In July, the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) hired cognitive psychologist Nicole Wilson, PhD, as its committee operations and programs officer.
Wilson, a 2005 graduate of the cognitive psychology program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is now the primary staff liaison for the APAGS Advocacy Coordinating Team, Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Concerns, Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Division Student Representative Network. In that role, Wilson serves as a resource for the groups and oversees their activities, as well as solicits feedback as to how well the central office is meeting the needs of APAGS members. Wilson also helps students get involved in legislative advocacy. As a student advocate, Wilson worked on a number of issues related to LGBT populations, including campaigning against California Proposition 22, which would have codified marriage to be a union of a man and a woman. As a Spanish/English bilingual, she has studied cultural identity issues in Spain, Mexico and Ecuador.
"Coming from a bench scientist program, Wilson's background, skills and interests are a nice complement to the APAGS office," says Carol Williams-Nickelson, PsyD, APAGS associate executive director.
-Z. STAMBOR