About APA-CoA

The APA Commission on Accreditation shall evaluate doctoral, internship and postdoctoral residency programs in professional psychology, in accordance with published criteria and procedures.

There shall be no fewer than 32 persons appointed to the Commission on Accreditation. To achieve appropriate balance between academic institutions and programs, practitioners of the profession, and the publics served by accreditation, appointments to the Commission on Accreditation shall represent in addition the following domains of perspective and responsibility with regard to professional education and training in psychology, each of which is essential to the balance of viewpoints expected in accrediting bodies and their activities.

Should you need to contact the Commission on Accreditation or any of its members regarding any accreditation issue that correspondence should be sent directly to the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation. Members of the Commission on Accreditation, as part of their role and their responsibilities to the Commission, are prohibited from consulting with programs during their term of appointment, and for a period of one year thereafter.

What We Do

The accreditation process promotes consistent quality and excellence in education and training in health service psychology. Education and training provides tangible benefits for prospective students; the local, national, and international publics that are consumers of psychological services; and the discipline of psychology itself.

Commission Members

Members

CoA Chair
Nicole D. Torrence, PhD
Associate Chair, Quality Assurance
Rita Sandidge, PhD
Associate Chair, Program Review
Douglas Peterson, PhD
*Note: All terms begin on January 1 and end on December 31 of the given years unless noted otherwise.

Representing the Breadth of the Scientific Discipline of Psychology


Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP)


Mitchell E. Berman, PhD (2021-26)

Mississippi State University

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 1994, Kent State University

APA member


Sheila Peters, PhD (2022-27)

Fisk University

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 1989, Vanderbilt University

APA member (Divs. 35, 37, 47, 49)


Douglas Peterson, PhD (2021-26)

University of South Dakota

PhD, Human Factors & Applied Experimental Psychology, 1999, Kansas State University


L. James Smart Jr., PhD (2024-26)
Miami University

PhD, Experimental Psychology (Human Factors), 2000, University of Cincinnati



APA Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA)


W. Hobart Davies, PhD (2026-28)

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

PhD, Child/Family Clinical Psychology, 1992, Michigan State University

APA fellow (Divs. 53, 54)



Representing Professional Education and Training in Psychology


Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC)


Patricia Daza, PhD (2025-27)

Baylor College of Medicine

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2000, University of Houston


Caroline Murphy, PhD (2026-28)

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

The Ohio State University

PhD, Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2005, Ohio University

APA member (Divs. 33, 45, 53)


Michele Willingham, PsyD (2023-28)

Biola University

PsyD, Clinical Psychology, 1996, California School of Professional Psychology

APA member



Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs (CCPTP)


Robin Oatis-Ballew, PhD (2023-28)

Tennessee State University

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2001, Howard University

APA member


Valerie Stephens Leake, PhD (2021-26)

Austin Peay State University

PhD, Counseling Psychology, 2006, University of Kentucky

APA member (Divs. 17, 19)



Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (CDSPP)


Franci Crepeau-Hobson, PhD (2022-27)

University of Colorado, Denver

PhD , School Psychology, 1996, University of Northern Colorado
APA member (Div. 16)


Ann Garcia Santos (2026-28)

The University of Iowa College of Education, Department of Psychological & Quantitative Foundations

PhD, School Psychology, 2005, The University of Iowa

APA member (Div. 16)



Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP)


Arthur Cantos, PhD (2023-28)  

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 1989, State University of New York at Stony Brook

APA member (Div. 12)


Jim A. Haugh, PhD (2022-27)  

Rowan University

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 1998, Saint Louis University

APA member (Divs. 2, 12, 29, 38, 46)



National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP)


Crystal Collier (2026-28)

Divine Transformational Solutions, LLC

Florida School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University, Tampa, FL

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2006, Wright State University School of Professional Psychology

APA member


Megan G. O’Banion, PsyD (2025-27)

