UCSB Professor honored by American Psychological Association for her notable contributions to the field
ISLA VISTA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara Professor Tania Israel has been awarded the 2025 Award for Distinguished Senior Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest from the American Psychological Association the University announced Thursday.
The American Psychological Association award, sponsored by the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest, honors an individual for either a single extraordinary achievement or a lifetime of outstanding contributions.
Dr. Isreal's 25 years of contributions to the field are what her nomination letter highlighted as well as her recent book, Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide.
"Dr. Israel has applied psychological knowledge and skills to support sexual and gender minorities through research, community engagement, policy advocacy, and mentoring. More recently, her thought leadership and resources have helped countless Americans navigate political conflict," explained Dr. Israel's nomination letter for the award. "Dr. Israel has also brought visibility to bisexuality within her community, in the field of psychology, and in applications to public policy….Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Dr. Israel responded to the divisions that were evident in American society by developing resources, workshops, and a book ("Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide"), all of which applied psychological knowledge and skills to promote understanding and strengthen relationships across political differences."
Dr. Israel is in the Counseling, Clinical, and School of Psychology Department at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and is the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shared UC Santa Barbara in a press release about the award.
"I'm so honored to be receiving this award from the APA. Throughout my career, it's been my mission to reduce psychological and structural barriers that limit people from realizing their individual and collective potential," explained Dr. Israel. "I have sought to equip people with tools to participate fully in their lives, their interpersonal relationships, and the world. This aim has driven my research on interventions to support LGBTQ people and scholarship on navigating political division, as well as my mentoring, advocacy, teaching, and leadership."
