Behind the Board: Unlocking Psychology’s Full Potential

Melba J.T. Vasquez, PhD (she/her/ella)
President

What first drew you to APF, and what keeps you involved?
I was drawn to supporting APF decades ago because I was passionate about contributing to research designed to understand and solve some of the grand problems of society. Psychology has much to say about ways to contribute to our communities and multiple constituents.

In just one year, the Direct Action Visionary Grants received more than 1,200 letters of intent. What does that level of interest and need tell you?
I am thrilled that there is so much interest among so many to apply research directly to help communities and groups in need of our evidence-informed interventions. Especially in a negative climate where there have been so many cuts to research, services, and when so many communities are threatened, it is rewarding to contribute in a positive, constructive manner.

How can partnerships between psychology and the private sector meaningfully advance Direct Action?
Partnerships between psychology and the private sector may provide us with the opportunity to add significantly more Direct Action programming, as well as inform the private sector of the importance of such interventions. This new development and direction can help us expand our reach to serve even more constituents, which would be deeply gratifying.

Derek C. Phillips, PsyD, MSCP, ABMP, ABRxP (he/him)
Secretary

What first drew you to APF, and what keeps you involved?
What first drew me to APF was its mission; specifically that it leverages philanthropy to ensure that psychological knowledge makes it into the spaces where it is needed most. This has been particularly salient in the current sociopolitical environment that has seen reduction and elimination of funding for research that produces such knowledge. I maintain my involvement in APF because there remains so much work to do to make psychological knowledge permeate society to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live with dignity and thrive. I also stay involved with APF because of the wonderful people (staff, governance, donors, partners, grantees, etc.) with whom I interact on a routine basis and enrich my life.

As an APF Trustee, I support Direct Action because…
Direct Action answers an immediate need in our communities, specifically by funding the production of evidence, and then using evidenced-based interventions on the ground with the individuals and groups who need it now. Direct Action was created to address this urgent need and to ensure that the research had a practical effect on populations of people with the greatest need, and who historically have not been included in the process of establishing an evidence base, and/or have not been the beneficiaries of the resulting interventions. 

Daniel J. Abrahamson, PhD (he/him)

What does it mean to you to be part of a community that is working to advance the field of psychology?
I spent my entire career promoting and championing psychology. This started with developing an all-psychologist practice, then through advocacy with my state and national psychological organizations, and finally through nearly two decades working at the American Psychological Association. It was unfathomable to me to imagine that my efforts on behalf of psychology would stop when I retired. Fortunately, early in my retirement, I discovered the amazing work APF was doing to promote psychological research and programs. The opportunity to help improve people’s lives by supporting and being part of APF was the perfect fit for me.

In just one year, the Direct Action Visionary Grants received more than 1,200 letters of intent. What does that level of interest and need tell you?
The incredible interest in the Direct Action Visionary Grants reflects the broad range of issues psychologists are addressing. Through research and innovative community-based programs, psychologists are taking on everything from learning challenges, adolescent addiction, the impact of dislocation, and the neurological underpinnings of numerous diseases, to name just a few. Psychological research and practice offer so much to society. When resources are limited, an organization like APF can make a real difference by speeding up how these programs reach communities in need. 

Why do you think partnerships between psychology and the private sector can be meaningful for advancing Direct Action?
Direct Action focuses on rapidly deploying research findings for effective interventions. The private sector must be agile in assessing needs and responding quickly. This sets up an effective match between APF’s Direct Action and corporate partners.

Dorothy W. Cantor, PsyD (she/her)

What first drew you to APF, and what keeps you involved?
I first came to APF by default, because all past presidents of APA rotated onto the APF Board for a seven-year term. That was in 1998, and I’m still here. Why? Because of the enormous satisfaction of being an integral part of APF’s growth, from a foundation with only a small grant-making capacity to one now giving away over $2 million in research funding. I remember our first-ever strategic planning session, when our goal was to eventually give away a million dollars in grants annually. We’ve surpassed that goal and just keep growing. Today, APF is a well-known foundation that has taken the leap from primarily funding psychological research to supporting dissemination and implementation initiatives through Direct Action. These initiatives are intended to bring psychology off the shelf and meet the pressing psychological needs of our time.

