July 1, 2026      

Dear STP Members,

As we roll into the second half of 2026, I am facing what is, for me, my most ambivalent month of the year. On my campus, in-person classes have now ended and our campus summer research program is drawing to a close. Part of me really enjoys the ostensible calm on campus. July forces a much-needed breather that I might otherwise not take. Between now and July 20, when students start slowly filtering back to my campus, I will at some point begin to look forward to the school-year routine, something I could not wait to end a couple of months ago and probably would not look forward to as much if not for these next few crucial weeks. Of course, I will also spend time over the next few weeks thinking about and looking at work I could be doing that will eventually need to get done--without actually doing as much of it as I would like (e.g., the new Intro Psych text I am using this fall looks lovely sitting unopened on my desk). I’ve been through this seasonal lull now 27 times in my career, and being less productive than normal at this time of year has not only never derailed me, it has probably been crucial in providing the rejuvenation I need to serve my students to the best of my ability. I hope that over the next few weeks we all start to miss our school-year routines, or at least the best part of those routines – working with students!

In the meantime, here is some information about upcoming STP conferences we can look forward to:

APA Convention

If you are planning to attend the APA Convention on August 6-8 in Washington, DC, you can see the preliminary STP programming here. Although I always find this convention to be a bit overwhelming, STP has a strong footprint for us to enjoy. Kudos to Alex Swan and Melissa Maffeo, current and former APA programming directors.

ACT Early Registration

I hope you are planning to attend the Annual Conference on Teaching (ACT), to be held October 15-17 at the Marriott Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis. Early registration is available and runs through August 15. Register now and grab that discounted registration rate!

Virtual Conference on Teaching (VCT)

Although it may feel far off, in many ways 2027 is closer than it appears on the calendar. The second annual Virtual Conference on Teaching (VCT) will be held on February 18 and 19, 2027. Mark your calendars for this event; details from Blake Nielsen and his team will be available in the coming weeks.

Andrew Christopher
President, Society for the Teaching of Psychology

Read past letters from the STP President