by Stephanie Afful, STP President

December 5, 2025            

As I conclude my year as President, I want to highlight the incredible work of our task forces. Guided by the theme Stronger Together: Building a Community to Combat Teacher Burnout, we launched four task forces focused on assessing needs, developing resources, and fostering community across teaching, research, and service. More than 80 members volunteered their time and expertise. This year, we delivered four presentations at ACT, began work on an eBook for 2026, and created valuable resources I encourage you to read, share, and discuss. All presidential task force resources are on our website. 

Our first task force, Addressing Academic Burnout, chaired by Brittany Avila, Melissa Maffeo, and Karen Naufel, developed an interactive infographic offering research-informed strategies to prevent and mitigate burnout, foster resilience, and build supportive communities for faculty, staff, and administrators. Explore practical steps for balancing demands with resources, promoting mental health, and creating inclusive environments. Please share widely—these strategies apply across disciplines.

The second task force, chaired by Guy Boysen, compiled resources on conducting Research on a Small Budget (or non-existent budget!). Whether you are conducting your own research or mentoring student research, I think you will find this guide immensely helpful as we think about creative and collaborative ways to recruit participants, use technology, apply for funding, and publish our work. 

The third task force was focused on Using AI to our Advantage, specifically thinking about managing faculty workload and avoiding burnout. This task force is chaired by Chris Hakala and Joe Slade and we look forward to sharing an ebook with you next year on using AI in teaching, research, and service.   

The last group, chaired by Gabi Mortorell, worked to review the most important content from Developmental Psychology Review, with nine modules that include a list of core concepts, multimedia resources, activities and assignments. Whether you’re a seasoned instructor seeking a refresh or teaching the course for the first time, these materials will be invaluable.

I’ve learned so much from these initiatives. The STP community’s willingness to share knowledge and support one another truly demonstrates that collaboration can help mitigate burnout. Please take time to explore these resources and share them with colleagues.

Thanks again for such a wonderful year!

Read past letters from the STP President