SPSSI | Forward Spring 2025 COVER

		From Our Editor Kala J. Melchiori, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, James Madison University In Psychology of Gender, my students and I discuss the historic “waves” of feminist activism in the United States. One prominent criticism of the wave metaphor is that it glorifies the peak of the wave, when widespread social change occurs, and largely ignores the valleys, when backlash and traditional ideologies take hold again and progress comes to a standstill or backslides. As scholars and activists, we feel the pull and danger of the undertow in our current political climate. How do we stay afloat and claw back our policy progress against ahe changing tide? Continue reading this article here
		A Message from the SPSSI President: Strength in Community Heather Bullock, Professor, Department of Psychology, Director, Center for Economic Justice and Action, Incoming SPSSI President, University of California, Santa Cruz Tumultuous. Unprecedented. Destabilizing. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when describing U.S. politics during the first few months of 2025. At the time of this writing, President Trump has signed 152 executive orders and the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a budget bill that will cut millions of low-income Americans from essential services. With significant economic and social change underway, the far-reaching effects of the second Trump administration’s policies are being felt personally and professionally. SPSSI members are dealing with the fallout from mass firings at federal agencies, navigating the loss of research grants, advocating against the deportation of students, colleagues, relatives, and community members, and fighting multipronged attacks on DEI initiatives and higher education. Of course, this is just a sampling of the many challenges facing the communities in which we live and work. Continue reading this article here
		From Our Director of Policy and Communications: Can Public Psychology Counter Institutional Caution? Sam Abbott, Director of Policy and Communications, SPSSI “The United States is a democracy with strong institutions.” This was one of the more hopeful refrains from a virtual advocacy event SPSSI hosted on March 14th. While research funding, DEI programs, and academic freedom may be threatened, the strength of psychology’s institutions—including courts, Congress, higher education, and professional associations—can help shield us from the worst outcomes. Continue reading this article here
We hope you will join us for #SPSSICON25 in Portland, OR!

Spring 2025

In This Edition

Editor’s Column:
Kala Melchiori

From the Leadership & Committees

Strength in Community:
Heather Bullock

Can Public Psychology Counter Institutional Caution?:
Sam Abbott

(Re)Introducing the SPSSI’s Membership Committee:
Leah Warner and
Lisa Rosenthal

SPSSI-New York Regional Group:
Harold Takooshian

Addressing Equity: The SPSSI Diversity Committee Activities and Goals in 2025:
David A. Caicedo, Ahmar Zaman, Veronica M. Acosta, Jessica Cundiff, and Laurence French

Update from the SPSSI Publications Committee:
Jessica Salvatore

Policy and Resistance

Keeping Our Eyes on Psychology, Law, and Justice:
Cynthia J. Najdowski

Using Research on Immigrant Justice to Support Local Policy Decisions:
Regina Day Langhout

Addressing the Anti-DEI Movement in the Trump Era:
Abigail Folberg

Writing Policy Briefs to Enhance Psychology’s Public Policy Relevance:
Chinchu C.

Forward edited by

Kala Melchiori

Upcoming Deadlines

Joint SPSSI-EASP Conference Submissions		8/1/2025

Local- and State-Level Policy Work Grants		9/1/2025

SPSSI Teaching Resources Award		9/15/2025

SEAS Grants		9/15/2025