President's Column | Summer 2025
Jessica Punzo, PsyD
Happy Summer Everyone,
I hope you all are taking time to get some sunshine and warm air, amidst all the business that comes with summer schedules. I am excited to share some of the things we have been working on behind the scenes here.
The first thing that I am most excited about is our programming for the Annual APA Convention this year, which will be held at the Colorado Convention Center located in Denver, Colorado. We have a fantastic programmed lined up for you and hope many of you will join us in person for these sessions. You can access the full Division 56 Programming on our conference webpage.
We are currently working on putting up the schedule for our Informal Programming and that should be available by the time you read this. Informal Programming is a great way to learn about topics in trauma psychology in a more casual setting with interactive dialogues.
You will see some of the Informal Programming will have food and/or beverages, so please do stop by. When talks are not going on, use the space for networking or just a place to hang out. We will also have some cool swag there – so definitely check it out! The Informal Program Room is located in the Convention Center in Bluebird Ballroom 2G.
I want to highlight our biggest (and most fun) event, which is our Division 56 Awards and Social Hour. This year it will take place on Friday, August 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. MST in the Hyatt Regency Level 3 Centennial Ballroom G. We are going to have TONS of food and an open bar, so please bring all your friends and colleagues to socialize and recognize some of our outstanding members.
I decided to forgo a traditional Presidential Address this year at the convention and instead I will be moderating a discussion on novel approaches to treating trauma – something I am very passionate about. Drs. Barbara Rothbaum, Alan Peterson and Damon Krohn will all share their current practice and research in using these approaches to treat PTSD and traumatic stress disorders. The discussion is entitled, Evolving the Practice of Trauma Psychology: Innovative Treatments and Emerging Trends and will take place on Friday, August 8 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. MST at the Mile High Ballroom 1CD in the Colorado Convention Center, Ballroom Level.
Lastly, since my last report, we had a very successful in person Executive Committee meeting in Chicago. Those who attended provided great feedback, letting us know having more face-to-face meetings was important in feeling more connected with the Division. We recently started publishing the minutes of those meetings to our broader membership, so you, too, can see what we are working on. If you would like a copy of either of our last two EC meetings, please email our Secretary Emili Pickenpaugh at epickenpaugh@gmail.com. Finally, it is my great pleasure to announce our newly elected Executive Board Members for 2026:
- President-Elect: Barbara Niles, PhD
- Council Representative: Carolyn Allard, PhD
- Treasurer: Margo Jacquot, PsyD
- Member-at-Large: Meghan Fagundes, PhD
- Early Career Representative: Kayleigh Watters, PhD
- Student Representative: Fernando Casillas Plazola, BS
I am so excited to welcome some new and familiar faces into Division 56 Leadership.
I also cannot wait to see some of you in person in Denver in a few short weeks. Please do not hesitate to reach out to myself (midpathpsych@gmail.com), our Executive Director, Deb (info@apad56.org) or Program Chair, Robyn (info@robyngobin.com), if you have any questions while at Convention.
Best,
Jessica