SIOP Endorses Kovera, Olenick, and Stoops for APA Election

The APA launched its annual election for President-Elect and new members of the Board of Directors on August 1. We want to continue to elect leaders who are committed to engaging applied psychologists in the work of APA. If you are a SIOP member who is also an APA voting member and have submitted your vote, thank you! If you haven’t, please cast your ballot before 11:59 p.m. ET on September 15.

We have made great strides over the past several years in our partnership with APA, thanks in part to the election of leaders who value I-O and applied psychology. To continue this progress, SIOP/APA Division 14 has endorsed the following candidates:

Margaret Bull Kovera for President-Elect

• Dr. Kovera is a criminal justice psychologist with deep expertise in eyewitness testimony.
• She is passionate about the scientist–practitioner model and applied psychology. She has been a strong and very effective advocate for applied psychology on Council and in the many leadership roles she has played within APA.
• Dr. Kovera believes strongly that science should be foundational to our APA advocacy work. She has helped ensure that APA’s amicus curiae program draws on scientist–practitioners with the deepest expertise to inform our briefs.
• She believes strongly that APA’s advocacy work should include the wide range of important issues that applied psychologists are studying, including diversity and inclusion, criminal justice, healthy workplaces, the impact of technology including social media on youth and society, and how psychology can help encourage environmentally friendly behavior and choices. She has worked very closely with SIOP colleagues to promote advocacy and communication on issues that we as workplace psychologists care about.
• She is supported by both the applied psychology and science caucuses with the APA Council of Representatives.

Jeff Olenick (#1 Choice) and William (Bill) Stoops (#2 Choice) for Board of Directors Member-at-Large

We believe both Jeff and Bill would be outstanding members of the Board of Directors. We strongly encourage you to give your first and second ranked vote to these candidates.

Jeff Olenick:

• Dr. Olenick is an early-career industrial-organizational psychologist. He is an assistant professor at the University of Georgia and a SIOP Member.
• He recognizes the need to increase the voice of organizational and applied psychology in APA governance.
• Dr. Olenick believes applied psychologists should play a key role in addressing the grand challenges facing society, such as inequality, discrimination, climate change, and political uncertainty.
• He is a firm advocate for planning for the long-term health of our field, especially the expansion of applied and organizational psychology as part of educational curricula. One of his priorities is to promote psychology more effectively to HS and college students planning their careers, provide psychology students with the practical skills they need to ground their work in science, support student mental health, and promote greater diversity of our graduate students.

Bill Stoops:

• Dr. Stoops is an associate director for Clinical Science in the Substance Use Priority Research Area at the University of Kentucky.
• He is strongly committed to the scientist–practitioner model. He has spent his career conducting applied research. He has a deep passion for translating science both to guide practitioners and to educate the general public.
• He has extensive experience in science-based advocacy work. He cares deeply about impact. He believes APA can and should be deeply engaged in public policy because our expertise is relevant to so many of the challenging issues we face in society (mental health and well-being, criminal justice, climate change, DEI). He will help ensure that APA will continue to place science at the center of its advocacy and communications work.
• Dr. Stoops has been a staunch supporter of applied psychology within the APA Council of Representatives and in other leadership roles he’s held within APA. He has been a strong partner to SIOP on several key APA initiatives. He has a deep understanding of how APA works and how to get things done within APA. He is deeply respected by those within APA who identify with healthcare psychology, basic science, applied psychology, and social justice.

All APA members eligible to vote were emailed a ballot on August 1. If  you misplaced the election announcement email with your voting link or you experience any difficulty accessing your ballot or have any questions concerning the election, please contact YesElections at (866) 384-9978 or at Help+APA@yeselections.com.