Intended Audience
The psychology department welcomes Debra M. Kawahara, PhD as the second speaker in its 2024-2025 lecture series: The Psychology of Leadership. She will present "Leadership for the Future: Transforming Individuals, Communities and Society."
Developing transformational leaders for our ever-changing world is becoming more critical as societal issues become increasingly complex. Leadership and its outcomes have primarily been based on western dominant society in psychology and other related fields. This is often referred to as the WEIRD world (Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) (Henrich et al., 2010). Yet, many people within the United States and globally do not fit these characteristics. In fact, most people live in regions designated as the Global South and constitute the Global Majority. Given this fact, how can leaders and leadership be more inclusive, equitable and just for all? This presentation will outline values, concepts, and behaviors from a transformational feminist leadership model that are important for successful and effective leaders in a global world. The presenter will share examples of how the values and concepts have been and will be used in her leadership roles, particularly in her role as the 2025 president of the American Psychological Association.
Kawahara is the 2025 President of the American Psychological Association. She is also associate dean of academic affairs and distinguished professor at the California School of Professional Psychology and the executive director of the Illumination of Mindfulness Institute at Alliant International University. Known as a multicultural and feminist scholar, her work centers on intersectionality, women’s issues, leadership, and the application of multicultural and feminist values and social justice principles in practice. She is widely published and has presented nationally and globally extensively. In 2018, she became the editor-in-chief of Women & Therapy. Her previous leadership roles include being an APA board of director and representative to the APA Council of Representatives, an APA Finance Committee member, an Advisory Committee member for the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology (LIWP), Divisions on Social Justice representative, lead coordinator for the National Multicultural Conference & Summit, and a National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology delegate. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association as well as the Asian American Psychological Association. In recognition of her work, several awards have been bestowed on her, including an APA Presidential Citation; the Shining Star Award at the National Multicultural Conference & Summit; and the Pioneer Award from the Psychology on Asian Pacific American Women.
Free and open to the public.
This event may be used to satisfy the Lecture Reflection Requirement in PSYC206 and PSYC493/494.