APAGS at the 2026 APA Convention

Calling all graduate students. APAGS is here to help make your #APA2026 experience something to remember! Check out APAGS programming and events, developed especially for graduate students in psychology. We hope you will join us.

Solutions Center, Booth #441

Students and early career psychologists—be sure to stop by the Emerging Leaders Network located in the Solutions Center. APAGS and the Committee for Early Career Psychologists (CECP) have designed this special area to provide resources and information, along with staff and APAGS leaders to help you navigate convention.

Stop by the Emerging Leaders Network to pick up your APAGS Scavenger Hunt Bingo card. If you get BINGO on the card, you will be entered to win some fabulous prizes from APA.

Thursday, August 6 

10–11 a.m.
Convention Center, Room 146C

Licensure and Mobility: What Students and ECPs Need to Know

Presenters: Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, ASPPB; Cathi Grus, National Register, Shiloh Jordan, APPIC

This session, geared toward late-term graduate students and early career psychologists, will provide attendees with information on best practices and tips on how to successfully move through the postdoc, licensures, and mobility pipeline. Presenters include representatives from the APPIC, ASPPB, and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.

1–2 p.m.
Convention Center, Room 146C

Jumpstart Research Leadership with Archival Data: A Student Guide

Presenters: Shinye Kim, UW Madison; Wajiha Masroor, Texas A&M University; Nnenna Uche, Texas A&M University; Jiin Woo, UW Madison; Elai Kobayashi, University of Wisconsin Madison

This skill-building session equips students and mentors with practical strategies to lead research using archival datasets. Participants will learn how to identify appropriate datasets, ethically mine existing data, align theory with available measures, and foster student ownership, independence, and scholarly confidence in research training.

4–5 p.m.
Convention Center, Room 146C

(Student) Wellness as Fairness: Fostering Student Activism and Advocacy

Presenters: Patrick Fang, University of Massachusetts, Boston;  Aish Lovett, University of Massachusetts, Boston; Heather Martin, University of Massachusetts, Boston

This session will equip attendees with knowledge and tools to advocate for program-level structures within graduate psychology training programs that promote social justice activism, procedural justice, and support marginalized trainees. Attendees will engage in interactive activities to identify gaps in their programs and brainstorm next steps tailored to their contexts.

Friday, August 7 

11:30–12:30 p.m.
Convention Center, Room 147A

Cultivating Radical Hope and Resilience among International Students

Presenters: Manisha Janjikhel, Seton Hall University; Aliyah Brown, Seton Hall University; Abisha Ebenzer

This critical conversation examines how the current sociopolitical climate and restrictive visa policies shape international students’ post-grad uncertainty, chronic stress, and mental health. Framing distress as a structural outcome, this session explores radical hope, resilience, and community advocacy as collective pathways to healing amid impermanence and uncertainty for students.

1–2 p.m.
Convention Center, Room 147B

Mentorship Skills for Graduate Students: How to Be Effective Supervisors

Presenters: Yexinyu Yang, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This session focuses on helping graduate students develop strong supervisory skills and provides practical advice on navigating difficult situations. The strategies and guidance from this workshop are applicable not only to the supervision of undergraduate students and research assistants, but are vital to successful leadership positions in one’s future career.

2:30–3:30 p.m.
Convention Center, Solutions Center, Hall D

Showcasing Graduate Student Research; APAGS Poster Session 

4–5 p.m.
Convention Center, Room 147B

Resistance Under Censorship: Empowering International Student Activists

Presenters: Josh Chou, University of Massachusetts-Boston; Robyn Wong-Lee, University of Massachusetts-Boston

Examines how international students are socialized away from activism and introduces a risk-benefit framework to support values-aligned, context-responsive forms of activism. Students will apply the analysis framework with consideration of their context and positionality, and discuss how they maintain motivation to fight for social justice as psychologists.

6:30–7:30 p.m.
Marriott Marquis, Level 4, Independence Salon D

Sip, Savor, and Socialize: APAGS Student Dessert and Wine Social

Calling all students! Please stop by the APAGS Dessert and Wine Social Hour to mingle and network with other students attending Convention and enjoy some tasty treats! APAGS leaders will be on hand to provide information on how to get involved with APAGS leadership. We hope to see you there.

Saturday, August 8

 8:30–9:30 a.m.
Convention Center, Room 147A

Surviving to Self-Advocating: Evidence-Based Tools for Graduate Students

Presenters: Samuel Turecki, Michigan State University; Marianne Chirica, Indiana University, Bloomington; Zoe Bair, Marquette University

This workshop focuses on helping students navigate professional relationships by offering (1) practical, evidence-based strategies for communicating needs and setting boundaries, and (2) step-by-step guidance on negotiating roles and expectations with advisors, supervisors, and research collaborators to support healthy well-being and productive academic and research environments.

10:30–11:30 a.m.
Convention Center, Room 149

Checked One Box Too Few: The Cost of Ignoring Multiraciality in Psychology

Presenters: Aya Caballero, Virginia Commonwealth University

Monoracial frameworks in psychology fail to capture real Multiracial lived experiences. Through the application of monoracial models there are theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for Multiracial populations highlighting the need for pathways toward more inclusive psychological research and practice.

12–1 p.m.
Convention Center, Room 147B

Enhancing Modern Psychotherapy Using Relational Frame Theory

Presenters: Ryan O’Donnell, The Chicago School, Los Angeles; Kristina Nguyen, The Chicago School, Los Angeles

Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a behavior-analytic account of human language and cognition and the basis for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This presentation experientially introduces RFT, provides examples of how clinicians can use it to analyze the language of clients, and culminates with a live psychotherapy demonstration.

3–4 p.m.
Convention Center, Room 151B

Transforming Our Education: How Students Can Advance and Access SMI Training

Presenters: Samantha Reznik, Seattle Children’s/University of Washington; Katrina Rbeiz, Vanderbilt University; Maya Wong, UCSF/San Francisco VA Health Care System; John Fitzgerald, Seattle Children’s/ University of Washington

This critical conversation examines how psychology doctoral students can engage in serious mental illness (SMI) education, training, and implementation science to prepare them for recovery-oriented work across settings. Speakers will highlight strategies to advocate for and expand SMI competence in psychology doctoral programs, especially in those without dedicated SMI tracks.

More information on APA 2026