Community Psychology: In Pursuit of Liberation and Well-Being

Manuel Riemer is Professor of Psychology in the community psychology program at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is the director of the Viessmann Centre for Engagement and Research in Sustainability (VERiS) and the Community, Environment, and Justice Research Group (CEJRG). He applies community psychology principles, theories, and tools to address issues related to sustainability, including global climate change mitigation and resiliency, with a special interest in engagement and promoting a culture of sustainability in organizations and communities. His contributions to the application of community psychology to global climate change and sustainability were recognized by the Society for Community Research and Action’s Early Researcher Award.

Stephanie Reich is an Associate Professor in the School of Education, with additional appointments in Psychological Science and Informatics, at the University of California, Irvine. Trained as a community psychologist with an emphasis in child development and program evaluation, her research interests focus on child development with the explicit goals of understanding children’s social lives and how to promote healthy development. The bulk of her work explores direct and indirect influences on the child, specifically through the family, peers, school, and media. She is the recipient of the Society for Community Research and Action’s Early Researcher Award and the Distinguished Early Career Applied Contributions to Media Psychology and Technology Award. She is also an elected fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Community Research and Action.

Scot Evans is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Miami. He is a community-engaged researcher working to understand and support the role of community-based organizations, networks, and coalitions in building collective power to promote community wellbeing, social change, and social justice. Scot is the editor of the open-access journal Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice.

Geoffrey Nelson is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University. He served as Co-lead for the qualitative research for Canada’s five-city At Home/Chez Soi Housing First study. Professor Nelson was the recipient of the McNeill Award for Innovation in Community Mental Health in 1999 and the award for Distinguished Contributions to Community Psychology Theory and Research in 2013, both from the Society for Community Research and Action of the American Psychological Association. His research has focused on housing, homelessness, community mental health, and prevention.

Isaac Prilleltensky is the former Dean of the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Miami, where he currently serves as Professor of Educational and Psychological Studies and Vice Provost for institutional culture. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Contribution to Theory and Research Award, the Seymour B. Sarason award, and the John Kalafat Applied Community Psychology Award, all from the Division of Community Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA). He is also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Prevention Section of the Division of Counseling Psychology of APA. He is interested in well-being, humor, mattering, and the relationship between wellness and fairness.