APS Student Caucus: Fostering an Inclusive Global Community

Since the founding of the APS Student Caucus (APSSC) in 1989, one year after APS itself was established, the APSSC has been committed to the organization’s mission and to enhancing the professional development of its student members. This year, that shared history reaches a milestone of its own. It marks not only the 20th anniversary of APS adopting its current name, a historically important decision affirming its international identity, but also APS’s first-ever annual convention held outside the United States, in Barcelona, Spain. As APS marks this milestone, the APSSC is also setting sail on a new chapter. In the 2026–27 term, the APSSC Executive Board will continue to be dedicated to serving our student members and will foster an inclusive and supportive global student community in psychological science. Below is an overview of our objectives and plans for the coming year.

Fostering global student members’ engagement

Fostering global engagement is always a key agenda for the APSSC. Today, more than a quarter of student members are from non-U.S. institutions across all six populated continents; however, our global student members have historically been underinvolved in APSSC decision making, initiatives, programming, and activities, and the APSSC has not always provided tailored support for them. In the 2025–26 term, the APSSC paid specific attention to its global engagement commitment and reconsidered its global engagement strategies. The APSSC also organized two targeted panels during the 2025 APS Global Psychological Science Summit and the 2026 APS Annual Convention, covering topics such as global career options, mentoring in global contexts, and finding funding for international students. Highlighted information from the 2025 Global Summit sessions is now available in the Student Notebook and Career Development sections of the Observer.

Related content: Navigating Academic Careers Across Borders

In the 2026–27 term, the APSSC will continue to foster global engagement and support APS’s global student members. After much deliberation and thorough discussion, the APSSC Executive Board voted unanimously at its May meeting to establish a Global Advocate position, which will be filled during the 2027–28 term. The Global Advocate will act as the representative and advocate for APS’s global student members, including members pursuing their education outside their home countries. The APSSC strongly encourages global student members from non-U.S. institutions to serve in this position. In collaboration with the rest of the Executive Board, the Global Advocate will lead the APSSC’s efforts to serve and support its global student members, including organizing programming and engagement activities, elevating global students’ voices and perspectives via the Observer’s Student Notebook column, and facilitating mentorship opportunities for global student members via the APS Mentorship Program. The APSSC Executive Board has also voted to establish the APSSC Global Student Committee, which aims to involve more international student members in APSSC initiatives, programming, and activities. The Global Student Committee will be chaired by the Global Advocate from the 2027–28 term. 

Supporting student members transitioning to early career roles

Another key agenda for the APSSC is to support our student members as they transition to early career roles. At the May meeting, the APSSC Executive Board established an Early Career Task Force, which aims to help our student members successfully transition from student life to early careers as scientists, educators, and practitioners in the field of psychological science with the support of APS and the APSSC. In September, APS and the APSSC are welcoming registrants for the 2026 cohort of the APS Mentorship Program, which serves all APS members, including early and mid-career professionals. The APSSC aims to further refine this program through close collaboration between members of the Early Career Task Force and the APSSC Executive Board as a whole. The APSSC Executive Board will also introduce more targeted initiatives and programming, bringing more relevant student programming and collaborative initiatives with APS committees, such as professional development opportunities at the APS Annual Convention.

Amplifying student members’ involvement and experiences

Since the establishment of the APSSC, student members’ involvement and experiences have been its most fundamental pillar, and APS has been a great support for many student members as they become contributors to psychological science, strengthening the field through research, innovation, education, and advocacy. For more than three decades, the APSSC has devoted itself to amplifying student members’ involvement and experiences, helping them succeed at each step with the care and commitment of APS. In the 2026–27 term, the APSSC will continue its current involvement opportunities and encourage its student members to actively participate. The APSSC will also better amplify our student members’ voices, perspectives, and experiences via the Observer’s Student Notebook column, and will supplement those experiences with articles containing critical funding and professional development information.

Building our community together

APS’s student members hail from different countries, backgrounds, and fields of psychological science. If you are a current student member, we invite you to join us and contribute to building this student community to be more inclusive, supportive, and vibrant. You may always share your ideas, suggestions, concerns, and questions with us by emailing us at [email protected]. If you are not currently a member, we encourage you to join APS to take advantage of opportunities in scientific, professional, and career development. With the APSSC you can grow, network, and collaborate with other passionate members of the global psychological science community.

This is the opening of a new chapter for the Student Caucus, and we look forward to building it together.

2026–2027 APS Student Caucus Executive Board

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