April is Autism Awareness Month. The CDC estimates that approximately 1 in 54 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is a broad range of conditions “characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.” California was decades ahead of federal legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Action, which was passed in 1990.

  APA Division 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race published “Protecting and Defending our People: Nakni tushka anowa (The Warrior's Path) Final Report.” The Report is a groundbreaking document calling for the decolonization of APA, the field of psychology, and psychology degree programs. Kristina Mendez, a 2020 graduate of the Clinical Psychology PhD program, is a member of The Warrior’s Path Task Force and contributed to the report.    Mendez had been a member of Division 45 for sev

Brings Humanity to Technology

  PAU alumna Jessica Byrd-Olmstead, PhD, describes her career as an adventure, a river trip with many twists and turns. Lots of rapids, too, it seems.

PAU Alumnus Jonah Paquette is interested in positive psychology and well-being and he may just have the antidote to the fatigue and stress many of us have experienced in 2020 and 2021. Dr. Paquette’s new book, "Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Connected," explores the life experiences that cause awe and wonder.    Paquette starts off "Awestruck" by reminding us of the solar eclipse in 2017.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To highlight the importance of work done on behalf of survivors of domestic violence, we spoke with PAU alumna Amanda Harris (née Feldman), J.D., Ph.D., a psychologist and attorney representing domestic violence survivors.

We spoke with three members of the PAU class of 2020 to learn about their journey to and through PAU - and to see what the future might hold for each of them!   Sheila Park, Class of 2020, B.S. in Psychology and Social Action Why PAU? When I took my first psychology class in community college, it really resonated with me. Psychology encompassed an empathetic understanding of helping others and it had scientific appeal.

  While working as a Corrections Officer for Santa Clara County in the 1990s, Dr. White-Cooper found her true calling as a clinical psychologist.

B.S. in Business Psychology, Class of 2012

Terell Sterling is the founder and CEO of Go Paladin a Silicon Valley nonprofit that connects underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs to the vast startup ecosystem whose motto is “Entrepreneurship for Everyone.” Sterling’s comprehensive experience in entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation included work as a partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, start-up RealScout, and working at a number of Fortune 500 high-tech companies including Apple, Tesla, and Oracle.

  Peter H. Marcus, Psy.D., a 2013 alumnus of the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Register of Health Service Psychologists Board of Directors earlier this year.   The National Register is the largest credentialing organization for psychologists and psychology doctoral students in the United States. Dr. Marcus is faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and has an appointment as Instructor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School.