Hello Division 19 Members! I am so excited about being a part of this wonderful organization and am especially looking forward to serving as the Convention Program Chair. For those who do not know me, my name is Ann Landes and I am a staff psychologist at the Malcom Randall VAMC in Gainesville, Fla. Because of my familial connections with the military and work with veterans, I am greatly interested in issues related to our service members and their families. Therefore, I do hope that through my role as program chair, I can continue to assist in the expansion and strengthening of our division’s leadership in, vision of, and contributions towards the improvement of the lives of our service men and women and their families. This will require continued focus on quality programming that encourages advances in research, development of innovative clinical and teaching interventions, and continuing educational opportunities for military psychologists across the spectrum of their career.

Division 19 programming for the 120th Annual APA Convention in Orlando, Fla., is packed with impressive speakers, presenters and opportunities for networking. Much work went into developing the programming and I want to extend a hearty thank you to all of the reviewers for their leadership and time. Upon reviewing the schedule of events, you will see a variety of topics that will be truly worth attending. For instance, a conversation hour is scheduled to provide information about the career of military psychologists — I am sure this will prove to be a lively and engaging discussion. Other presentations include the psychology of survival in life-threatening situations, tele-behavioral health, therapeutic outdoor programming, behavioral health issues of military children, and the ethics of boundaries and multiple roles during deployment. Additionally, there are two poster sessions that allow for more engagement with the presenters and their areas of research. As members who have attended past conferences can attest, the business meeting, presidential address and social hour are also venues that one would not want to miss. And, of course we will have our hospitality suite available for socializing and networking.

During this time as program chair, I invite our members to provide ideas concerning ways that we can strengthen our programming. Some areas that I would appreciate input relate to increased collaboration between other divisions, future programming themes, and potential invited speakers and panels. If you have any wonderful ideas, are interested in assisting with program planning, or would like to be a reviewer, please do contact me.

Before parting, I want to thank you for allowing me this opportunity to serve in this capacity. I do look forward to seeing you at APA.

Division 19 Schedule of Events

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Friday, August 3, 2012

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Sunday, August 5, 2012