Position:

Vice President, Business Innovation & Strategic Advancement

Contact Information:

pzapf@paloaltou.edu

Biography:

Patricia A. Zapf, PhD is Vice President for Business Innovation & Strategic Advancement at Palo Alto University (PAU). By connecting academia with the broader business and innovation ecosystem, the Division of Business Innovation & Strategic Advancement plays a crucial role in driving growth and innovation while fostering collaborations between the academic institution and external partners. Prior to her current role, Dr. Zapf served as the Vice President of Continuing and Professional Studies, after bringing her professional training company, CONCEPT, to Palo Alto University in 2018. Dr. Zapf founded CONCEPT Professional Training in 2009 with the mission of elevating the level of practice in psychology and related professions.

Prior to coming to PAU Dr. Zapf was a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (CUNY) for 16 years, during which time she was instrumental in the development of a new doctoral program in clinical psychology with an emphasis in forensic psychology and served as the program’s first Director of Clinical Training. Prior to her time at CUNY, she was on the psychology and law faculty at the University of Alabama.

Dr. Zapf is a past President of the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS; Division 41 of the American Psychological Association). In 2006, she was named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Distinguished Member of the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the science and profession of forensic psychology. She currently serves on the board of directors for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services (IAFMHS), and as the book series editor for the International Perspectives on Forensic Mental Health series. She served as an associate editor for Law and Human Behavior for more than a decade and as the editor of the American Psychology-Law Society book series for 10 years. Dr. Zapf has published more than 10 books and manuals and over 100 peer-reviewed publications on topics related to forensic evaluation, criminal competencies, ethics, bias, and forensic psychology.