As I pass the baton of MAPP Magazine Editor into the capable hands of Dr. Irem Gunay (C’12), I am reflecting on the enormity of what has transpired in our world during my one-year tenure.  We have collectively experienced events which were to me unfathomable at this time last year: a global pandemic, a breaking point reached through tragedy after tragedy in the centuries-long American story of racial and social injustice, and a political firestorm that has shaken the very foundations of our democracy.  For most of us, even as we watched these unimaginable events unfold from the relative comfort of our homes, our personal lives have been dramatically altered by the pandemic, bringing fundamental changes to the way we work, parent and relate to our loved ones and community.  The year has been nothing short of life-changing for us all.  

As an editorial team, Communications Chair Kellie Cummings (C’19), Associate Editor Courtney Daly (C’19) and I strove to find the right voice for MAPP Magazine.  How could we be socially responsible and responsive to the events of the day while also recognizing the scope and boundaries of a small alumni publication?  Is our mission to remain inwardly focused on the lives and work of fellow alumni or outwardly focused to understand positive psychology’s impact on the world?  Furthermore, what role does positive psychology have in a national and global context where a dialogue about the fundamental nature of society is playing out?  We as a global community have been confronted with the need to answer such questions as “What is power? What is equality? And what responsibility do we have to one another as individuals and as communities?” 

It occurs to me that in many ways, the above questions are also the fundamental questions of positive psychology.  Simply put, we as positive psychology practitioners ask, “What is well-being?”  More specifically, we ask what is well-being for individuals, groups and communities?  How do we relate and interact in a way that promotes well-being?  What does it mean to say, in the words of our beloved late Chris Peterson, that “other people matter?”  And so, in this sense, I hope that we are fulfilling our mission at the Magazine, by lifting up the work of our alumni to promote well-being in the world.  Some of our most widely-read content in the past year has focused on strategies to overcome the ill-effects of the pandemic, including: “Revelations and Tools for Uncertain Times,” covering the conversation between psychology giants Aaron Beck and Martin Selgman; “Strategies to Thrive,” covering a series of 70 free webinars by MAPP alumni hosted by the MAPP Alumni Association; “Pandemic Positive,” analyzing the well-being practices of MAPP alumni; and Suzie Pileggi Pawelski’s insights for how “Relationships Can Make Us Stronger During Covid-19.” 

In the wake of the racial justice crisis unfolding after murder of George Floyd, we heard from Jennifer Beatty (C’18) in “What We Owe to Others,” Christine Robinson (C’18) in “Everybody Matters? Might this One Day Be Real”, and MAPP Alumni President Andrew Soren (C’13) “Exploring Our Biases: Race, Justice and the MAPP Alumni Association.”  And throughout the year, we covered the work of fellow alumni applying their MAPP degrees in a host of interesting ways, from a strength-based approach to address hoarding behaviors to improving negotiations and a Body Full of Joy series dedicated to physical well-being and vitality.  In all, we published 32 articles from 26 alumni authors, all available on the Articles page of the website.

Going forward, the Magazine will be honored with leadership from our new editorial team of Dr. Irem Gunay (C’12), Dr. Felix Yerace (C’20) and Karen Deppa (C’15).  Irem is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Imperial College Business School. In her research, she is always exploring how she can make an enduring impact by helping individuals and organizations build lasting resources for long term success and well-being.  Felix currently teaches high school, including classes in leadership and positive psychology,  and serves as the Assistant Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC) and on the Executive Board of the Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (PASCD), where he works to enhance education, specifically, leadership education and opportunities for students. Karen is Principal of PilotLight Resilience Resources, based in Brookeville, Maryland.  Currently focused on teaching evidence-based resilience skills to the emergency responder community, Karen is co-author (with Judith Saltzberg) of the SpringerBriefs in Fire e-book, Resilience Training for Firefighters: An Approach to Prevent Behavioral Health Problems. 

Holding the position of Editor this past year has been a truly wonderful journey for me of growth, new connections with MAPP alumni, and a deepening of my MAPP experience and love of positive psychology.  I am grateful for everyone who participated in the Magazine, especially Kellie and Courtney, and I wish Irem, Felix and Karen a most excellent journey with the Magazine to come.