Fostering Psychological Safety in the Workplace: An Intro for Scholarly Publishers

We do our best work when we can bring our full selves to the job. When we feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes without fear of humiliation or punishment, we’re more likely to find satisfaction at work and—in turn—to perform better. These ideas are central to the concept of psychological safety, and fostering that safety is key in building a productive, fulfilling work environment. Join us to gain a detailed understanding of psychological safety at work: what it looks like, why it matters, and how to facilitate it. We’ll discuss how individuals within various levels in an organization’s structure can contribute, how to address psychologically unsafe environments, and how a DEI-informed approach can support an organization’s goals around inclusivity.

Publication Date

2024 | September

Mental Health and the Workplace

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Alisa C.D. Clark

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Head of DEI for Cell Press, Elsevier

Alisa C.D. Clark is the Head of DEI at Cell Press, where she leads the strategy and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across a portfolio of 50+ journals. She is passionate about empowering the scientific community through inclusive and accessible publishing and aims to foster a culture of belonging, respect, and excellence for all authors, reviewers, editors, and staff. Alisa holds an MA in journalism from Northeastern University and a BA in psychology from Samford University; she has worked in scholarly publishing since 2016 and has extensive expertise in production processes, editorial management, new journal launches, and the development and rollout of customized production software. Alisa has served as a trained facilitator for the RELX-wide Psychological Safety program since 2021 and is dedicated to championing psychological safety initiatives throughout the scholarly publishing industry.

Dennis P. Stolle, JD, PhD

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Senior Director of Applied Psychology, American Psychological Association

Dr. Dennis P. Stolle is the Senior Director of Applied Psychology at the American Psychological Association, where he leads initiatives in workplace psychology. He holds a PhD in Social and Personality Psychology and a law degree from the University of Nebraska. Dennis co-founded a consulting firm and was a capital partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, advising corporate clients on legal and business strategies using psychological science. He led the 2024 APA Work in America Survey on “Psychological Safety in the Changing Workplace.” A frequent media commentator, Dennis has been featured in major outlets like NBC News Daily, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He has published extensively on applying psychological science to real-world problems, including authoring a book on creating a psychologically healthy legal system.

Sarah Bay, PhD

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Scientific Editor and Program Manager, Genetics Society of America

Sarah Bay, PhD, is the Scientific Editor and Program Manager at the Genetics Society of America. She transitioned into the scholarly publishing space after completing her PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology; she now works closely with the genetics and genomics communities, particularly through the GSA journals, GENETICS and G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. Her work includes editorial strategy, marketing and outreach, public-facing communications, conference/event programming, and data analysis. She also helps lead GSA's Equity and Inclusion Committee, creating policies and projects aimed toward to an inclusive and equitable future.