Committee on Division/APA Relations welcomes Morrissey and Vázquez

Every year, each division is invited to submit one nomination for the two seats that become available on the Committee on Division/APA Relations (CODAPAR), one of APA’s standing committees made up of six APA members who have extensive background in division leadership. 

For the 2025–2027 term, CODAPAR welcomes Mary Beth Quaranta Morrissey, Esq., PhD, MPH, and Enedina García Vázquez, PhD. As their term begins, each will be assigned to a group of divisions to represent on the committee. Meet each new member below.

Mary Beth Quaranta Morrissey, Esq., PhD, MPH, is a healthcare and public health attorney and psychological and social work researcher. She presently holds the positions of associate professor and PhD program director at the Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work, New York, New York. She serves on the American Psychological Association Governing Council and is current chair of the New York State Bar Association Health Law Section. Her qualitative research has focused on the suffering experience of diverse populations, including those migrating and seeking asylum, and workers who experience vicarious trauma in migration services. Morrissey is past president of Division 24 and represents Division 24 on the Governing Council. She will be assuming a new role in January 2025 serving on CODAPAR.

Enedina García Vázquez is a clinical professor of school psychology at The University of Iowa and is professor emeritus from New Mexico State University. She earned a BS in elementary education from (Southwest) Texas State University, and MA in bilingual-bicultural studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a PhD in school psychology from The University of Iowa. Vázquez has extensive leadership experience throughout her academic tenure serving as associate director for the Honors College, associate dean of the Graduate School, deputy director of the Physical Science Laboratory and associate dean of academic affairs of the College of Education. Vázquez developed the EdS and PhD programs at New Mexico State University. One of her proudest successes was working with the state of New Mexico licensure director to change the licensure for experienced school psychologists, breaking the ceiling for school psychologists practicing in the schools to achieve the highest credentialling level. Vázquez is currently co-coordinating the school psychology programs at The University of Iowa; specifically working on helping with the refinement and accreditation of the programs.

Guided by an interpersonal theoretical approach to development, Vázquez melds her research interests in second language acquisition and cultural issues with factors such as attachment, development, achievement motivation, intelligence and multicultural issues. She is interested in how individuals view the world from their cultural perspective, including how language influences action. Her recent research and work on new pathways to employment opportunities for disconnected youth follows her dedication to serve the underserved. Most recently Vázquez’ research focus is on safely of schools from a community lens. She is the lead co-chair of the Safety of Schools Taskforce, a group Cynthia de las Fuentes, PhD, charged as part of her presidential initiatives.

Vázquez has extensive experience conducting individual and program evaluations. She evaluated the statewide Enlace programs and conducted program evaluations of school psychology programs across the United States for 10 years as the chair for the National Association of School Psychologists as the program accreditation board chair. Vázquez was awarded several national grants; including serving as evaluator to the New Mexico State University National Science Foundation NSF includes grant supporting engineering students and served as research principal investigator on an National Science Foundation grant that promotes financial resiliency among college engineering students at historically Black and Hispanic serving universities. Currently, she project co-coordinator on the Multidisciplinary Pathways to Recruit, Train and Retain School Mental Health Providers in Iowa.

Vázquez has authored or coauthored more than 50 publications in various refereed journals, including the American Psychologist. She recently coauthored a chapter on program evaluation (2024). She is currently guest editor for a special issue of the School Psychology Review journal. Vázquez has numerous university and national awards. She recently completed her term as secretary for APA Division 16 (School Psychology) and the Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Subspecialties in Professional Psychology. She has served on the APA Council of Representatives, as representative for Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race) and chaired the Ethnic Minority Issues in Psychology caucus, and Division 45 member at large (Latino/a/x). She is past president of Divisions 16 and 45. Vázquez currently serves on the Training Advisory Committee for the APA Minority Fellowship Program and as panelist for the item Review Panel for the Examination of Professional Practices in Psychology.