E-News November 2024
Update from Prof. Lori Foster - IAAP President
Dear IAAP Members,
Picture this scene: An applied psychologist arrives from another galaxy, only to find herself on Earth—a culturally diverse planet brimming with potential. The year is 2024, and while Earth faces its share of challenges, it’s also filled with people striving toward a better future, guided by aims like the Sustainable Development Goals. “How in the world,” she wonders, “can the delicate balance among people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships be accomplished, given the diversity of individuals, communities, environments, and complex systems involved?”
She scratches her heads, puzzling over this for a few moments. Suddenly, it dawns on her: a deep understanding of people, behavior, and organizations is essential for achieving these goals. Psychology, she sees, is a vital part of the solution—providing the insights needed to bring about meaningful, lasting change.
Recognizing the importance of strength in numbers, our newcomer seeks a community—a home where new voices and longtime members alike bring unique, valued perspectives. She’s looking for a place with a strong foundation, built from lessons of the past but never stuck in it. A place where every new connection holds the potential to inspire and where applied psychologists from around the world unite to learn, grow, and expand psychology’s role in helping individuals and societies flourish. This is the IAAP we’re building, one day at a time—and each of you is part of this vibrant global community.
As many of you know, we’ve been discussing our strategic aims recently. This month, I want to share more about the second of our three strategic goals: to increase the number and diversity of engaged members by improving the value and accessibility of IAAP.
Let’s break this down by considering three key words embedded in this goal: number, engaged, and diversity.
Number is about … [Click HERE to continue reading the President’s message]
Division News
Division 1: Work and Organizational Psychology
Division 1 is pleased to share recent updates and upcoming events in Work and Organizational Psychology, highlighted in their latest newsletter. This issue covers Division 1’s active involvement in key conferences and initiatives, including the upcoming International Conference on the Psychology of Selection and Assessment: Calling, Meaning, Purpose, and Sustainable Development - Perspectives and Imperatives for Decent, Dignified, Worthy, Healthy Work and Life, hosted at the University of Florence as part of the IAAP Special Project Promoting Decent Work for All. The conference will include a keynote by Division 1 President Vicente Martinez-Tur.
The newsletter also celebrates Professor José María Peiró, who will soon receive the Laurea Magistrale Honoris Causa from the University of Florence. For more on his achievements, be sure to explore the Member Spotlight in this eNews.
Click HERE for the full Division 1 Newsletter.
Click HERE for more details and the full schedule for the Two-Day International Conference on November 4 & 6.
Division 4: Environmental Psychology
Division 4 is excited to announce that registration and abstract submission for the upcoming International Conference on Environmental Psychology (ICEP 2025) is now open! Click HERE to learn more about conference details and important dates.
Use the following quick links for detailed instructions on how to register, submit an abstract, or propose a symposium on the ICEP 2025 website:
Registration
Call for Abstracts
Divisions 4: Environmental Psychology & 8: Health Psychology -
Upcoming Webinar
An upcoming webinar on bridging Environmental and Health Psychology, to be held on November 25, 2024, at 1:30PM UTC by Division 4: Environmental Psychology and Division 8: Health Psychology of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), together with the Special Interest Group “Equity, Global Health and Sustainability” of the European Health Psychology Society. The title of the webinar is “Healthy environment, healthy people: Bridging environmental and health psychology”. This webinar focuses on two sides of a coin: the impact of the environment on human health and well-being; and predictors of, or interventions to increase, behaviors for the mitigation of, or the adaptation to environmental degradation.
More details about the webinar
Register for the webinar
Division 5: Education and School Psychology
Division 5 warmly invites you to an upcoming webinar, organized by Educa Flagship, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland, focused on resilience and learning variability. Scheduled for November 26, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. UTC, this event will feature two insightful talks from distinguished psychology professors.
- Prof. Lars-Erik Malmberg (Department of Education, University of Oxford) will present on "Intraindividual Stability and Variability of Students’ Learning Experiences." Learn more about Prof. Malmberg.
- Prof. Frosso Motti-Stefanidi (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) will discuss "Immigrant Youth Academic Resilience: Implications for Equitable and Inclusive Education." Learn more about Prof. Motti-Stefanidi.
Each presentation will last 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute discussion. To participate, join via Microsoft Teams HERE.
Division 8: Health Psychology
Learn about recent professional achievements and activities as well as recommended publications and book chapters from Division 8.
Click HERE for the full Division 8 Newsletter.
