Although her graduate training was in social psychology, Lauren Appelbaum considers herself a political psychologist. Her research over the last decade has focused on attitudes toward welfare recipients and the effects of these attitudes on policy decisions. Presently, she is re-specializing in clinical psychology, with the hopes of combining research and private practice. She says the multidisciplinary nature of the field of political psychology has allowed her to have a scientific home and the ISPP has given her a professional home as she continues to develop her career interests.

“The ISPP has been one of the most important parts of my professional life since I attended the Summer Institute in Political Psychology in 1994. I’ve taken part in 10 of the last 12 scientific meetings. I have become very involved in this organization – particularly with the junior scholars. I have participated in the publishing workshop as well as the career development panel at the annual meetings, which I have both organized and served on as a panelist. I have been an active member of the Junior Scholars Committee for five years and served as Chair of the committee from 2004-2006.

“Thus, the concerns of junior scholars in the ISPP are very important to me. I will make sure that I am another voice for junior scholars on the Governing Council. In addition, I have lived and worked abroad and value the professional connections I have made to researchers outside of the United States. I feel it is very important that the ISPP continue to be a truly international organization, with an active world membership.

“The ISPP is my primary professional organization and I hope you will give me the chance to work to keep it vibrant and growing.”