

To participate in the division's Campus Representative Program, contact Julie Koch McDonald at e-mail. To participate in dinners for students and early-career psychologists at the Eastern Psychological Association and APA Annual Conventions, contact Amanda Kracen at e-mail. To participate on a Mentoring Committee, contact Irene Hanson Frieze, PhD, at e-mail. To sign up for the Student and Early Career Committee, contact Kracen or Koch McDonald.

Nominations sought for exceptional trauma psychology work

Div. 56 (Trauma) has compiled a comprehensive list of trauma books and monographs written or edited by members for inclusion in the April issue of Trauma Psychology. In other news, the division is seeking nominations for four awards for work in trauma psychology: Dissertation Award, Science Award, Practice Award and Service to the Division award. For more information, contact Laura Barbanel, EdD, Div. 56 Awards Committee Chair, at e-mail.

Div. 56 is also forming Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to focus the interest and attention of the membership. The SIGs being formed include Combat/Rescue Trauma; Refugee Issues and Torture; Disaster Related Trauma and Response; Human Trafficking; Child Maltreatment; Adult Survivors of Abuse; Sexual Victimization; Domestic Violence; Medical Trauma, Illness, and Rehabilitation; Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma; Etiology of Trauma; Health Effects of Trauma; Trauma from Discrimination, Marginalization and Oppression; and Complex Trauma and Dissociation.

The division will establish other SIGs subject to member interest and commitment. For more SIG information, contact the division SIG coordinator Desnee Hall, PhD, at (914) 472-9848 or e-mail.

For more information on Div. 56, go to www.apatraumadivision.org.

-D. Schwartz