Top Five Reasons to Come to This Year’s APA Convention: August 8-11 in Chicago

Clair Reynolds Kueny, APA Program Committee

Registration for this year’s APA convention is now open! SIOP’s APA Committee is pleased to announce a fantastic program for the 2019 APA Convention! We have a wide range of programming (invited addresses, symposiums, panel discussions, conversation hours, skill-building sessions, etc.) offered by researchers and practitioners from around the world. Here are some highlights:

1.  Phenomenal invited speakers

• Eden King: New Insights From the Science and Practice of I-O Psychology
• Jeff McHenry: Enabling Leaders to Learn More Effectively From Experience: Everyday Learning Disciplines
• Suzanne Bell: Composing Teams for Mission to Mars
• Lilly Lin, Andres Tapia, & Tom McMullen: The Two-Headed Angel: Pay Equity and Diversity & Inclusion

2.  Thought-provoking conversation hours, symposia, and skill-building sessions

• Dana De Nault & Gaye Clemson: Attentive Leadership and Agile Strategy Execution for Organizational Transformation
• Mark Whitmore, Mary Hogue, & Maraya Smith: Under Representation of Women in High Tech
• Kristin Koetting O’Byrne & Heather Rasmussen: Creating a Culture of Gratitude in the Workplace: How Leaders Can Harness the Power of Thanks
• Mark Whitmore & Colleagues: Focus on Leaders in Tech Companies: Use of Development Centers and Findings
• Alexander Wind & Colleagues: Innovations and Applications of Stealth Assessment for Selection, Education, and Research
• Mindi Thompson & Colleagues: Internships as a Form of Work-Based Learning: Implications for College Students
• Tammy Allen, Jeff McHenry, Stephen Stark, & Sara Weiner: What’s Happening at APA and SIOP? Q&A With Division 14/SIOP Council Representatives
  • Possible special appearance by APA President-Elect Sandy Shullman!

3. Fascinating collaborative proposals and interdisciplinary talks

• Stephen Bowles & Colleagues: Operational Psychology Support in Aerospace, Military, and National Security Arenas (cosponsored with Division 19: Society for Military Psychology)
• Stewart Cooper: Practicing at the Cutting Edge: Telepsychology Trends, Issues, and Essential Competencies (collaborative programming with Divisions 12, 17, 42, & 46; see below for a link to the APA page on division numbers/identities)
• Michael Kim & Maria Lara: Mastering the Force of Habit: Applied Behavioral Coaching Methods for Accelerated Behavior Change (collaborative programming with Divisions 12, 38, & 25)
• Nathan Ainspan: Military Culture for Non-Military Psychologists (collaborative programming with Divisions 12, 17, 18, 19, 56, & 55)
• And more! See https://0-convention-apa-org.library.alliant.edu/program-highlights

4. Over 50 competitive posters and talks from SIOP members on topics ranging from leadership strategies to freelance employee behavior to work-life balance… plus hundreds of papers on measurement, group dynamics, personality, and more from other APA divisions!

5. A social event planned with the local area I/O Professional group – Chicago Industrial Organizational Psychologists! There are typically over 100 attendees at these social events, and drinks and appetizers are provided! Details on the time and place of the social hour will be released as they are finalized.

It’s also not too early to start thinking about next year’s convention in Washington DC!

How about putting together a collaborative program? A collaborative program pulls together multiple perspectives on a significant issue for psychologists and society at large, involves more than one core area of psychology (e.g., science, practice, education, public interest), and reflects interdisciplinarity and relevant aspects of diversity.  The deadline for submitting collaborative programming is in October. Collaborative proposals:

• should be 1- or 2-hour session proposals that highlight collaborative ideas and integrative approaches;
• must have at least two participants and a chairperson (individual presentations (paper/poster) will not be considered);
• are encouraged that
  • incorporate innovative presentation formats;
  • include participants across all career stages, settings, and fields; and
  • integrate psychological science and practice

Collaborative proposals are evaluated on the following criteria: broad appeal, importance of work, current and timely topic, originality and innovativeness, interactive/creative format, scientifically/empirically based, and attention to diversity.

Divisions you might want to consider collaborating with include:

• Div 1: Society for General Psychology
• Div 2: Society for the Teaching of Psychology
• Div 5: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
• Div 8: Society for Personality and Social Psychology
• Div 9: Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
• Div 12: Society of Clinical Psychology
• Div 13: Society of Consulting Psychology
• Div 18: Psychologists in Public Service
• Div 19: Society for Military Psychology
• Div 20: Adult Development and Aging
• Div 21: Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology
• Div 35: Society for the Psychology of Women
• Div 38: Society for Health Psychology
• Div 41: American Psychology-Law Society
• Div 42: Psychologists in Independent Practice
• Div 44: Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
• Div 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race
• Div 49: Society of Group Psychology
• And many more! Check out the listing of divisions here: https://0-www-apa-org.library.alliant.edu/about/division

If you are interested in putting together a collaborative proposal, we can help you find collaborators! Please contact myself (Clair Kueny, kuenyc@mst.edu) or our incoming Program Chair (Malissa Clark; clarkm@uga.edu). Congratulations, Malissa!  

See you in Chicago!