Mitch Prinstein

Mitchell J. Prinstein is an author and psychology professor. He is the former Director of Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,^[2] where he also served as the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor and Assistant Dean of Honors Carolina, UNC's Honors program.^[3][4] He is a Fellow of both the American Psychological Association^[2] and the Association for Psychological Science.^[5] He currently serves as the Chief of Psychology Strategy and Integration for the American Psychological Association (APA),^[6] where he previously served on the board of directors and then as the Chief Science Officer.^[7]

Mitch Prinstein
Prinstein in 2025
Born	Mitchell J. Prinstein
Alma mater	University of Miami - M.A., Ph.D.[citation needed] Emory University - B.A.
Scientific career
Fields	Clinical psychologist
Institutions	American Psychological Association, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Doctoral students	Matthew Nock[citation needed]
Website	Mitch Prinstein[1]

Prinstein has authored or edited multiple volumes of psychological research,^[8] professional development training,^[9][10] an encyclopedia series in adolescent development,^[11] and an undergraduate textbook in clinical psychology.^[12] He is the author of Popular: Finding Happiness and Success in a World That Cares Too Much About the Wrong Kinds of Relationships, a book describing the role of popularity in society.^[13][14]

Education and training

Prinstein received his B.A. from Emory University.^[15] He attended graduate school at University of Miami where he received his M.S. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology.^[16][17] He completed his clinical psychology internship training in clinical child and adolescent psychology at the Brown University Clinical Psychology Training Consortium and was awarded a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health to remain at Brown for his postdoctoral fellowship.^[18] He is board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in clinical child psychology.^[19]

Publications

Prinstein's research focuses on popularity and peer relations,^[4][20] including childhood popularity, peer victimization, friendships, and processes of peer influence.^{[21][22][23][24]} He is the author of Popular: Finding Happiness and Success in a World That Cares Too Much About the Wrong Kinds of Relationships.

In professional development, Prinstein authored "Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology", The Portable Mentor: Expert Guide to a Successful Career in Psychology^[9] and Internships in Psychology: The APAGS Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and Finding the Right Fit.^[10]

Prinstein is an editor of Understanding Peer Influence in Children and Adolescence,^[25] Future Work in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology: A Research Agenda,^[26] an undergraduate textbook on clinical psychology,^[12] an encyclopedia series, Encyclopedia of Adolescence.^[11]

Professional

Prinstein served as chair of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and was named the first APAGS student representative to the Board of Directors of the APA.^[2] He was later appointed Chair of the ad hoc APA workgroup on Early Career Psychologists to advocate for its incorporation as a standing committee of APA.^{[citation needed]} He serves as of 2020 as a Member-at-Large on the APA Council of Representatives^[27] and was appointed to the Good Governance Group to improve organizational efficiency.^[2]

Prinstein served as President of the executive board of the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.^{[citation needed]}

Prinstein served on the boards of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology,^{[failed verification][28]} the Publications board of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies,^{[failed verification][29]} and the Council of Specialties in Professional Psychology.^{[failed verification][30]}

He was an associate editor for the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology^[31] and the editor for the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.^[2]