PRINSTEIN TO LEAVE APA POST AT YEAR-END, RETURNING TO ACADEMIA

National search for a replacement to launch later this year

WASHINGTON - The American Psychological Association has announced that Mitch Prinstein, PhD, has elected to leave his position as chief of psychology at the end of 2025 to return full-time to his post at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Long active in the association, Prinstein joined the APA staff as its chief science officer in 2021, a position he held until late last year when APA created the chief of psychology post to unify the work of science, education, practice and applied psychology within a single organizational unit.

"As chief of psychology, Dr. Prinstein created new systems to ensure that all voices within the field were heard and represented within APA's work. We are grateful for his leadership across many areas over the course of his tenure, including making APA more welcoming to psychological scientists and advancing psychology's role in addressing critical societal issues," said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. "His work on social media's impact on youth mental health has influenced national conversations, and he has brought together scientists, educators, and practitioners in service of our shared mission. While we will miss his leadership at APA, we look forward to his continued contributions to the field through his academic work."

Prinstein's work included spearheading the development of APA's public advisories, including the influential "Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence." In his role as chief science officer, he rebuilt APA's science directorate, created the APA e-newsletter "Science Spotlight," and developed numerous programs with his team to improve psychological science, educate scientists and ensure that the discipline's work reflected all humans' behavior. As chief of psychology, he has both elevated the unique contributions of science, education, practice and applied psychology and coordinated their work to grow their collective impact. While at APA, he testified several times before Congress on child and adolescent mental health, including on the risks and benefits of social media to children and adolescents. Prinstein represented APA in numerous public and media appearances and with dozens of agencies and nonprofit groups.

APA will be opening a national search later this year to replace him.