APAGS News
Volume 1, Number 1
May 2003

Celebrating 15 years of APAGS

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS), which now boasts nearly 60,000 members, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year and has dubbed the year "Celebrate APAGS."

APAGS co-founder Scott Mesh, PhD, remembers more than 15 years ago when the idea for a psychology student organization within APA was just a vision—one that had failed to take hold in five previous attempts because organizers had lost interest and from a lack of support. But in 1987, Mesh, who at the time was a graduate student at St. Johns University, and David Pilon, PhD, then a graduate student at the University of Waterloo, teamed up to change that.

They lobbied for an organization that would give students an official venue to address their concerns. With support from APA officials and members—such as then APA President Raymond D. Fowler, PhD, Ellin Bloch, PhD, and Pierre Ritchie, PhD—Mesh and Pilon formed APAGS. In 1988, APA's Council of Representatives voted unanimously for its establishment.

"I am thrilled to see the progress APAGS has made," says Mesh, who now serves as executive director of Los Ninos Services, which provides home-based services for children and their families in New York City. "APAGS has become a voice in psychology within our field and beyond."

APAGS Chairs through the years Scott Mesh and David Pilon Dawn Royall James Campbell Robert Rella Bridget Cabibi Randy Hofer Mathew Simpson Miguel Ybarra Barbara Beauchamp Mitchell Prinstein Marcia Moody Carol Williams-Nickelson Marcus Patterson Derek Snyder Christopher W. Loftis 1988—1989 1989—1990 1990—1991 1991—1992 1992—1993 1993—1994 1994—1995 1995—1996 1996—1997 1997—1998 1998—1999 1999—2000 2000—2001 2001—2002 2002—2003

Since its beginnings in 1988 with about 18,000 members, APAGS has grown to one-third of APA's total membership and has become one of the largest constituency groups within APA. APAGS is composed of a governing committee, five subcommittees and several task forces, and has increased its prominence and voice by gaining voting seats in APA governance groups, such as the Committee on Accreditation and APA's Council of Representatives.

With such a solid foundation, the future of APAGS looks bright, says Christopher W. Loftis, current APAGS chair. With the recent approval of a voting seat on APA's Council of Representatives (see APAGS News), Loftis says the group's influence continues to grow. He hopes APAGS will be able to spread its outreach further as more APA committees, boards and divisions and the state and provincial psychological associations recognize the importance of including students as voting members in their governance processes. He also wants to see the formation of APAGS committees that better reflect how APA operates, such as APAGS versions of the Boards of Educational Affairs and Professional Affairs.

To commemorate the organization's 15-year milestone, APAGS will hold a 15th anniversary celebration Aug. 9 during APA's 2003 Annual Convention in Toronto. It will feature a jazz band with swing dancing, a birthday cake, champagne reception, the annual awards ceremony and an APAGS Committee alumni dinner (see APAGS 2003 Convention Happenings).

"APAGS has gone through a number of structural and organizational changes since its inception," says Carol Williams-Nickelson, APAGS associate executive director and former APAGS chair. "But throughout all the changes, one thing has remained a constant: A handful of committed, energetic, talented and visionary students and staff—all dedicated to advocating and representing psychology students—forged the way to make APAGS what it is today, and what it has the potential to be in the future."

—M. DITTMANN

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