Jacks Cheng, PhD (2023 chair/public interest representative); Julia E. Cartwright, PhD (2023 vice chair/practice representative); Laura Dryjanska, PhD (divisions representative); Dante D. Dixson, PhD (science representative); Jessica S. Reinhardt, PhD (education representative); Sarah W. Clark, PhD (governance and membership representative); Ryan E. Flinn, PhD (SPTA representative)
Staff liaison(s): Zeljka Macura, PhD; Allison Gillens, MPS
At the beginning of 2023, the committee and APA staff re-examined CECP awards and grants’ rating criteria and applications. The committee gave out awards for their Convention Grant, Early Career Achievement Award, and Early Career Global Psychology Grants. CECP granted 21 early career psychologists (ECPs) an award and all awardees selected identified as part of an underrepresented minority group. Providing these awards will continue to allow CECP to engage with and deliver value to APA members.
Throughout the year, CECP has worked on organizing activities to provide leadership and professional development opportunities for ECPs which help prepare the discipline and profession of psychology for the future. At APA Convention, CECP sponsored six ECP focused programs that provided information about mentorship, networking, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, and career advice.
Furthermore, CECP’s SPTA representative was involved in APA’s Practice and State Leadership Conference (PSLC) planning and helped lead ECP sessions during the event. CECP also is an active participant in APA’s PsycCareers Virtual Job Fair where their booth provides resources about specific career tips for ECP attendees.
The committee has revised their APA webpages to increase the accessibility of ECP resources and to further enhance available resources developed for ECPs on topics such as how to get involved in APA leadership, grant and award opportunities, professional development, and career guidance. Below are links to the updated websites. Promoting these resources will reinforce APA’s standing as an authoritative voice for psychology as well as elevate the public’s understanding of, regard for, and use of psychology.
To enhance relations with APA groups and external associations, the committee has taken the time to strategically discuss their liaison assignments and what groups they should be interacting with on a consistent basis. CECP uses a liaison listserv to provide quarterly updates to their liaisons about their activities.
Throughout these past few months, the committee has collaborated with several internal and external liaisons to support the needs of ECPs. At APA Convention, CECP collaborated with various groups to hold events that would enhance the experience of ECPs at convention:
To help expand outreach to ECP members, the committee is coordinating with APA’s Office of Communications on utilizing their existing social media platforms to disseminate information to the public. Improving collaboration efforts among APA groups will help build a stronger organization and increase organizational effectiveness.
To improve communication and collaboration among ECP leaders within and outside of APA, CECP hosted two think tank sessions for ECPs who are on APA boards/committees, SPTAs, and divisions. Think tank discussions were focused on ways ECPs can build stronger support systems for one another, interests in professional development topics, and what communication channels are the most effective for disseminating APA information.
Additionally, the committee is working with the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and APA Membership to implement a strategy to recruit graduate students who are transitioning into ECP status. So far, the committee has sent personal welcome messages to graduate students on APAGS listserv that include information about CECP and how to get involved with APA governance. The committee has also provided resources on leadership opportunities and ways of connecting with CECP that will be included on welcome emails for ECPs who are joining APA. Building a supportive community among ECP leaders within and outside of APA allows for stronger engagement and belonginess among members.