Michele D. Ribeiro, EdD, ABPP, CGP, AGPA-F, APA-F
Dear Colleagues and Friends of Division 49,
Summer is nearly upon us. The days are longer, the weather’s warming up, and—hopefully—your schedule is a little lighter than it was just a week ago. With exams, final assignments, and graduations in full swing, the air feels more open as people wrap up another academic year.
I’ve now completed five months of my term as your president-elect and continue to be on a steep (but rewarding) learning curve with all that’s happening in the division. I’m incredibly grateful for the support of David DeVito and our current president, Dr. Miles, who are helping me find my footing.
Much of my recent focus and excitement has been centered on the upcoming APA Annual Convention—an opportunity for us to come together as a division, to celebrate, connect, and learn from one another. Your board has been working hard behind the scenes to serve our members, including putting together a fabulous program. Special thanks to Dr. Kristin Miserocchi for her creative leadership in this area. We’re also excited to welcome Dr. Eric Chen as our incoming Program Chair-Elect—he’ll be joining Kristin to ensure the program remains strong, engaging, and thoughtful.
We hope many of you will attend our division sessions and join us for the Division Business Meeting at 4:00 PM and our Social Gathering at 5:30 PM, both on August 8th. I’ll also be giving my Fellows Talk at 11:30 AM earlier that day, which coincides with the awards ceremony—please join if you’re free!
While there’s more to share, I’ll leave space for Dr. Miles to highlight additional events and announcements in upcoming communications.
As a reminder, our division has so much potential to grow and evolve in step with the needs of our members and the larger society. Soon, we’ll be announcing our new officers—welcoming new faces and voices to carry forward our shared work. As always, we encourage you to reach out with your thoughts, concerns, or visions for the future. We’re here to serve and grow with you.
Thank you for being part of this community and for engaging in all the ways you can. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in August!