The field of psychology publishes interesting, important, and potentially life-altering information at a rapid rate, but most research findings rarely reach public awareness. Psychology in Action is an organization formed by UCLA Psychology doctoral students to help ameliorate this issue through scientific communication. Our aim is to elaborate, connect, and help explain psychological research to community members and other interested parties outside of our field.
We believe that psychological research is not only for the consumption of other clinicians and researchers, but that our broadest impact in our quest to discover how the mind works, what drives us, and how do we differ from one another, is to make it known to the world outside of academia.
As psychology doctoral students, we believe that dissemination of research findings and data in psychological research is critical. We attempt to reach this goal of knowledge dissemination through community outreach events, annual interdisciplinary symposia, and our blog.
The writing and content-use on this blog reflects the thoughts and opinions of individual article authors. It should not be considered to be reflective of the opinions, or policies, of any organization or any other individuals aside from those specifically mentioned as contributors.
History
Psychology in Action was founded in 2008 by Adi Jaffe as a medium for psychology graduate students to share important research to the general public. Since then, the blog has grown dramatically in both authorship and readership, and the organization has expanded to include other initiatives, such as community outreach events beginning in 2010, newsletter between 2010-2012, and annual interdisciplinary symposia beginning in 2012. The group is run entirely by graduate students from UCLA’s Psychology Department on a volunteer basis, with help and support from a faculty mentor.
Leadership Team
2024-2025
- President: Ashley Chen
- Outreach Coordinator: Charlotte Kelly
- Podcast Team: David Kamper
- Advisory Board: Mary Whatley, Katie Silaj
- Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Silvers
2023-2024
- President: Kai Woodworth
- Webmaster: Ashley Chen
- Podcast Team: Michael Woller
- Social Media Guru: Karina Agadzhanyan
- Advisory Board: Mary Whatley, Katie Silaj
- Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Silvers
2022-2023
- Presidents: Mary Whatley & Katie Silaj
- Outreach Coordinator: Fiona Waters
- Webmaster: Michael Woller
- Podcast Team: Michael Woller
- Social Media Guru: Karina Agadzhanyan
- Advisory Board: Emily Wong, Danny Rahal, Stacy Shaw, Jeff Bye, Joey Essoe, & Tawny Tsang
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen, Jennifer Silvers
2021-2022
- President: Mary Whatley
- Outreach Coordinator: Amalia Ionescu
- Webmaster: Katie Silaj
- Podcast Team: Ben Rosenberg
- Social Media Gurus: Dillon Murphy & Zoe Lee
- Advisory Board: Emily Wong, Danny Rahal, Stacy Shaw, Jeff Bye, Joey Essoe, & Tawny Tsang
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2020-2021
- President: Emily Wong
- Outreach Coordinator: Amalia Ionescu
- Webmaster: Mary Whatley
- Podcast Team: Ben Rosenberg & Mark Straccia
- Symposium Coordinators: Megan Imundo & Katie Silaj
- Social Media Gurus: Gwen Price, Dillon Murphy & Lee Lazar
- Advisory Board: Danny Rahal, Stacy Shaw, Jeff Bye, Joey Essoe & Tawny Tsang
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2019-2020
- President: Danny Rahal
- Outreach Coordinator: Amalia Ionescu
- Webmaster: Emily Wong
- Podcast Team: Ben Rosenberg, Mark Straccia, & William Loftus
- Advisory Board: Jeff Bye, Joey Essoe, Tawny Tsang, and Stacy Shaw
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2018-2019
- President: Stacy Shaw
- Outreach Coordinator: Leah Lessard
- Webmaster: Danny Rahal
- Podcast Team: Ben Rosenberg, Mark Straccia, & William Loftus
- Social Media Guru: Victor Rivera
- Advisory Board: Jeff Bye, Joey Essoe, and Tawny Tsang
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2017-2018
- Presidents: Tawny Tsang & Stacy Shaw
- Outreach Coordinator: Leah Lessard
- Webmasters: Stacy Shaw & Tawny Tsang
- Podcast Team: Ben Rosenberg, Mark Straccia, & William Loftus
- Social Media Guru: Victor Rivera
- Advisory Board: Jeff Bye, Joey Essoe, and Tawny Tsang
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2016-2017
- President: Tawny Tsang
- Outreach Coordinator: Leah Lessard
- Webmasters: Tawny Tsang & Stacy Shaw
- Social Media Guru: Victor Rivera
- Blogmaster: Stacy Shaw
- Advisory Board: Jeff Bye and Joey Essoe
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2015-2016
- President: Joey Essoe
- Outreach Coordinator: Leah Lessard
- Symposium Commitee Leader: Adam Blake
- Webmasters: Tawny Tsang & Joey Essoe
- Social Media Guru: Tawny Tsang & Joey Essoe
- Blogmaster: Tawny Tsang
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2014-2015
- President: Joey Essoe
- Outreach Coordinators: Jenna Cummings & Nicco Reggente
- Symposium Commitee Leader: Susan Carrigan & Adam Blake
- Webmasters: Jeffrey Bye & Joey Essoe
- Social Media Guru: Alyssa Cheadle
- Blogmasters: Tawny Tsang & Joey Essoe
- Faculty Advisor: Jaana Juvonen
2013-2014
- President: Jeffrey Bye
- Outreach Coordinators: Jenna Cummings & Nicco Reggente
- Symposium Commitee Leaders: Susan Carrigan, Adam Blake, Carolyn Bufford, & Jeffrey Bye
- Blogmaster: Joey Essoe
- Webmasters: Joey Essoe & Jeffrey Bye
- Social Media Guru: Alyssa Cheadle
2012-2013
- Presidents: Jeffrey Bye & Alexandra Dupont
- Outreach Coordinators: Chris Begeny & Liz Castle
- Symposium Committee Leaders: Jeffrey Bye, Carolyn Bufford, Wes Bonifay, & Mariel Kyger
- Webmasters: Genna Erlikhman & Jeffrey Bye
- Social Media Guru: Alyssa Cheadle
2011-2012
- Presidents: Yalda T. Uhls, Alexandra Dupont, & Keely Muscatell
- Outreach Coordinator: Liz Castle
- Newsletter Editor: Emma Geller
- Symposium Committee Leaders: Emma Geller, Richard LeBeau, & Jeffrey Bye
- Webmaster: Genna Erlikhman
2010-2011
- President: Kate Humphreys
- Co-President: Yalda T. Uhls
- Outreach Coordinator: Keely Muscatell
- Newsletter Editor: Alexandra Dupont
- Webmaster: Genna Erlikhman
2009-2010
- President: Adi Jaffe
- Co-President: Kate Humphreys
- Newsletter Editor: Jamie Felzer
2008-2009
- Founder: Adi Jaffe
