JOHNSON CITY — Dr. Ginette Blackhart of East Tennessee State University has been accepted to the American Psychological Association’s 2019 Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology (APA LIWP).

Blackhart is a professor and assistant chair of logistics in the Department of Psychology in ETSU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The mission of the APA LIWP is to prepare, support and empower mid-career women psychologists as leaders to promote positive changes in institutional, organizational and practice settings as well as APA governance, and to increase the diversity, number and effectiveness of women psychologists as leaders.

As one of 36 members of the 11th class of the LIWP, Blackhart is taking part in two interactive, case-based workshops, as well as bimonthly webinars on leadership development topics.

“Participating in the APA LIWP has allowed me to connect with other amazing women in my field and to further develop and enhance my leadership skills, which will enhance the ways I serve ETSU and my profession,” Blackhart said.

In addition, Blackhart is serving as the site coordinator for the 2019 annual meeting of the Society of Southeastern Social Psychologists (SSSP), which will be held in Johnson City in October and hosted by ETSU.

As the site coordinator, Blackhart is responsible for planning all logistical aspects of the conference.  She performed the same role for the 2011 conference, which was also held in Johnson City.

“Hosting the conference here is a great way to bring attention to ETSU and to the region, to our graduate programs in psychology, and to other graduate and professional programs at ETSU,” Blackhart said.  “Many of the undergraduate students who attend this conference will go to graduate or professional programs outside of psychology.”

The SSSP has a membership of over 400 students, faculty and professional psychologists throughout the United States. Most members hail from the states of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Florida.

Blackhart holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from Florida State University.