Legacy and Leadership: Envisioning the Next 50 Years

Over the last 50 years, NCSPP has been a driving force in advancing professional psychology education and training. Our leadership and membership have played a formative role in the development and definition of professional competencies, accreditation, and benchmarks of achievement. The association’s dedicated leaders and vibrant membership have organized conferences that have served as the catalyst for the development of innovative toolkits and important guidelines and rethinking models of training. More importantly, it has served as a hub of innovation in the field and a platform for leaders to exchange ideas and to give and receive support in the pursuit of improving psychology training and the field as a whole.

NCSPP has seen impressive growth over the past half-century, with a membership of now over one hundred programs. While the political and social influence of psychology has also grown over the past 50 years, questions have arisen about our responsibilities with regard to this influence and power. What should our priorities and goals be? In a landscape shaped by rapid regulatory shifts and technological advancements, how must our understanding of leadership and influence evolve?

As we find ourselves in generation-defining times, it is critical that we re-envision our influence and leadership. There is often limited time for thoughtful, transformative, vision-driven leadership when our focus is devoted to maintenance, repair, and catching up to rapidly changing circumstances. Now is the time to train the students and faculty who will be tomorrow’s leaders, and to nurture the qualities and skills required to be the competent, effective, and courageous leaders that we will need for the future.

This year’s conference will examine what it means to be a leader in the field of psychology today. We welcome submissions for the 2026 Mid-Winter Conference that explore leadership in professional psychology from multiple vantage points, including innovation in teaching and training, the cultivation of leadership competencies, and the personal and systemic challenges of leading in complex times. Some specific areas include:

• Innovative approaches to faculty leadership development
• Breaking barriers and building pathways that drive leadership growth in psychology
• Rethinking leadership via diverse models in professional psychology
• Strategies to create a culture of accountability across faculty, staff, and administrators
• Sustaining well-being while leading in high-demand roles
• Models of teaching and mentoring leadership
• Defining leadership as a core competency in psychology
• Adapting to change: Master’s degrees and the future of psychology training
• Innovative approaches to training and student evaluation practices
• Teaching and promoting advocacy in doctoral training
• Evolving accountability: Balancing gatekeeping, legal issues, and field responsibility
• Milestones that have shaped us: 50 years of growth in psychology training
• Applying lessons from our past experiences to navigate future challenges in the area of professional psychology training

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Conference Format

The conference will include keynote speakers, workshops, and panel presentations, small work group activities, poster sessions, and stakeholder meetings. Activities during the conference will provide opportunities for active engagement, interaction, and planning around the conference goals, as well as informal activities to facilitate reflection, connection, and reconnection.

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The 2026 Mid-Winter Conference Planning Committee—

• Dr. Kelli Johnson – NCSPP President
• Dr. Adam Fried- Conference Planning Committee Chair
• Dr. Brenda Nash- Conference Planning Committee Member
• Dr. Lou Felipe – Conference Planning Committee Member
• Dr. Shanavia Dansby / Conference Planning Committee Member