University of San Francisco

PsyD, Clinical Psychology, 2009, The Wright Institute

APA member (Divs. 2, 35)



APA Board of Educational Affairs (BEA) and National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP)


Frances R. Brown, PsyD (2021-26)

PsyD, Clinical and Humanistic Psychology, 2008, Michigan School of Psychology

APA member (Divs. 32, 44)



Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS)


Matthew D. Grilli, PhD (2024-26)

University of Arizona

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 1993, University of Arizona

APA member (Div. 40)



APPIC-Training Communities CoA Nominations Committee (ATCCNC)


OTHER INTERNSHIP GROUPS

Jennifer Cornish, PhD, ABPP (2022-27)

University of Denver

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 1982, California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles

APA fellow/APA member (Divs. 17, 29, 35)


Nicole Torrance, PhD (2021-26)

The Chicago School

Department of Psychology, University of Washington

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2015, University of Colorado

APA member (Div. 18)



POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING GROUPS


Krista Freece, PhD (2025-27)

Kaiser Permanente

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2011, Fielding Graduate University

APA member (Divs. 40)

Representing Practitioners of the Profession


APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA)


INDEPENDENT PRACTICE


Kim Stewart, PhD (2026-28)

Lorenz Clinic

PhD, Counseling Psychology, 2021, University of Oklahoma

APA member (Div. 43)


Rita Sandidge, PhD (2023-28)

Natalis Psychology and Counseling Solutions

PhD, Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology, 2020, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities


INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE


David Klemanski, PsyD (2025-27)

Yale University

PsyD, Clinical Psychology, 2006, University of Hartford


Teri Strong, PhD (2025-27)

Strong Partners in Health

PhD, Counseling Psychology, 1994, University of Oregon



Council of Specialties (CoS)


SPECIALIZED PRACTICE




Representing the Public Interest


GENERAL PUBLIC


Carrie J. Harris, MBA

Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing

Team of Care Solutions, LLC

MBA, 2017, College of William and Mary


Karl Gauby, PhD, JD (2023-28)

PhD, Education Leadership & Policy, 2004, Arizona State University

JD, 1990, Arizona State University


INDIVIDUAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY


APA Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI)


Maria Teresa Coutinho, PhD (2024-26)

Wheelock College of Education, Boston University

PhD, Counseling Psychology, 2010, Boston College

APA member (Divs. 17, 45)



Representing Graduate Student Consumers of Education and Training


American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS)


Jessica Lanctot (2025-26)

Doctoral student, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychology, Roosevelt University



Open CoA Seats


Sara Dolan, PhD (2025-27)

Baylor University Graduate School

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2004, University of Iowa

APA member (Divs. 2, 12, 28, 40, 50)


Aida L. Jiménez-Torres, PhD (2024-26)

University of Puerto Rico

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 1993, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan

APA member (Divs. 43, 45)


Special Appointments


Rachel Chickarella, PsyD (2024-26)

Antioch University New England

PsyD, Counseling Psychology, 2021, University of Massachusetts Boston

APA member (Divs. 17, 44)


Jerrold Yeo, PsyD (2024-26)

Private Practice

PsyD, Clinical Psychology, 2018, University of Denver

APA member (Divs. 22, 38, 40)


Master’s Special Appointments


Jorge González, PhD (2026-28)

Trinity University

PhD, School Psychology, 2001, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

APA member


Kristi Meuller, PhD (2026-28)

Capella University

PsyD, Clinical Psychology, 2011, Hawaii School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University

APA member


Thomas Waltz, PhD, (2026-28)

Eastern Michigan University

PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2011, University of Nevada, Reno

PhD, Experimental Psychology, 2005, Temple University

APA member (Divs. 12, 25


Why accreditation matters

APA accreditation ensures programs meet standards that produce graduates ready to provide excellent clinical psychological service to the public.

About APA Accreditation

Learn more about the purpose and scope of APA accreditation.