ANA Elections 2025

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit my nomination for President-Elect of ANA. I am a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist at Westchester Medical Center in New York and have been actively involved in ANA since 2020. I am confident that my experience within the organization has prepared me to support ANA’s mission and contribute to its continued growth. 

I served as the inaugural Co-Chair of the ANA Advocacy Committee (2020–2021) and as Member-at-Large on the ANA Executive Committee (2022–2024). Through these roles, I have fostered inter-organizational collaborations, gained insight into ANA’s leadership structure, and worked closely with multiple committees to advance ANA’s goals. I have co-led ANA projects examining diversity-related continuing education requirements and identifying culturally insensitive tests and assessment practices, both of which resulted in peer-reviewed publications and highlighted opportunities for systemic change. Currently, I am leading a project aimed at addressing barriers faced by international neuropsychology graduates seeking employment in the U.S. I am also a co-chair of the ANA Board Certification Pipeline Task Force, which recently completed our first oral exam preparation program. If elected, I will strive to further ANA’s mission to improve access to excellent, culturally responsive neuropsychological services and strengthen neuropsychology’s role in promoting health equity. My priorities would include supporting trainees of Asian descent by fostering community within ANA and advocating for structural changes to reduce barriers, particularly visa-related challenges for international trainees. I also hope to expand ANA’s international professional membership and enhance access to resources globally. I think ANA has been able to accomplish so much because we excel in working collaboratively to bring about tangible, meaningful change. I am committed to continuing this work and would be honored to serve as your next President-Elect.

My name is Dr. Ashley Nguyen-Martinez, and I am a Vietnamese American (1.5 generation) neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine/Children’s Hospital Colorado. I am grateful to be considered for the Member-At-Large position with the Asian Neuropsychological Association (ANA).

Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of being actively involved with ANA, serving on the Advocacy Committee and as an executive member of the Vietnamese Special Interest Group. Within the last year, I have first authored two publications with ANA colleagues, amplifying the experiences of Asian neuropsychologists and the status of pediatric neuropsychology in Southeast Asian countries. Beyond ANA, I have held leadership roles across multiple organizations, including active involvement with APA Division 40’s Society for Clinical Neuropsychology Women in Neuropsychology (SCN-WIN) Committee, and as a founding member of the ESCAPO multi-site English–Spanish epilepsy consortium, which includes several members of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society.

If elected, I plan to leverage my experiences and professional networks to continue advancing ANA’s mission through advocacy, research, and mentorship, with a particular focus on supporting early career neuropsychologists and trainees. I hope to help initiate and sustain projects that promote board certification readiness, mentorship, and leadership development, while also creating meaningful networking opportunities within ANA and across organizations to empower emerging professionals. My unique experiences collaborating across diverse cultural, linguistic, and organizational contexts have equipped me with the necessary knowledge to continue strengthening ANA’s collective voice in promoting excellence and increasing our representation in neuropsychology. I hope you will support my bid for this position, as I would be deeply honored to serve as Member-At-Large for ANA.

As a Chinese-American neuropsychologist, my commitment to the Asian Neuropsychological Association is grounded in lived experience—navigating bicultural identity, training environments with limited representation, and the ongoing work of creating spaces where Asian clinicians, researchers, and trainees feel seen, supported, and connected. I care about the ANA because it provides community, mentorship, and advocacy that many of us did not have early in our careers. It is a place where cultural nuance is valued and where we can collectively expand neuropsychology to better address linguistic, cultural, and global equity.

I bring experience in collaborative leadership that aligns with the responsibilities of Member-at-Large. I currently serve as Co-Chair of the Communications and Social Media Committee for the New York State Association of Neuropsychology, where I coordinate messaging, initiatives, and member engagement across diverse professional groups. Within APA Division 22, I participate in interdisciplinary rehabilitation-focused initiatives, working to elevate cross-specialty collaboration and knowledge sharing. I have also coordinated multi-institutional, international symposia and project teams, ensuring clear communication, organized timelines, and equitable participation across presenters from different regions and backgrounds. These experiences have strengthened my ability to manage partnerships, maintain follow-through, and support shared goals across organizations.

As Member-at-Large, I would prioritize transparent communication, reliable coordination with committees and Special Interest Groups, and thoughtful relationship-building with external neuropsychological and professional organizations. I would also work to ensure that members understand how to become involved, contribute ideas, and develop leadership pathways within the ANA.

My goal is to strengthen the connective structure of the organization so that members feel empowered, supported, and engaged in shaping our shared community. I would be honored to serve in this role.

When I joined ANA, I was searching for a space to feel grounded in my identity as an early career neuropsychologist of Asian descent, to learn about the issues facing our community, and to learn from and collaborate with my peers to better serve Asian communities. I quickly found that space on the ANA Advocacy Committee, where I served as a committee member and then Chair/Co-Chair for the past 3 years. Serving on the Advocacy Committee has taught me many things – it takes consistency to build advocacy into our daily lives, and creativity and finesse to navigate the evolving landscape in which we conduct our advocacy. Most importantly, I’ve witnessed the importance of teamwork. We were most effective when each member could contribute to collaborative projects, and when we had opportunities to collaborate across committees within ANA. Being part of the ANA Steering Committee has allowed me to build valuable connections with Committee leaders and solidified for me the importance of close communication and collaboration among leadership. These conversations have inspired new ideas, new collaborations, and built that sense of camaraderie that initially drew me to ANA. 

As a Member-at-Large, my goal would be to continue fostering these conversations and collaborations so we can be most effective as an organization. As a liaison among Committee and SIG leaders, I would help identify throughlines among Committee/SIG goals, and facilitate connections so members feel supported in their collaborations. I would support ANA leadership in strengthening open lines of communication with the general membership.  I would also capitalize on my involvement in other organizations (e.g., AACN Relevance 2050) to facilitate inter-organizational collaborations. And I hope to do that with consistency, creativity, finesse, and lots of teamwork. It would be a privilege to have your vote to serve as your Member-at-Large. 

The Asian Neuropsychological Association and its membership is close to my heart. I have been involved with the ANA since its earliest years when a free membership was offered, I even submitted an entry during the logo selection process. My earliest engagement with the ANA was becoming one of the first few membership committee members and I was the co-chair of the committee when we finalised first versions of the membership application, the fee structure, managed the listserv, and organized the initial ANA social events. I have since been involved in various roles within the ANA, including my recent tenure as Co-Chair of the International Liaison Taskforce. This taskforce has since evolved into an Ad-hoc Committee focused on furthering the training goals of neuropsychologists in Asian countries. If given the opportunity to serve as Member-at-Large, I am committed to significantly increasing the reach of the ANA, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and among students, to foster a stronger, more inclusive community. I would actively collaborate with the various Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and committees to strategically enhance their international network engagement. I have proven ability to work collaboratively in teams and ensure projects are executed efficiently and in an organized manner which is an important role of the member at large. It would be an honour to continue serving the ANA, which I view as a professional family.