Dear SCN Members,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of and commitment to SCN. A major theme for my upcoming Presidential year is communication. As such, you will be hearing from me more regularly via a variety of different sources (i.e., Twitter, email, Facebook, SCN Neuroblast). I encourage those of you not already on Twitter to join the growing number of our colleagues on #NeuropsychTwitter. (A “How to Tweet Guide” compiled by the Task Force is here for your guidance).
I view this as an exciting year for SCN. We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our designation as a specialty by APA and we have developed a logo (see attached) to celebrate that milestone. The Strategic Planning Committee, co-chaired by Drs Scott Sperling and Lynette Abrams-Silva, has already accomplished a tremendous amount of work as they finalize a survey and put together recommendations for our future. The Strategic Planning Committee was formed August 2020 and tasked with surveying the membership and key stakeholders, reviewing and revising (if necessary) the existing SCN structure and mission, and developing a strategic plan to address short- and longer-term goals. In addition to the above, the COVID pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for neuropsychology to develop alternate service delivery models based on good data and good ethics to address disparities in clinical services exacerbated by the pandemic. Finally, we are at an important inflection point with respect to diversity and truly modeling inclusive excellence in our science, clinical work, professional organizations, and behavior. The confluence of all of these factors – looking ahead to the next 25 years of our specialty, learning from the Strategic Planning committee’s recommendations as we plan for the future of SCN, innovating clinical practices to address the public’s need, and moving the field forward with attention to inclusive excellence – led to the theme for my Presidential term: The Future of Neuropsychology: Reflect, Re-Envision, and ReInvent.
To facilitate communication, the SCN Executive Committee approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Marketing SCN in August 2021 chaired by Julia Maietta. Committee members include: Kara Eversole, Nick Kavish, Abel Mathew, Molly Split, and Stephanie Torres. The goal of this Task Force is to help market and communicate the work of the SCN Strategic Planning Committee in close collaboration with Dr. Laura Boxley (Chair, Communications and Publications Committee) and Dr. Rob Davis (Information & Technology Consultant).
Communication goes both ways. I am open and eager to hear from all of you. The Strategic Planning Committee survey has now launched and it is critical that we hear everyone’s voice. I also request that all of you leverage your professional networks, inside of SCN and in the broader neuropsychology community, to highlight our work, encourage our colleagues to participate in the SCN survey, and submit abstracts for the upcoming Convention.
As we look back on the last 25 years, I want to reflect upon and honor the past accomplishments in our field and use those insights to look forward to the next 25 years. I am honored, humbled, and excited to lead us in Re-Envisioning SCN’s future. We have some exciting work on the horizon so please be sure to stay connected with us. You are essential to SCN’s success and I am genuinely grateful for your commitment to the field. I look forward to connecting on Twitter @CynthiaKubuPhD and #NeuropsychTwitter.
Warmly,
Cindy
Committee Members
Julia Maietta, M.A. (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center)
Kara Eversole, B.S. (James Madison University)
Kara Eversole is a second-year master's student in the James Madison University Psychological Sciences program with a concentration in applied research. Her research and clinical interests in clinical neuropsychology include mild cognitive impairment and dementia, test development, and cross-cultural issues in assessment. Kara is also a neuropsychology practicum student at the University of Virginia, where she sees patients in the Department of Neurology and in the Memory and Aging Care Clinic.
Nicholas Kavish, M.A. (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center)
Abel Mathew, M.S. (Brown University)
Abel Mathew is a Clinical Psychology PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Neuropsychology resident at Brown University. Abel’s research interests are in anxiety-related disorders including OCRDs and PTSD, as well as traumatic brain injury/concussion. He is also interested in technological assessments and interventions for these disorders. Abel is a student member of the Asian Neuropsychological Association (ANA) and graduate representative of the admissions and diversity committees at Brown University.
Molly Split, M.S. (Drexel University)
Stephanie Torres, M.A. (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Stephanie Torres is currently a neuropsychology intern at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Houston. Her interests are in the intersection of culture, cognition, and lifespan development in the context of health disparities. Stephanie’s long-term aims are to address the underutilization of neuropsychological services in culturally and linguistically diverse populations and assist in the development of culturally sensitive neuropsychological assessments. She also has a strong interest in addressing diversity issues in the field of clinical psychology and aims to work towards strengthening the support for graduate education and diversifying the psychology pipeline.