Presented below are nomination statements for candidates for the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race (Division 45) Executive Committee elected positions.

The following slate of Executive Committee officers are on the 2025 Division Election Ballot:

• President-Elect
• Member-at-Large: American Arab, Middle Eastern & North African Representative
• Member-at-Large: Latinx Representative
• Member-at-Large: Pasifika/Pacific Island Representative

Eligible voters for this election cycle received an email ballot to the email address on file within the APA database. Please note that email address may differ from that used for the Society’s listserv. If you have yet to receive a ballot, please contact us.

Voting eligibility is based on a Member, Fellow, or Student Affiliate Member who paid dues in full prior to July 1, 2025. Individuals who joined after this date will be eligible to vote in 2026.

Please refer to the email for ballot directions.

 

The Society’s 2025 Election ends on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

President-Elect Candidate Statements

Presented in alphabetical order.

President-Elect Candidate 1 of 3

Charmeka (Char) Whitehead Newton, Ph.D., LP

I am honored to run for President-elect of APA Division 45, the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race. My campaign theme, “Widening the Net: We Are Stronger Together,” reflects my commitment to breaking down silos, building bridges, and ensuring that psychology reaches every community where it can make a difference.

As psychologists, we possess tools for healing, resilience, and justice. Yet too often, those tools remain locked within academic circles while communities navigate hardship and healing without our support. My vision is to make psychology accessible, relevant, and actionable for people in every zip code and cultural context.

My platform is grounded in four core commitments:

• Beyond Silos – Extend psychological knowledge beyond academic and professional in-groups.
• Equitable Access – Ensure urban, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and historically marginalized communities have equal access to psychological resources.
• Hope in Action – Transform research into strategies that promote individual and collective healing
• Shared Power – Uplift graduate students, early career professionals, and community leaders as co-creators in advancing our work.

My leadership is rooted in service and advocacy. Under the presidency of Dr. Thema Bryant, I was appointed to the APA Advocacy Coordinating Committee, where I now chair the Community Engagement Committee. In this role, I have met with Senators, Congressional staff, and House Representatives to advocate for equitable mental health legislation.

For the past two years, I have served on Division 45’s Executive Council as Community Engagement Coordinator, leading initiatives that connect psychology with the communities we serve. Highlights include:

• Organizing a 2024 APA Convention community event at Southwest Youth and Family Services in Seattle, offering art-based workshops to help youth build positive racial identity.
• Hosting the 2025 webinar “Reclaim Joy: Resistance and Healing in Turbulent Times” on Inauguration Day to foster resilience and connection.
• Moderating a racial healing panel with the family of George Floyd, ensuring our field engages in both research and transformation.

If elected, I will lead with collaboration, inclusivity, and heart—expanding our reach, deepening partnerships, and amplifying voices historically excluded from psychological science and practice.

Psychology belongs in every community. Together, we are stronger.

Learn more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBpjCn8_ST8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_m4w9vfn0k

 

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Char Newton, Ph.D., LP

 

President-Elect Candidate 2 of 3

Ruddy Taylor, LCSW, Ph.D.

I am submitting my letter of interest to serve as President-Elect of Division 45, the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race. Division 45 mission is important to my professional identity—a community where psychology, culture, and justice come together to shape a more equitable and inclusive discipline.

In my career, I have dedicated myself to leadership and service that amplifies the voices and experiences of historically underrepresented communities. I am the current President of the Alaska Psychological Association, in addition I have had the privilege of serving as Past President of the Alaska Psychological Association (2021–2023), Treasurer for the Association of Practicing Psychologists (2021–2022), and Chair of the Women’s Caucus (2020). Nationally, I have represented Alaska on the APA Council of Representatives (2017–2022), contributed to the APA Finance Committee (2019–2024), and served as a Member-at-Large for the Ethnic Minority Issues in Psychology Caucus (2017–2019). I am also a proud graduate of the Division 45/CNPAAEMI Leadership Development Institute (2018–2019)—an experience that deepened my commitment to fostering equity and belonging within our field.

