Paul L. Craig, PhD

Video Statement

Biography

As your candidate for APA president-elect, I want you to know what I have done as well as what I intend to do for the future for our profession.

From 2008 through 2010, I served as APA treasurer. Ten months after taking office, the world economy abruptly began collapsing. I kept a steady hand and worked collaboratively with management, governance and APA's members, providing the leadership and vision needed to help APA survive and then thrive. By the end of my term as treasurer, APA's balance sheet was solid and our budget was in the black.

I have served APA members in a variety of leadership roles, including Board of Directors, Council of Representatives, Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice and the Committee on Rural Health. I have consistently emphasized the value of all facets of our profession, including science, education, practice and diversity. My leadership style has focused on integrating these interests—not parochial advocacy for a specific interest group. As APA president, I will continue to focus on integration, collaboration and advancement of all facets of professional psychology.

I am board-certified in clinical neuropsychology and served on the board of directors of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. I am a former president of the Alaska Psychological Association. In 2006, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, appointed me to the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, which provided a venue to use psychology research in relation to development of federal health policies and programs.

I am a clinical professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine—a regional health-care training consortium. In addition to earning my living through clinical practice in Alaska for 32 years, I have published more than 25 peer-reviewed articles and chapters on neuropsychology and rural health. I have served as a consulting editor for Professional Psychology and Journal of Rural Community Psychology and as a guest editor for several other journals, including Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. Practice, science and education are the fabric of my career.

My presidential theme is "The Year of Our Youth." Specifically, the foundation of my presidential platform is built on addressing the needs of our diverse students, early career and midcareer psychologists in the context of their educational, scientific and practice pursuits. To the extent APA's leadership tenaciously focuses on the well-being of our next generation of psychologists, the future for all members of our profession will be brighter.

Beyond my passion for psychology, I am an avid bicyclist. In 1976, I pedaled a bike loaded with camping gear from New York City to Oregon. As APA's president, rest assured that I will bring the same level of persistence and determination that helped me bicycle from coast to coast, as I focus on how our association—the APA—can be of service to all of our members.

Visit Craig for president to learn more about your candidate.

Candidate Statement

"The Year of Our Youth" is the foundation of my candidacy for president-elect.

When I contemplate serving as APA's president, I am aware of the importance of supporting and promoting the youth within our profession—namely, our students, early career peers and midcareer psychologists. If the members of APA address the important issues facing our students and young colleagues, all facets of our profession will enjoy a brighter future.

In my 20s, I committed to never becoming a curmudgeon. Whenever cynicism creeps in, I remind myself to consider actions I can take to positively influence the circumstances. Rather than endorsing pessimism, I focus on being creative, optimistic and forward thinking while working collaboratively and realistically toward an improved future. Pursuit of utopia is a fool's game. But taking personal responsibility for creating positive outcomes is something all of us can do, individually and collectively. This attitude defines my leadership style.

A variety of educational, scientific and practice-related issues merit APA's attention as we address the future of our profession. Specifically, during "The Year of Our Youth" I intend to advance the future of psychology practice and our profession's important role within the integrated health home model; to promote psychological science as a STEM discipline with increased public recognition of the merits of theoretical as well as bench-to-bedside psychological research; and to promote psychology education and training to meet the current and future needs of our profession as well as the people and entities we serve.

Diversity among psychologists and diversity among those we serve is a core strength of APA. As APA's president, I will encourage our collective focus on the best interest of our profession's youth. As we support and encourage the younger members of APA, the entire profession will flourish, to the benefit of all psychologists.