APA grants the "fellow" title to members who have made outstanding contributions in psychology. Fellowship is considered a tremendous honor. The May 2006 issue of the APA Monitor offered a very informative article about APA fellowship. In it, author Laurie Meyers discusses the history of the fellow status and the criteria to become a fellow. The APA website also includes an informational page about fellow status instructions.
Nomination to become a fellow begins at the division level. Nominees are required to fill-out the APA uniform fellow application, which allows him/her to detail his/her contribution to the science. The nominee must also receive three letters of recommendation from existing fellows of that division. Division Fellowship Committees review the applications annually, usually around October. The approved nominees are elevated to initial fellow status, and their applications are forwarded to the APA Membership Committee. The committee receives 100-150 applications a year. If the Membership Committee approves an application, the committee officially notifies each division and sends a certificate to each new fellow.
APA members who are already fellows in a different division can become fellows in another division without approval from the APA Membership Committee. It is the responsibility of each division to determine eligibility of current fellows and to notify APA of their election. Our division's fellow chair is Cindy McPherson Frantz, PhD. If you are interested in applying for Div. 34 fellow status, contact us. Currently, there are 83 fellows of Div. 34.
