Convention this year was a big undertaking, especially when you consider that our last in-person convention was in 2019 and that this year’s event was really two events—an in-person convention and a virtual experience. After a jam-packed 3 days of APA 2022 programming, including tens of thousands of steps alongside so many other APA members and affiliates, I felt energized.
With more than 9,000 attendees both in Minneapolis and online, it was refreshing to be able to speak to so many of you in the networking sessions and hallways. I left feeling inspired by the work that the field of psychology—and all of you—are doing to help solve some of our world’s most complex societal issues.
As I said on stage in my welcoming comments, APA remains focused on maximizing psychology’s impact on the world. This means, for instance, helping to frame complex issues in ways that better incorporate the science of human behavior into solutions. It means connecting the dots for the public between issues people face and relevant psychological knowledge. It means continuously seeking out ways to achieve greater impact, such as through relationships with a range of national and global partners.
As proud as I felt while describing the state of APA, I enjoyed even more the opportunity to highlight examples of our members who are pursuing similar strategies with their work—applying their expertise to inform influential areas like public policy, communications, and program implementation. I was especially pleased to hear members’ support of APA’s growing use of psychology to address critical societal issues and their willingness to have courageous conversations.
I look forward to seeing what the next year holds for our association and field. I can only imagine the level of impact that psychology will be able to achieve by APA 2023, taking place August 3–5 in Washington, D.C. I hope you will join us.