Washington — Candice Hargons, PhD, a tenured associate professor of behavioral, social and health education sciences at Emory University, has been elected 2028 president of the American Psychological Association.
A licensed psychologist, scientist, educator and organizational leader, Hargons advances liberation-oriented approaches to research, practice and community care, helping people live fully and well by collaboratively transforming systems that may compromise their well-being. Her work focuses on advancing mental and sexual health among couples. She is also a champion of community initiatives that bring mental health services into local neighborhoods.
“Psychology has extraordinary potential to improve people’s lives and help address society’s most enduring challenges,” Hargons said. “My vision is to bring psychologists together across specialties, career stages and communities to stand up for science, promote practitioner progress and collaborate in community care with a liberation and love ethic.”
A fellow of APA and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, Hargons has held leadership roles at the state, divisional and national levels of APA, including service on the APA Council of Representatives and APA Board of Directors. She was the first early career psychologist to represent APA Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology, on the Council of Representatives and the second early career psychologist to serve on the APA Board of Directors. Earlier in her career, she served on the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students Committee and earned an APA Minority Fellowship. Her honors include an APA Presidential Citation and the Kentucky Psychological Association’s Psychologist of the Year award.
As APA president, Hargons said her goal is to bring about her campaign slogan of “APA Can Do” by engaging in “leadership as a team sport.”
“Silos limit our capacity and impact,” Hargons said. “Building a more connected psychology takes shared hard work and courageous collaboration, and people need to see evidence that their effort makes a difference. Together, we can show the public what psychology can do when we prioritize intentional action alongside meaningful communication.”
Hargons earned a BA in English from Spelman College, an MS in professional counseling from Georgia State University, and a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Georgia. Before joining Emory University, she attained the rank of full professor at the University of Kentucky and served as interim department chair.
An author of numerous journal articles and principal investigator and co-investigator on federally funded projects, Hargons has formally mentored many early-career psychologists and received the University of Kentucky Great Teacher Award. She is also author of the book “Good Sex: Stories, Science, and Strategies for Sexual Liberation.”
In addition to her academic work, she serves as editor for the Greater Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America. She is also a member of the Stone Mountain-Lithonia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Hargons will serve as 2027 APA president-elect before becoming president on January 1, 2028.