If selected to serve as President-Elect, I would build upon Division 45’s strong foundation with a focus on leadership development, mentorship, and sustainability. In a leadership role my goals include:

• Expanding leadership pathways for early-career psychologists and students of color-pathways include mentorship and collaboration.
• Seeking opportunities to strengthen communities by fostering safe spaces for reflection, and support within our diverse membership.
• And promoting fiscal and organizational sustainability to ensure the long-term vitality of Division 45’s programs and initiatives.

I believe leadership is both service and stewardship—listening deeply, collaborating authentically, and leading with transparency and heart. My career has been influenced by the rich cultural landscape of Alaska and guided by a lifelong commitment to inclusion. My desire would be to bring my grounded, relational, and justice-centered perspective to this role.

 

With gratitude,

Ruddy Taylor, LCSW, PhD

 

President-Elect Candidate 3 of 3

Erlanger (Earl) Turner, Ph.D.

I’m Erlanger “Earl” Turner, Ph.D. a tenured associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. I’ve also been licensed as a psychologist for over 15-years and currently provide telehealth to Black boys and men. It would be an honor to serve as the president for the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race. Over the last 20-years, Division 45 has been my professional home. I’ve had the opportunity to serve in leadership roles through the Division and APA since being a graduate student. Currently, I am completing my final year as a member of APA Council of Representatives (representing Division 45). Since being elected, I’ve collaborated with division reps and council colleagues to draft statements on diversity in psychology and advocated for inclusive policies in the profession.

In my career, I’ve served as Chair of APA’s Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest, on APA’s Membership Board, on Division 42 Board of Directors, and on Division 53 Board of Directors as Chair of the Diversity Committee and Member at Large. Additionally, I have served on APA’s Children’s Mental Health workgroup to draft the Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health resolution, and on APA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Workgroup which developed APA’s EDI Framework. As an ECP, I was appointed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to serve on the Behavioral Health National Project Advisory Committee to develop an e-learning program for working with diverse clients. In 2021, I was awarded the Emerging Professionals – Contributions to Service Award by Division 45 for my commitment to the profession. Recently, I was the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Advocate for Boys Award by the Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities.

I have the experience and compassion to lead during turbulent times. In 2020, I had the privilege to serve as the 1st Black man in the history of the organization to be elected as President of Division 37 (Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice). Leading during the syndemic of COVID-19 and racial injustice required courage, empathy, and a steadfast commitment to equity. As Division 45 president, my focus will be to work with the board to advance the organization and identify solutions to meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve. Learn more about my work at: http://www.drerlangerturner.com.

Thank you for considering my nomination.

Erlanger (Earl) Turner, Ph.D

 

 

 

Member-at-Large Candidate Statements

Candidate for Member-at-Large: American Arab, Middle Eastern & North African Representative

Mohamed Elnakib, Psy.D.

I am writing to express my sincere interest in serving as Member-at-Large representing the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community. As an early career psychologist deeply committed to cultural advocacy, representation, and coalition building, I am eager to contribute my experience to advance Division 45’s mission of promoting equity and inclusion across all communities of color.

Throughout my career, I have sought to amplify the visibility and diverse voices of MENA populations within psychology. At a Federally Qualified Health Center, I provide culturally responsive behavioral-health services to immigrant and refugee patients, addressing systemic barriers to care while fostering spaces of belonging and healing. Within the American Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Psychological Association (AMENA-Psy), I have served as Chair of the Advocacy Committee (2019–2022), Co-Chair of the most recent AMENA-Psy Conference (2025), and Chair of the Newsletter Committee (2022–2025). Each of these roles has allowed me to build community, create visibility for MENA scholarship, and advocate for justice-oriented psychological practice.

My national advocacy includes serving on Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis’s APA Presidential Taskforce “Representation Matters” and authoring the Culturally Informed Trauma and Grief Recovery Toolkit section on Healing Practices for MENA/Muslim Populations. I also represent AMENAPsy within the Leadership Development Institute Fellowship within the Coalition of National Racial and Ethnic Psychological Associations (CONREPA), where I collaborate with other ethnic minority associations to advance shared goals of representation and solidarity.

