Convention Dates:  October 4-5, 2024

Speaker:  Dr. Debra M. Kawahara

Asian Americans comprise 6% of the U.S. population, and a staggering 50% of high-tech professionals.  However, Asian Americans are heavily underutilized and under leveraged, as the most-hired but least-promoted individuals in Corporate America.

This is a problem and an opportunity.  According to Pew, Asian Americans are the U.S.' fastest-growing racial group.  This also means they are the fastest-growing workforce as well as the fastest-growing business and consumer markets.  Furthermore, Asian Americans are connected to the majority of the world's markets.

This keynote will discuss the factors that influence the career advancement of Asian American professionals.  Dr. Kawahara will explore ways to support the advancement of Asian American professionals in organizational settings.  The presentation will explore:

* Psychological and other factors that contribute to the success of Asian American leaders;

* How organizations can support their professionals of Asian descent; and

* Psychological and other strategies of self and collective empowerment toward leadership roles.

Lastly, Dr. Kawahara will speak about her upcoming role as the 2025 APA President and some of her exciting presidential initiatives.

Debra M. Kawahara, PhD, is the 2025 American Psychological American (APA) President and is the first Asian American women to lead the association in its 132-year history. She is also Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Distinguished Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University. She assists in the management of over 20 programs in psychology and mental health across six campuses in California and online. In addition, she has an independent practice where she sees individuals, couples, and families as well as conducts trainings for organizations.  

Known as a feminist and multicultural scholar whose work centers on intersectionality, women issues, Asian American mental health, and the application of feminist and multicultural values and social justice principles. She is widely published and has presented at the state, national, and international levels. Her most recent scholarship is focused on connecting the foundations of Early Buddhism to the current practices of mindfulness and meditation used in psychotherapy.    

In 2018, she became the editor of Women & Therapy.  Under her leadership, she has been able to commission special issues geared toward BIPOC and historically marginalized groups from a feminist perspective. Some recent issues are Anti-Racist Feminist Practice, Advocacy and Activism; Feminist Therapy with Transgender, Nonbinary and Gender Expansive People; and Special Issue on BIPOC and LGBTQ Feminist Radical Visionaries. In addition, she has served as chairperson on many dissertations and enjoys mentoring aspiring feminist and multicultural psychologists.

Her previous leadership roles include serving as a member-at-large on the APA Board of Directors, a representative on the APA Council of Representatives, an APA Finance Committee member, an Advisory Committee member for the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology, a Divisions of Social Justice representative, and a National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology delegate.

In addition, Dr. Kawahara is a fellow of APA and the Asian American Psychological Association. In recognition of her work, she was awarded an APA Presidential Citation and the Shining Star Award at the National Multicultural Conference & Summit. Further, she received Div. 45's Distinguished Career Contributions for Service Award, and Div. 35's Pioneer Award (Section 5, Asian Pacific Islander Women).

Crystal Bui

Crystal Bui is an EMMY-nominated Vietnamese-American news reporter who's covered some of the biggest stories in the last decade including investigations into hate crimes following the deadly Atlanta spa shootings where eight people were killed including six Asian women. She is the author of the memoir, "More To Tell." Crystal Bui's memoir became an Amazon bestseller for biographies of journalists. She is now CEO of Spotlight Communications Group, a video production and media relations firm promoting women-ran organizations and supporting mental health and wellness causes. 

Friday October 4th, 2024

7pm-10:30pm

CANTON HOUSE  

富麗華

2255 Pleasant Hill Rd Suite 250 Duluth, GA 30096

Travel:

The restaurant is about 20 miles away from our Convention location (Georgia State University College of Law).

FREE bus service to and from the convention venue (GSU School of Law) and the convention hotel (Hilton Atlanta) will be provided.  Bus schedules will be available at the Registration Table when you check in.

Please let us know if you are requesting special accessibility accommodations so that we may be specific in our request to the banquet location.

Banquet menu: 

Delicious banquet-style menu featuring multiple courses will include vegetarian and vegan options...dim sum hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Please note that we will not be providing lunch at the convention. However, there are several wonderful lunch options nearby! Here are a few we identified: 

There are plenty of lots as well as street parking around the Georgia State University College of Law campus.  You can park at a cost of $10/space on T-Deck (42 Auburn Avenue), per availability.

Hotel Accommodations:

Convention Partner Hotel: Hilton Atlanta
255 Courtland Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

Negotiated Rate: $119/night/room + taxes for rooms with one king-size bed or two full-size beds.
Booking Link: Hilton Atlanta Booking Link

Why book through this link?

• Increased Flexibility: Bookings made through this link offer generous cancellation and change policies, unlike most discounted rates available elsewhere--incl. Hilton.com.
• Preferred Rooms: Rooms booked through this link will be prioritized and assigned to more desirable areas within the hotel.
• Upgradable: Upgrade options for premium rooms are available for a nominal fee.
• Hilton Honors Benefits: Bookings through this link will grant access to all Hilton Honors benefits, including points accumulation and free WiFi.

Book Early! The offer expires once our room block is full.

Thank you, and please feel free to contact us at convention@aapaonline.org with any urgent questions.