Washington — Debra Kawahara, PhD, associate dean for academic affairs and distinguished professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, has been elected 2025 president of the American Psychological Association.
“I am deeply honored to be elected and serve as a leader for this esteemed association,” said Kawahara. “As APA president, I will work to promote the interests of our members and the broader field of psychology. I will advocate for policies that support our work and ensure that psychologists have a strong voice and visibility to impact society. I will also work to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within our profession and ensure that all members feel welcome and valued.”
She is the first Asian American woman and first Japanese American to serve in this role.
A feminist and multicultural scholar whose work centers on intersectionality and women of color, particularly Asian American women, Kawahara has served on the Council of Representatives as the representative of APA’s Division 35: Society for the Psychology of Women, and was a member of APA’s Finance Committee. She is currently a member-at-large of the APA Board of Directors.
As APA president, Kawahara says her goal is to bring about her campaign slogan of “Strength in Unity.”
“Because I believe an ethos of strengths-based unity provides us with an opportunity to continue to dismantle the hierarchal and exclusive structures within our communities, my action plan will be to amplify all our voices and create and support initiatives that illuminate all of our expertise and strengths in APA and psychology,” she said. “I want psychologists to feel that APA is a welcoming professional home that empowers all of its members.”
Kawahara earned a BA in psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a PhD in clinical psychology with a focus on multicultural and community psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.
Kawahara is a fellow of APA and the Asian American Psychological Association. In recognition of her work, she has received numerous awards, including an APA Presidential Citation in 2019 and the Shining Star Award at the National Multicultural Conference and Summit in 2017. She is a widely published author and editor of the journal Women & Therapy.
She will serve as 2024 APA president-elect before becoming president on Jan. 1, 2025.