As Member-at-Large, I hope to bridge the gap between AMENA-Psy and Division 45 by developing joint initiatives such as webinars, mentorship programs, and collaborative dialogues that highlight MENA perspectives within multicultural psychology. By fostering meaningful partnerships between our organizations, I aim to strengthen cross-ethnic solidarity and inspire more MENA members to engage in Division 45’s important work.

Thank you for your consideration. It would be an honor to serve alongside Division 45’s leadership in advancing representation, advocacy, and inclusion for MENA psychologists and the communities we serve.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Mohamed Elnakib, PsyD

Candidate for Member-at-Large: Latinx Representative 

Rita Rivera, Psy.D., HSP, CGP

It is an honor to submit my nomination for the position of Member-at-Large (Latinx Representative) within the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (Division 45). I am deeply committed to advancing the Division’s mission of promoting psychological scholarship, practice, and leadership that reflect and uplift the diverse voices of our communities.

As a bilingual and bicultural clinical psychologist, I have dedicated my career to promoting inclusion and equity through clinical work, community service, and organizational leadership. My clinical experience spans hospitals, universities, and community settings across the United States and Latin America, where I have worked to expand access to mental health care for low-income individuals, immigrants and refugees, first-generation students, and multilingual speakers.

In my current role at Yale University’s Mental Health and Counseling Center, I serve a diverse student body and advocate for culturally responsive care and language access across the institution. I lead Spanglish Soul, Yale’s first bilingual (English/Spanish) therapy group designed to center and support Hispanic and Latine students. In addition, I provide clinical supervision in Spanish to Hispanic and Latine postdoctoral fellows, psychiatric residents, and colleagues working with Spanish-speaking populations.

Nationally, I have held leadership roles across multiple APA divisions, including serving as Chair of the Membership Committee for Division 49 (Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy) and as Director-at-Large for the International Council of Psychologists. I am currently a Fellow of Division 45’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI), and my prior service as a Division 45 member and recipient of the A. Toy Caldwell-Colbert Distinguished Service Award has strengthened my connection to the Division’s enduring legacy of mentorship and advocacy.

Division 45 has been a professional home that has shaped my identity as a psychologist, scholar, advocate, and, most recently, leader. I would be deeply honored to continue contributing to its mission as Member-at-Large and to serve the Latinx psychological community, alongside fellow racial and ethnic communities, with dedication, collaboration, and integrity.

 

With great enthusiasm,

Rita M. Rivera, Psy.D.

Candidate for Member-at-Large: Pasifika/Pacific Island Representative 

Bango Gancinia, PhD

It is with great humility and honor that I sincerely express my interest in accepting the nomination for the Pacifica/Pacific Island Representative for Division 45. I offer myself as a dedicated advocate ready to serve our communities across the diaspora, particularly focusing on our people in Moananuiakea.

As a psychologist, my work has provided me with invaluable experience connecting with Community Leaders and Elders across the Pacific. This work fuels my desire to actively integrate ancestral knowledge into psychological spaces, thereby creating greater visibility for the unique strengths and critical distinctions within our many cultures. Together, we can address the vital issues concerning mental health that connect us from the ocean and across the diaspora.

My commitment is to be a supportive mouthpiece, ready to listen and uphold the values and desires of our community. My primary intention is to collaborate collectively with all of you to achieve a shared goal: to facilitate the healing of relationships across the diaspora and Pacifica and to foster a more unified, collaborative front in the field of Psychology. This unity is essential to ensure the success of our rising generation and to honor those who came before us.

It is my deepest belief that our collective strength is carried forward by the care and connection that originates from the Moana, the ocean that binds us all, and the wisdom of our ancestors. It is with this spirit of gratitude and hopefulness that I know I can effectively fulfill this responsibility if voted into office, actively supporting our community’s needs.

Finally, I warmly invite the support and partnership of those I have not yet connected with; Your voice is an important part of this journey. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

 

With Aloha,

Bango Gancinia, PhD

 

 

Thank you for reading the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race Candidate Statements. Please cast your vote by visiting the email sent to eligible voters.