Which Direct Action effort are you most excited about?
In the early stages of Direct Action, circumstances allowed me to introduce the Jewish Community Mental Health Initiative (JCMHI) as a potential partner. A group of energized and concerned psychologists had organized to meet the needs of college students experiencing antisemitism on their campuses, but they had no way to raise money because they lacked the necessary tax status. Volunteers were exhausting themselves doing all the work. A lot of hard work went into figuring out how to make this kind of partnership a success, and now JCMHI is a thriving organization that has offered over 2,000 free, clinician-led support groups for people experiencing antisemitism. While the need for JCMHI’s work continues to increase, it has been encouraging watching this program grow and meet the needs of Jewish people from all backgrounds.

Why do you think partnerships between psychology and the private sector can be meaningful for advancing Direct Action?
For many years, APF’s trustees have talked about collaborating with corporations, which have far greater capacity to give than most psychologists do. Now, APF Direct Action resonates with corporate donors who are also interested in addressing the enormous mental health needs in this country and around the world. Partnerships with corporations can benefit both of us; corporations can demonstrate their commitment to making the world a better place, while APF gains the support needed to help more people and communities. When we received more than 1,200 Letters of Intent for our Direct Action Visionary Grants but could only fund a handful, we were reminded of how vital corporate partners are to our ability to expand psychology’s impact.

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Leigh Miles Jackson, PhD (she/her)

What first drew you to APF, and what keeps you involved?
Throughout my career, I have seen how strategic investments in research and innovation can create opportunities for meaningful change. What drew me to APF was its commitment to advancing psychological science, investing in research and innovation, and translating scientific knowledge into practical applications that improve human health and well-being. What keeps me involved is APF’s continued commitment to finding innovative ways to ensure that knowledge reaches the people and communities who can benefit from it most.

Why does Direct Action matter to you as an expert in the field?
Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of scientific discovery, innovation, and public benefit. One of the greatest challenges in science is translating what we know into what we do. Direct Action addresses that challenge by translating evidence-based psychological knowledge into practical programs and interventions that can improve lives. To me, that is how we realize the full promise of scientific investment.

How can partnerships between psychology and the private sector meaningfully advance Direct Action?
The challenges facing our communities are too complex for any one sector to address alone. Psychological science offers evidence-based insights, while the private sector brings resources, innovation, and the capacity to scale solutions. When these strengths come together around shared goals, we have an opportunity to accelerate progress and bring effective interventions to more people.

Antonio E. Puente, PhD (he/him)

What does it mean to you to be part of a community that is working to advance the field of psychology?
There is no way that an undocumented immigrant with challenges of shelter and other resources should ever expect the beauty, adventure, and curiosity that psychology brought to my life and to my mind. Further, if I recall those days in primary school, when I dreamed of having enough for a meal to quench my hunger, I struggle to believe the reality of this journey and to appreciate where psychology has taken me. I have no other option but to address the responsibility that such a life has given me.

As an APF Trustee, I support Direct Action because…
My mentor, Roger W. Sperry, is the first psychologist to win a Nobel Prize. His only book was titled Science and Moral Priority. As his biographer, I am both indebted to his knowledge and to his focus on helping society address major moral questions with scientific data. Nothing comes closer to the work I have done than having real-world impact in making that dream a reality. It’s so rewarding that APF and Direct Action are small ways of contributing to that much larger vision. 

How can partnerships between psychology and the private sector meaningfully advance Direct Action?
Science in the United States is central to our nation’s success. After WWII, our government became deeply committed to making the US the world leader in scientific research; that vision has been recently radically altered. For the US, and for that matter the entire world, to continue emphasizing the importance in science for the world’s benefit, we now have to pivot from this single path of support. In our country today, there is no larger opportunity than our private sector. It is time to take the great trajectory our government set over the last 75 years, and expand it through deep partnerships between the nonprofit and private sectors, further extending the reach and impact of scientific research.