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Guest Column: 370 Psych Teachers Walk into St. Louis: What is it about ACT?

STP President, Drew Christopher, asked Garth Neufeld, Director of the Annual Conference on the Teaching of Psychology, to submit a guest column for October’s Letter from the President.

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October 1, 2026

by Garth Neufeld, ACT Director

STP’s Annual Conference on Teaching is just around the corner, and I, for one, cannot wait to get to St. Louis, eat some BBQ, and spend a few days with all of you! This year, the committee was forced to cap the conference at 370 teachers of psychology (our largest group ever) due to space issues. This got me wondering: What variables lead to organizational growth and health in any given year?

These possibilities are admittedly biased, unresearched, and unfiltered - so I thought they’d be great to share publicly:

1. Leadership. Like any organization, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Div. 2) has gone through many seasons—the good, the challenging, etc. We should applaud the Executive Committee of STP for the work they have done post-pandemic. Most of us have no idea how much work went into setting up STP not only to survive, but to thrive moving forward, for generations of teachers of psychology and for their students. Thanks, folks. You know who you are.

2. ACT History and Its People. ACT has a fun history. If you want to learn a little more, listen to this PsychSessions interview with Bill Hill (Spotify, Apple, Web). And, if you want more history about STP, read this. There is a long line of good people who have contributed to running this conference, but former ACT directors Lindsay Masland and Jordan Troisi were my people. This conference is what it is today, largely because of them. And I must admit—the passion they each have for teaching, and the love for all of you, set a very high bar for any director who comes behind them. Such generous people. I also want to mention that this current version of ACT has a wonderful committee that I am so grateful for—shout-out to Blake Nielsen, Chelsea Robertson, and Jennifer Grewe, and newcomers Lindsey Rutter and Merideth Henry. Without these folks, ACT would not be what it is.

3. A Renewed Value of Gathering. The pandemic hurt. That was a very hard time. I don’t know about you, but I was quite excited to rejoin others in gatherings like ACT. I wanted to hug my friends. (Yes, I’m a hugger. Let’s hug.) It feels SO good to continue to meet these days. ACT is a safe place to gather, in part, because STP has been so proactive and skilled at responding to the many challenging and relevant issues we have faced in the last decade—culturally, politically, globally, etc. This makes ACT a place where people know they will belong. Our current ACT motto is “You Belong Here.” We do our best to be guided by those words. Maybe we’re onto something.

4. The Joy of Contribution. Submission numbers this year were higher than ever. People see ACT as a primary place to share their research, ideas, and methods. But it’s more than that. Service to this community is a big part of feeling a sense of connection and belonging. Thankfully, at ACT, what you share professionally is respected and elevated, and it feels so good to experience that support.

5. A Need for Solutions. There is a practical side to this conference. We teachers have challenges that need solutions. We need fresh ideas, design strategies, wisdom for navigating challenging environments, permission to make bold moves, new collaborators for research, and that unexpected moment of “Aha!” Please remember this: one idea—one moment—can change the way you do everything. If you experience that moment at ACT, then you have found something of great value. I think people come just for that moment.

So, those are a few possible reasons why 370 people will descend on St. Louis on October 15–17, 2026. They’re probably more my reasons than anything else, but I appreciate you letting me play in this sandbox for a moment.

Here is some final advice for joining us at ACT:

1. (Really) Meet People. Take a lesson from last year’s invited speaker Nick Epley: go for deep, authentic connection with others.

2. Make Others Feel Like They Belong. Be generous with compliments. Be interested in others. Be supportive of the work you see your colleagues doing. We will have 176 first-time attendees at ACT this year.

3. Eat. Go for an organized “hosted” dinner on Friday night. Sign up at the registration desk. We will have ~10 options and last year, they filled to capacity!

4. Prepare to Be Busy. Once ACT begins, it goes hard for over two days. Take notes. By the time you leave, you may not remember the first concurrent session that had such a big impact on you in the moment. Sleep on the journey to STL. You will not have trouble sleeping on the way home.

5. Get Involved in STP. This community is special because it is so service-oriented. There are many opportunities to serve. I started as one individual on a Presidential Task Force—mostly one who felt lost—and over time I served in many capacities, which has brought me to this point in my career. It’s pretty neat how it works. I hope you have a similar experience. It’s incredibly meaningful. So, listen for opportunities that come up at ACT and through STP, and toss your name into the ring!

ACT is a place of belonging, where we nurture one another toward success, professionally and personally. Here, we remember that we are humans first, and also teachers and researchers doing noble and important work.

We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis.

Garth Neufeld
Director, STP’s Annual Conference on Teaching

Read past letters from the STP President