This year I became eligible for APA’s Life Status membership because I had reached the age of 65 and have been a member of APA for over 25 years. With this membership type, you may choose to begin a dues-reduction process, culminating in dues exception. APA also notes that this status “enables you to stay connected to your profession, providing you personal benefits and advocacy for the field.”
At first, I thought, “Wow, that sounds great!” Then, I thought, “Wow, where did the time go?” And then, I thought, “This is just one of many transitions we each experience that holds new promise.” It’s this latter thought I’d like to say more about in light of my transition to my term as Div. 20 president and the opportunities it offers.
It is said that “most people miss great opportunities because of their misperception of time. Don’t wait! The time will never be just right.” As I make my transition, the coming year at first glance seems like a long time, but I know it will fly by. So how can I work with Div. 20 and APA to make the most of it? Continuing the approach our past president Lisa Brown thoughtfully set into motion, I will keep the Div. 20 presidential trio connected so that we can make efficient and effective use of our collective time. I will also be sure to foster our connections with APA’s Portfolio on Aging (aka Office on Aging) and its new director, Latrice Vinson PhD, our Committee on Aging (CONA) colleagues, and other members of APA’s Aging Leadership Council.
As well, I will dig into ways to broaden our efforts to advance age inclusivity in psychology, and ultimately higher education, which I began doing as president-elect by arranging for Div. 20’s endorsement of the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative. In this vein, I recently co-organized a virtual teaching workshop “Advancing Age Inclusivity in Psychologyopens in new window” supported by an APA BEA Grant for Precollege and Undergraduate Teaching Conferences which featured Div. 20 members who shared ways to integrate aging content in core psychology courses. A special issue of Div. 20’s “Teaching Tips” is being created on this topic, which will include tips based on the panel presentations as well as briefer tips from attendees. Your tips (250 words) are also most welcomed - please share them onlineopens in new window by October 17, 2021.
I also would like to recommend that the Div. 20 Executive Committee set up an AFU workgroup to identify ways we can support the AFU initiative and expand the network which now consists of over 80 institutions in North America, Europe, and beyond. In this spirit, I’d like to take this opportunity to invite your institution to join the AFU network. You can find information about becoming an AFU partner and developing age-friendly campus efforts in this Toolkitopens in new window created by the GSA-AGHE-AFU workgroup. I envision the Div. 20-AFU workgroup as developing other such resources and exploring ways Div. 20 can collaborate with GSA-AGHE to make the most of our mutual interest in advancing age inclusivity.
I’d also like to see Div. 20 find ways to demonstrate the value of the AFU philosophy to APA, especially given that many members are affiliates of higher education. For example, I recently submitted a CODAPAR grant, “Putting Age-Friendly Principles into Practice: Supporting and Engaging Later Stage Career Psychologists in APA,” co-authored with Rowena Gomez (Div. 20 president-elect, AFU Palo Alto) and Harvey Sterns (AFU University of Akron), in collaboration with Div. 12, Section 2 (Society of Clinical Geropsychology), Div. 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology), and Div. 18 (Psychologists in Public Service). This project applies the AFU principle that advocates for engaging actively with one’s retired community to divisional practices. Specifically, it proposes a needs assessment survey to gather information about older APA members who may be considering retiring, are transitioning through retirement, or have retired, in order to identify how APA divisions can provide them with support and opportunities for continued engagement. One of the motivations for this project was the recognition that our APA community is aging along with our local, national, and global populations - as can be seen in APA’s divisional age demographics which show a sizeable number of members are age 60+ and identify as being in their late- or post-career stages (APA Division Dashboardopens in new window).
The work of the Div. 20 president stands on the shoulders of many colleagues, and in the next year I will be available to support their ambitious efforts. To start, if you are not already participating, I encourage you to join one (or more) of our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) organized by Div. 20’s Early Career Task Force. SIGs are 18 smaller communities of D20 members who share interests within the broader field of adult development ranging from “Addressing Ageism and Attitudes Toward Aging” to “Technology and Aging.” To do so, complete the brief SIG surveyopens in new window. If you have any questions about the SIG initiative, please contact Shelley Condon.
Also consider joining Div. 20’s Early Career Task Force: Mentor Match Program, which aims to expand the professional networks of students and early career psychologists with interests in aging by connecting them to established professionals who are affiliated with a different institution and can provide career advice and guidance. For more information, please contact Yin Liu or Rowena Gomez.
Wow, there’s a lot for me to look forward to and get working on during this transition and throughout this year. I wouldn’t want it any other way!