Over the past three weeks, as our world underwent a dramatic, unprecedented transformation to “social distancing” in the face of the COVID19 pandemic, The University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology alumni community, affectionately known to one another as MAPPsters, were mobilizing.
Read MoreFor graduates of Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, the annual MAPP Summit is an invigorating opportunity to see old friends and discover the latest research and applied practices from the field of positive psychology.
Read MoreIn the fall 2019 issue of our Magazine, we heard from Andrew Soren, C’13 and Jennifer Cory, C’15 about the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) 6th World Congress that took place in Melbourne over four days in July 2019.
Read MoreAbout a month or so after Summit 2019, I connected by phone with a recent MAPP graduate as part of the MAPP Greeter program. This new imitative connects seasoned alumni with recent graduates to help them navigate their post-MAPP journeys.
Read MoreCoronavirus has reshaped our world and daily existence, as almost all of us now live under some form of quarantine. Resilience has taken on a new meaning. As MAPPsters, we share a common bond and desire to want to spread good in the world, more so now than ever.
Read MoreIn mid-February at a small, independent bookstore in Chapel Hill, N.C., Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D. interviewed Diana Whitney, Ph.D. about the book, Thriving Women, Thriving World, which she co-authored with several MAPP alumnae.
Read MoreWhere do you find inspiration? I often find mine in nature, music, dance, travel, and in the life-giving power of positive relationships, the true realization and embodiment of “Other People Mattering.” My life-changing MAPP year was filled with profound connections, and gratifying inspiration.
Read MoreOne person, one proposal, one phone call, and 15 grant recipients later. It was a new proposal at a 2016 the MAPP Alumni Board meeting. Kathryn Britton gave her Treasurer’s report, the organization had a bit of money, some reserves. “The Board should consider doing something useful with this money…”
Read MoreHave you heard the good news? Or perhaps I should say, have you heard the positive voices? If not, get ready for something big and exciting! Donna Hemmert, Danny Southwick, Shannon Thompson, and Katy Sine recently launched a new business venture called Positive Voices to spread positive psychology to general audiences.
Read MoreIt was a busy day in the Salmon Creek emergency department (ER), and I was weary wanting the long shift to end. As I documented one of the many patients’ visit that day, my head rested alongside the cold block wall separating me from the marbled atrium where patients and families waited for care.
Read More"Are you going to IPPA?" my colleague asked. She was referring to the Sixth World Congress on Positive Psychology held in Melbourne last July. This popular, biennial conference of the International Positive Psychology Association has, over the years, become synonymous with the organization itself.
Read MoreFor four days in July, 2019, more than 1700 delegates from 60 countries around the world came together in Melbourne, Australia, for the 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology (WCPP). Academics, researchers, educators, practitioners, change agents, students, and positive psychology experts gathered at the Melbourne Convention Center to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and to advance the field.
Read MoreEach October, MAPP graduates gather in Philadelphia for an alumni day. At our most recent event, we met in a rustic camp setting to enjoy being in community on a brisk autumn day. At lunchtime in the cafeteria, tables were set for teams of eight.
Read More“This book is an invitation to journey from #metoo to thriving women via inquiry, dialogue, and stories.” So begins the new book, Thriving Women, Thriving World, newly available from Amazon in paperback and eBook formats.
Read MoreHow often are we eager to escape from our exhausting professional duties in order to get energized? How often do we wish we could take time to learn new skills that bring us better personal and professional outcomes? How many times have we tried without getting the results we hoped for?
Read MoreParenting young children feels a little like nuclear fission. Take a child and an unpleasant stimulus and one has instability, complex emotion and possible entropy. Wounded ones, terrible twos, threenagers and fournadoes are how we describe this state of being in relationship with young children.
Read MoreWriting is a wonderful way to bring positive psychology to the world. Whether people want to write books, blogs, articles, proposals, or dissertations, being able to convey clear messages that are rooted in research but alive with story helps writers reach a broader audience than the people they see face to face.
Read MoreWith each passing year, the tonnage of applied positive psychology that gets generated in the form of MAPP capstones increases. Many capstones and all of the abstracts are available on the University of Pennsylvania’s Scholarly Commons, but it’s hard to stay caught up. So we’re profiling a handful of recent capstones in more personal terms in the MAPP Magazine.
Read MoreBeing in the presence of “Dr. Dan” Tomasulo evokes words like “inspiring” and “amazing!” My top words knowing him are “wicked smart, funny, caring/kind, lovable,” and similarly, “amazing” and “inspiring.” I first met “Dr. Dan” in 1984. He was teaching psychology at Brookdale Community College, NJ. I was an adjunct, instructing Fitness Science and Fitness Through Dance.
Read MoreSimon Leow (MAPP 2015) and Sherman Ho want to help people better understand the choices they can make to be happier. Their hope is to make Singapore a kinder, more gracious, and resilient society. They both came to this endeavor after their own winding, yet serendipitous paths.
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