Brendesha Tynes, Ph.D. is a developmental and educational psychologist whose transdisciplinary research focuses on critical digital literacy, the design of digital mental health interventions that empower young people, and the impact of online race-related experiences on academic, mental health, and behavioral outcomes. She is currently a professor of education and psychology at the University of Southern California and the founding director of the Center for Empowered Learning and Development with Technology. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the National Council for Black Studies. She was awarded the Lyle Spencer Award to Transform Education, which allowed her to conduct the National Survey of Critical Digital Literacy, the first longitudinal study of the protective function of critical digital literacy skills in the association between traumatic race-related events online and mental health outcomes. An article highlighting Dr. Tynes’ foundational contributions to the field was published in the American Psychologist in 2023. She is the recipient of numerous research awards, including Ford Pre-doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Early Career Award, the Spencer Foundation Midcareer Award, and an American Psychological Association (APA) Presidential Citation issued by President Thema Bryant. She was also in the 2022 cohort of AERA Fellows, the 2023 cohort of APA Fellows, and a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Director’s Transformative Research Award in 2023, which is given to exceptionally creative and innovative scientists.

The presidential address: the Romance of the Ride in Life and Leadership , seeks to remind convention goers of the deeper source of 'inner joy,' the inextricable connection between true inner joy, our lives and our work. The speech concludes with how we find joy in hope.