Maureen O’Connor, Ph.D., J.D. is the president of Palo Alto University (PAU), a small, private non-profit institution dedicated to education research, and clinical training in psychology, counseling, and social work. Prior to joining PAU, Dr. O’Connor held multiple roles at the City University of New York in New York City overseeing the multi-campus doctoral program in Psychology at the Graduate Center and serving as chair of the Psychology Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice helping to build a leading program in forensic psychology.

Dr. O’Connor completed a dual degree program in psychology, law, and policy at the University of Arizona, earning a Ph.D. and J.D. She holds membership in the bar in Arizona and Washington, D.C., and clerked for the late Honorable Patricia Wald, then Chief Judge of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals prior to launching her academic career.

An American Psychological Association (APA) Fellow, she has held numerous governance roles in APA, most recently as Chair of its Task Force on Human Rights designed to guide the association forward in integrating a human rights perspective into its operations and activities. She has also served on APA’s Committee on Legal Issues, Policy & Planning Board, and as a governance representative to APA’s governing Council. She has been active in the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI/APA Division 9) for many years, including serving as its President. As a faculty member, Dr. O’Connor conducted published and presented on gender and the law topics.

She is a Senior Fellow in the American Leadership Fellows program in Silicon Valley and serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.

Current Term

2024 - 2027