Introduction to the New SoAP Box Editor

As the incoming editor of the SoAP box, I'm excited for this opportunity to introduce myself and share my goals for my time in this position! I want to start by thanking Angelo DiBello for his hard work over the past 3 years and guidance during the transition. Thank you for encouraging me to apply, and for all of your encouragement over the years. To the members of Division 50: Thank you for this opportunity to serve the society in this role.

I am an Assistant Professor of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. I received my BS in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and PhD in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. My focus was in Social Psychology, with a doctoral minor in Interpersonal Relationships Research. I went on to a postdoctoral position at the University of Houston, followed by an NIAAA-funded T32 postdoctoral fellowship in alcohol etiology and treatment at the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions (University at Buffalo). I also earned a Masters in Public Health through UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions. I am currently funded by an NIAAA K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award. My program of research examines social and interpersonal influences on the use of alcohol use and other health-related behavior. My work seeks to understand these mechanisms with the goal of informing interventions leveraging the influence of close others to improve health and well-being. Additionally, I study the effects of service-connected stress and trauma on the health and well-being of US military service members and their families, with a focus on alcohol and other substance use.

I see the SoAP Box as an important component of the work of the Society of Addiction Psychology, particularly as a means of supporting members' professional development and promoting equity. I am grateful for the privilege of having had my T32 and K01 training experiences, and I acknowledge just how rare these opportunities are. The SoAP Box is in a position to help combat disparities by providing members with access to valuable information and the advice of leaders in addiction psychology, regardless of their current environment or mentorship situation. In my time as editor, I strive to solicit content that shares diverse perspectives and connects members at all stages to information that can help them professionally and personally.