June 2025 Six Questions:

Linda M. Woolf, PhD

2025 president-elect candidate

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Six questions reflecting important issues to APA’s overall mission and strategic plan

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1. How do you envision APA supporting graduate students? 

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Graduate students are the future of our profession, and we cannot thrive without them. Many students express concerns about funding,  mistreatment, unclear pathways, and stress. APA can help—through better communication about grants, awards, and programs like the HRSA Graduate Psychology Education Program. We must actively listen and partner with APAGS/GSTA, including at the division/state level, to strengthen mentoring and guidance on navigating graduate school. Additionally, broader education and implementation of the APA Guidelines on Equitable and Respectful Treatment of Students in Graduate Psychology Programs is essential. All students deserve fair, equitable, and respectful treatment throughout their training.

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2. How can APA maintain and promote EDI efforts within the Association and in our civic lives?   

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The terms “diversity, equity, and inclusion” have been politicized, but as psychologists, we value the diversity of persons and peoples, embrace human dignity, and strive to create inclusive, respectful spaces. Psychological science grounds these EDI values. Our science informs both practice and policy development, guiding ethical practice, promoting culturally appropriate treatments, fostering inclusive educational pathways, and ensuring that societal progress is rooted in psychological knowledge. APA advocacy and the amicus curiae program are key elements in our EDI efforts. In doing so, psychology advances individual well-being while contributing to public policy and the pursuit of social justice

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3. According to the strategic plan, APA strives to “Prepare the field of psychology for current and future opportunities and challenges." What is your vision for how APA can support psychologists working in educational institutions, given recent attacks on higher education? 

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When a state banned AP Psychology over content on sexual orientation and gender identity, APA responded swiftly—supporting the College Board and affirming the scientific foundation of gender in psychology education. The ban was reversed. APA’s strategic voice can defend colleges and universities under attack. APA’s education offices offer vital tools for teachers and departments, such as program guidelines and curriculum resources. The tools can help counter efforts to censor psychological science. Through conferences, publications, and collaborative opportunities, APA supports teachers across levels. Together, we can protect the integrity of psychology education and stand stronger as a community.

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4. How can APA encourage and support research that is culturally sensitive and globally relevant, ensuring that psychological science is relevant across diverse cultural contexts? 

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We live in a multicultural, diverse world marked by increasing connection and migration. Psychological science offers vital insights into human behavior, motivation, and decision-making, stressing the importance of cultural sensitivity and competency. Whether tackling climate change, trafficking, destructive conflict, inequality, global public health, or refugee displacement, psychology helps identify cognitive, emotional, social, and cultural factors to inform effective, humane responses. APA must listen to, engage in dialogue with, and partner with the Ethnic Psychological Associations, Divisions, SPTAs, and the Global Psychology Alliance. Working together, we can ensure APA remains responsive, inclusive, and impactful within communities and on a global scale.

 

5. From your vantage point (e.g., as a scientist, practitioner, educator, etc.), what might you recommend for improving psychological wellness for youth and their families given the incredible stressors they’ve faced in the last several years? 

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As an educator, I witness the ongoing stress that students face. The impact of COVID lingers; many students feel their world is unstable. LGBTQIA+ rights are under threat, BIPOC students face rising bias, and international students risk visa revocation. Nearly all students are impacted by today’s political climate. APA can provide resources for teaching stress management and navigating difficult dialogues. More broadly, APA should support research and policies that address systemic harms affecting students and their families. Culturally appropriate resources and support guidelines will help educators and communities create safer, more supportive environments for all students in these challenging times.

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6. What steps would you support APA taking to address the intersection of racial and ethnic identity, gender diversity, and disability within APA policies and initiatives, ensuring that the unique challenges faced by individuals with intersecting identities are adequately recognized and supported? 

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APA has made progress, but more work needs to be done. First, APA must dialogue with organizations such as the Ethnic Psychological Associations, relevant Divisions, and disability rights organizations. When I co-Chaired the Indigenous Apology Work Group and met with Native American colleagues/Elders, it became clear, “I didn’t know what I didn’t know.” It is only through engaged, sustained dialogue that APA can seek reconciliation and partner with those who have been historically marginalized, made invisible, or had their intersectionality ignored within the Association. Such powerful voices are necessary and only strengthen APA. Many Voices, One Psychology.

 

 

May 2025: Candidate Statement: ​

Linda M. Woolf, PhD

2025 president-elect candidate

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As psychologists, we have the power to transform individuals’ lives, promote well-being, and build communities that thrive. Yet, psychology stands at a crossroads, facing many challenges—barriers to care, mental health AI chatbots, threats to research funding, replication concerns, anti-science biases, workplace insecurities, educational disparities, attacks on diversity, and broader societal/global challenges. In these turbulent times, our commitment to psychology’s transformative power is more vital than ever. It is this spirit that drives my campaign: Many Voices, One Psychology.

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Across clinical settings, schools, organizations, and communities, psychologists represent diverse voices and experiences. Our strength is collaboration—listening to one another, bridging divides, and building a representative profession for all. Through dialogue and partnership with Divisions, SPTAs, Ethnic Psychological Associations, national organizations, and global alliances, we can create a stronger, more resilient voice for psychology. Our diversity becomes the foundation of our collective power.

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This commitment spans practice, science, education, and advocacy, grounded in three core values: human rights, respect for persons and peoples, and psychological science. Human rights affirm everyone’s dignity, essential for well-being. When rights are denied, we must advocate boldly for justice. Respect demands honoring autonomy, cultural identity, and inclusion. Through genuine engagement, we foster trust, empower communities, and advance equity. Psychological science underpins all we do. Amid rising misinformation, APA must fiercely defend evidence-based, culturally relevant knowledge shaping education, health care, policy, and more.

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Together, by centering diversity, defending rights, and championing science, we will build a stronger, more inclusive future for psychology.