The Commission on Accreditation (CoA) held its annual policy meeting on Feb. 6–9, 2020. Eight new commissioners have joined the CoA this year.
Sally Barlow, PhD, ABPP, joins the CoA in a seat nominated by the Council of Specialties (CoS). She most recently was a professor in the Department of Psychology at Brigham Young University. Barlow completed her PhD in counseling psychology at the University of Utah.
Tania Chowdhury, MA, begins the CoA in a seat nominated by the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS). She is actively involved in addressing immigrant mental health and completed her MA in clinical and counseling psychology at William Patterson University. Ms. Chowdhury is currently a doctoral student in counseling psychology at New York University.
Philip Lanzisera, PhD, ABPP, enters the CoA in a seat nominated by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). He supervises psychiatric residents and psychology interns at the Henry Ford Health Sciences Center. Lanzisera completed his PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Detroit.
Dinelia Rosa, PhD, joins the CoA in a seat nominated by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) representing practitioners in independent practice. She has a private practice and is also the director of the Dean-Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services at Teachers College, Columbia University. She was an APA featured psychologist in 2018. Rosa completed her PhD in clinical psychology from Adelphi University.
Janay Sander, PhD, begins the CoA in a seat nominated by the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (CDSPP). She currently serves as the director of the doctoral program in school psychology at Ball State University and the Ball State University Internship Consortium in School Psychology. Sander completed her PhD in educational psychology (with a specialization in school psychology) at the University of Texas at Austin.
Leonard Simms, PhD, enters the CoA in a seat nominated by the APA Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA). He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Buffalo and directs a laboratory studying personality, psychopathology and psychometrics. Simms completed his PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Iowa.
Jorge Varela, PhD, joins the CoA in a seat nominated by the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP). He is currently an associate professor of psychology and director of clinical training at Sam Houston State University. Varela completed his PhD in clinical psychology – law tracks at the University of Alabama.
Edelyn Verona, PhD, begins the CoA in a seat nominated by the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS). She is currently a professor at the University of South Florida. Verona completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Florida State University.
The CoA is excited to welcome these eight new members.
The CoA is comprised of 32 members, and care is taken to maintain a diverse balance between academic institutions and programs, practitioners and the publics served by accreditation. For more information about the composition of the CoA, please review Implementing Regulation (IR) A-1, Policies for Accreditation Governanceopens in new window. Also, see a complete listing of all current CoA members on the accreditation website.
The nominee from APAGS is for a one-year appointment. All other appointments are for a three-year term.