Divisions 9: Economic Psychology & 13: Traffic & Transportation Psychology - Webinar Recording Available
In case you missed it! On October 23, Divisions 9: Economic Psychology and 13: Traffic & Transportation Psychology partnered to host the webinar "Towards Sustainable Transport Choices."
You can watch the full webinar HERE.
Division 12: Sport Psychology
Dive into relative news, announcements and information from Division 12 in their 3rd published issue of eNews.
Click HERE for the full Division 12 Newsletter.
UNITED NATIONS NEWS
IAAP’s teams in New York, Geneva, and Vienna have been hard at work, advancing psychology’s contributions to global priorities. A recent highlight took place in October in honor of World Mental Health Day, an annual observance that emphasizes mental health as a global priority.
On October 17, IAAP had the honor of opening a landmark event at the United Nations titled, “Moving from Words to Action: Implementing the General Assembly Resolution on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.” The event was organized by the American Psychological Association (APA) in collaboration with the Psychology Coalition at the United Nations, its member NGOs, and other key partners from UN agencies, Member State missions, and civil society. It centered on the historic United Nations General Assembly Resolution 77/300, adopted by the General Assembly on 26 June 2023, which formally recognized mental health as a global priority. Building on mental health’s inclusion in Target 3.4 of Agenda 2030, which aims to promote mental health and well-being, this resolution underscores that mental health is about more than the absence of illness; it involves creating environments where people can thrive with dignity, autonomy, and connection to their communities.
IAAP, under the leadership of Dr. Judy Kuriansky, played an influential role in supporting this resolution. Dr. Kuriansky, a long-time champion for mental health at the UN, engaged diverse stakeholders and included youth voices in the process, underscoring the importance of accessible mental health support across communities. Notable progress is already underway, with Dr. Kuriansky actively involved in initiatives that address mental health challenges in regions like Africa and an Island State, where mental health is being linked to broader issues such as migration and education. These efforts highlight how sustained advocacy and follow-through can make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
The October 17 event brought together UN officials, civil society leaders, and representatives from Member States who discussed actionable strategies for implementing the resolution. Topics included integrating mental health into primary healthcare systems, establishing school-based mental health initiatives, and expanding support for underserved populations. As outlined in the resolution, these populations include refugees, Indigenous communities, and women.
Those interested in learning more about the discussions and strategies shared can click HERE to watch the full recording.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Professor José M. Peiró
On November 5, Professor José María Peiró will receive the Laurea Magistrale Honoris Causa from the University of Florence, in conjunction with a two-day International Conference, organized by the Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology of the University of Florence with the support of Division 1 “Work and Organizational Psychology”.
For more information on the award ceremony, click HERE.
EARLY CAREER MARATHON
The ECM2025 continues to move forward. We are in the process of collecting the video presentations from our selected participants. These presentations are all of a very high quality and will deal with the most recent advances in the different fields of applied psychology.
In the coming months, we will connect with our discussants, who will review the video footage in preparation for 24 hours of engaging live virtual information.
Keep watch on IAAP social media profiles and to future eNews for continued updates on the ECM2025!
APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY AROUND THE WORLD: CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW) invites contributions on impactful work influencing policy. Incoming APAW Editor, Professor Stuart Carr, warmly encourages submissions of brief accounts (up to 1,000 words) that highlight connections between applied psychology and policy—whether at the community level, within small-to-medium enterprises, or in city, national, or multinational policy initiatives.
This is an important opportunity to support IAAP’s Strategic Goal #1, which focuses on raising the recognition and use of applied psychology to increase our influence. APAW provides a platform to showcase the many ways psychology is advancing policy. Please send your contributions by November 15, 2024, to Professor Stuart Carr at S.C.Carr@massey.ac.nz.
While preparing your submissions, we encourage you to explore the latest issue of APAW (Volume 6, Issue 2), which focuses on gender and psychology. Discover initiatives and projects aimed at gender equality and empowerment.
Read the newest APAW issue HERE.
We look forward to seeing the impactful work shared by readers from around the world!
SAVE THE DATE: ICAP 2026 in Florence
Join us in Florence, Italy, for the 31st International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP) from July 21-25, 2026.
At ICAP 2026, we will cover the latest breakthroughs in applied psychology and explore their capacity to drive positive change on both personal and societal levels.
Experience an enriching and inspiring conference in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!
Learn more!
WHERE DID OCTOBER GO?
You might have noticed something missing last month—our usual October eNews! After hearing from readers who’d prefer receiving the newsletter at the start of each month, we’re making a change. Moving forward, the eNews will arrive in your inbox at the beginning of each month, featuring highlights from recent weeks and a look at what’s coming up.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re excited to kick off this new schedule with our November issue!