Loyola Schools’ Dr. Hechanova Alampay recognized as Global Citizen Psychologist

Dr. Maria Regina Hechanova Alampay, a full professor at the Loyola Schools, is the first Filipino to be cited as 2021 Global Citizen Psychologist by Division 52 of the American Psychological Association.

The Global Citizen Psychologist Citation recognizes psychologists for “bringing their professional knowledge, experience, and expertise to those around them at the local, national or international level.”  Hechanova Alampay is one of the two citation recipients; the other is Dr. Hrant Avanesyan from Armenia.

“Knowing that through our community mental health interventions, we have reached people who don’t have access to psychological support is a reward in itself. So to be acknowledged for this work is a bonus. I really don’t want to take all the credit because it takes a village to do what we do. I only took the lead, so I need to share this with all my colleagues who have shared the dream and journey, “she says.

 “I am grateful to Ateneo because it has provided a lot of support for what we do. The university funded the research and training when we created the Katatagan resilience program for survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. It also funded the research and development of Katatagan Online in 2020.  My colleagues in the Psych department have been developing evidence-based psychological interventions as our contribution to nation-building and being professionals for others. For me, this is a recognition of our work.”

Hechanova Alampay has more than two decades of experience as an HR and organizational development practitioner. A full professor at the Department of Psychology, she was named Outstanding Young Scientists in 2005 by the National Academy of Science and Technology and one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) in 2010. In 2018, the Professional Regulatory Commission recognized her as the Professional of the Year for Psychology. She is currently Chief of Party of the USAID RenewHealth Project.

Photo by Ocs Alvarez