Kim Baranowski (Ph.D. ’14, Ed.M. ’10), Lecturer in Teachers College’s Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, has been named a 2018 APA Citizen Psychologist by the American Psychological Association for her sustained commitment to leadership in advocacy, supporting survivors of human rights violations.

“Dr. Kim Baranowski exemplifies the definition of a Citizen Psychologist by using psychology to make her community a better place,” said 2018 APA President Jessica Henderson Daniel, PhD. “Helping to improve lives one community at a time is how we can change the world.”

Kim Baranowski

IMPROVING HER COMMUNITY Baranowski regards promoting the rights and psychological health of asylum seekers – many of them survivors of torture – as her ongoing mission.

Baranowski regards promoting the rights and psychological health of asylum seekers – many of them survivors of torture – as her ongoing mission. The New York-based practitioner provides asylum seekers with pro bono forensic evaluations that document the psychological consequences of persecution. She also trains other clinicians in these methods and mentors students to conduct research on how human rights violations affect refugee well-being.

Baranowski, who is a past recipient of the APA’s Achievement Award for Early Career Psychologists, frequently writes and speaks to educate both the public and clinical professionals on the needs and resilience of this vulnerable population. During 2018, her coauthored papers were published in Journal of Traumatic Stress, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and Translational Issues in Psychological Science.

“Dr. Kim Baranowski exemplifies the definition of a Citizen Psychologist by using psychology to make her community a better place. Helping to improve lives one community at a time is how we can change the world.”

—Jessica Henderson Daniel, 2018 President, American Psychological Association

Launched by Daniel, the Citizen Psychologist Initiative recognizes APA members who engage their communities through public service, volunteerism and board membership. Representing every branch of psychology, Citizen Psychologists serve as long-term volunteers for Habitat for Humanity; participate in church ministries; and volunteer as expert speakers for non-profit organizations, among other roles. The goals of the APA Citizen Psychologist Initiative include:

  • Demonstrating how psychology contributes to the public good and improves communities.
  • Educating high school, undergraduate and graduate school students through internships, postdoctoral fellowships and lifelong learning about how to become a successful APA Citizen Psychologist.

“Through their efforts, Citizen Psychologists work toward APA’s mission to use psychology to benefit society and improve people’s lives,” Daniel said.