Dr. Marilyn P. Safir, a highly distinguished academic and professional, has shown excellence in her career with 50 years of experience in the field of Psychology. Currently, she serves in the role of Professor Emeritus at University of Haifa.  She specializes in Clinical (CBT), Social Gender, Sexuality and Sex, and Women’s Studies in Psychology.

Dr. Safir holds a PhD in Psychology, concentrating in Research Design and Experimental, from Syracuse University. Prior to her doctorate she completed graduate studies toward her MA in Experimental Psychology, paving the way to her PhD studies in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Methodology and a Minor in Philosophy. She earned her BA in Psychology with Minors in Sociology, Anthropology and Philosophy from the City University of New York, Brooklyn.

Her work that would evolve over the years is truly insurmountable. Dr. Safir found herself engaging in political activities around the start of her career in Israel in 1969. She was one of the Founders of the "New Women's Liberation Movement " and also established the women's political party "NeS." This was just the beginning of many women’s and feminist groups she would ignite over the years. She went on to help Shulamit Aloni establish the Citizen’s Rights Party, and also organized and chaired the first annual Women's World Congress in 1981, which is still being held today (this year’s Congress is to be held in Brazil). Many fires have grown from a single spark, and Dr. Safir brings that spark, connecting women in Israel to women transnationally.

Always striving to strengthen the bonds between psychology and gender studies through her extensive research, Dr. Safir aims to bring awareness to her studies focused on women. She is motivated and passionate to inspire a positive change in her field. She has held many positions in her career, from lecturer and supervisor of the Psychology curriculum at Syracuse, to Visiting Scholar and Lecturer at Stanford, Tel Aviv University, University of Washington, Arizona State University, University of Haifa, and several other prominent institutions. Throughout her career in academia, Dr. Safir has taught Clinical and Social Psychology in addition to her research. She is widely known for introducing Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Sex Therapy (ST) into Israel, and organizing and establishing the Israeli Associations of CBT and ST.

Highly esteemed by her peers, she has edited 4 books in subject areas of her field, and has published close to 100 articles in peer- reviewed journals. She has lectured at a large number of international conferences around the world, and is a Fellow of 6 Divisions of The American Psychological Association as well as the American Psychological Society, of which she is a Founding member. Her work has not gone unrecognized.

Her scholarships, awards, and honors for a lifetime of research, teaching, and groundbreaking pathways for women are numerous. She has been the recipient of a myriad of awards including the American Psychological Association’s Division for International Psychology and the Gori Gunvald Award for Research on Women and Gender. Brooklyn College and A Key to the City of Haifa elected her Alumna of the Year in 2010, in recognition of her contributions to the city and society in general.

Other recognitions include but are not limited to: Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cognitive Behavior Therapy from The Israel Association for Cognitive Behavior Therapy January, 2013, Alumna of the Year Award from Brooklyn College October 2010, Award for Contributions to International Psychology by Psychological Associations Division for International Psychology (52) August, 2009, Distinguished Citizen Award by Haifa Municipality June 18, 2008, First Recipient of American Psychological Associations Division for International Psychology (52)  Distinguished Visiting Professorship, August 2005- August 2006, First Recipient of the Florence Denmark and Gori Gunvald Award for Research on Women and Gender, International Council of Psychologists, 2002, (Toronto 2003), Outstanding Researcher Award: Bridging the Gap between Academia and Community. Haifa Municipality, 2003, 100 Heroines of the World Award, presented in Rochester N.Y. 28/10/1998, Fellow - Salzburg Seminar: Women’s Global Leadership – Stories from Success, 1997, International Academy for Sex Research - elected full member 1994, American Psychological Association 1992 Distinguished Leadership, Committee on Women and Psychology, One of three awarded at the Centennial Congress of APA, Washington, D.C., Israel Society for the Study and Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases ‑ Prize for Outstanding Research, in Memory of Prof. Israel Serub, (with K. Arieli-Kagan) 1992, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues: Certificate of Appreciation, (SPSSI  Author) 1992, 1987:  For Women’s Worlds: From the New Scholarship, American Psychological Society, Elected Fellow 1990, The Lexicon of 1000 Israeli Women, 1885‑1985  1990, The International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women, 1989, New York Academy of Science ִ Elected Member, 1987, MENSA Education & Research Foundation ִ Award for Research Excellence, 1987, American Psychological Association, elected Fellow 1987, 1988, 1998, Division 35: Psychology of Women Fellow 1987, Division 9: Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues: Fellow 1988, Division 52: International Psychology: Fellow 1998, The World's Who's Who of Women, 1987, 9th Ed.; 1989, 10 Ed.; 1991, 11 Ed, International Directory of Distinguished Service, 1986, 1st Edition for contributions to Psychology and Women's Studies, Invited Visiting Scientist by the Dutch Government on an Israeli‑Netherlands exchange, April 1984, Elin Wagner Stipendia, Stockholm, Sweden, for research on Women in the Kibbutz, 1975.

Dr. Safir resides in Haifa Israel for most of the year where she continues to research, publish and advocate for women around the world.

Worldwide Association of Notable Alumni Member Marilyn P. Safir, PhD can be found on the Association Directory where she is looking forward to networking with you.