American Psychological Association Division 50
Welcome to the Summer 2026 SoAP Box Newsletter. Thanks to all those who submitted columns, and to my student editor, Kianna Csölle, for her assistance in helping to publish this issue.
We begin this issue with a final president’s column from APA Division 50 President, Dr. Noah Emery. Dr. Emery opens with a discussion of his Presidential Address given at APA this year, "The Science of Lived Experience: Reimagining Research Through Lived and Learned Expertise". Dr. Emery explores the small changes that we can all make to incorporate lived experience that can have a meaningful impact on the field. Dr. Emery challenges each of us to "pick one thing" in order to begin implementing those changes.
The following portions of the newsletter are dedicated to spotlighting former SoAP student representatives in several “where are they now” interviews. Many thanks to Dr. Julie Cristello for creating this initiative.
Our first “where are they now” Early Career Psychologist Spotlight features Dr. Melissa Schick, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Schick directs the Study of Trauma, Addiction, and Recovery (STAR) Lab. Dr. Schick emphasizes the value of being flexible regarding involvement in the field, and specifies the utility of being involved in service activities in Division 50 as a pathway for networking and professional development.
Our second “where are they now” Early Career Psychologist Spotlight features Dr. Jessica Flori, a Clinical Research Associate at the University of Connecticut's School of Medicine. Dr. Flori's research focuses on mechanisms that underly behavioral interventions for substance use disorders; specifically, refining interventions to positively impact individuals. Dr. Flori discusses the ways in which being involved in Division 50 has helped with supporting her research and growing collaborative connections with other division members.
Our next column highlights the Division 50 award winners for this year.
Our final column highlights the 2026 SoAP election results and provides an overview of positions that will be open later this year.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this season’s newsletter. Looking ahead to the Fall 2026 issue and beyond, I welcome anyone from our membership to contribute a piece or to provide suggestions for content. This includes content that fits within our established structure, as well as new ideas for standalone or recurring columns. Please submit any content for the Summer 2026 issue to me (s.weinsztok@rutgers.edu) by Friday, October 30th, 2026.
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