July 2014
In This Issue New Vice President of Academic Affairs Alumni Spotlight Building A Better Man Graduate Research Forum Ted Rubenstein Inspiring Teaching Award National Counselor Examination National Student Affairs Chicago Campus Helps Build Playground CAPIC Intern Stipend Program Diversifying Higher Education Fellowship TCSPP at the APA Chicago Campus Commencement ABAI Dept. Anniversary NRCI Conference D.C. Campus Goes The Distance TCSPP Supports
Message from the National President For some time now, a debate has raged in the higher education and public press about the value of a college education. Within our own profession, intense discussions abound about the future of the profession that risks distracting us from responding to the challenges facing our communities, nationally and globally. Amidst it all, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology continues to press forward in the advancement of its mission. On July 11, I watched the faces of nearly 500 graduates as they crossed the stage at our Chicago Campus graduation, and listened as many personally shared their plans for the future. Without exception, every graduate I spoke with reflected upon their awareness of their education being priceless, how it has deeply enriched their lives, and their intent to move forward with great determination to now impact the lives of others. So many mentioned how within their own families it has set the stage for generational accomplishment and success. Our graduates are leaving us with the possibility of a rich future ahead. Department of Labor statistics suggest a job growth rate within our discipline of 12% by 2018. Moreover, our Engaged-Professional Model of education, and the subsequent competencies and expertise our graduates have developed while with us, equip them with the potential to bring tremendous value beyond the traditional settings of service agencies, private practice and even academia. Their options are as diverse as they are, and their time is now. As The Chicago School moves forward with great intent to impact psychology's role in the world today, and change the perception of mental illness in particular, I plan to embark on an international speaking tour starting in Lima, Peru in mid-August, where I will have the opportunity and privilege to speak with our study abroad students, other students and community leaders at one of our seven international partner sites, the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. To our most recent graduates - you have a wealth of opportunities to be change-makers. We are enormously proud of you and your accomplishments!
American Psychological
Association Annual Conference Washington, D.C. August 7-10
Warm regards, Michele Nealon-Woods, Psy.D.
New Vice President of Academic Affairs & Chief Academic Officer Joins TCSPP
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Conference Denver, CO October 4-6
Race, Ethnicity & Place Annual Conference October 22-24 Forth Worth, TX
Joseph Martin Stevenson, Ph.D., has been appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, effective June 30. Dr. Stevenson comes to us from Mississippi, where he has served this past year as a Presidential Special Assistant at Little Priest Tribal College and as Distinguish ed Scholar at Jackson State University. He brings with him extensive administrative experience, having served as Provost, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Mississippi Valley State University; University Provost and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Jackson State University; and Campus Provost and Campus Executive Officer at Golden Gate University's Sacramento Campus. He has also been a tenured professor at both Jackson State and Mississippi Valley, and has held the position of Eminent Scholar/Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership at Florida International University. Dr. Stevenson is the founder of the world's only Executive Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education at Jackson State. He also co-founded the National Conference for STEM Women of Color at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 13 books; has published numerous scholarly articles on the arts, the sciences and higher education leadership; and is a contributor to the opinion pages in "The Chronicle of Higher Education" and "Diverse Issues in Higher Education." The new Chief Academic Officer holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Management, and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership, both from the University of Oregon. He also holds a Master's degree in Social Science Education and Educational Administration from California State University, Sacramento. As an undergraduate, he studied government and psychology.
National Latina/o Psychological Association Conference October 23-26 Albuquerque, NM
Upcoming Events Summer Ethics Series: Ethical Considerations Friday, August 8 Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (S.T.E.P.) Saturday, August 9 Series Psicoterapia en
Research: The Building a Better Man Project Redefines American Masculinity Hector Torres, Psy.D., associate professor in the Counseling Program at the Chicago Campus, and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin psychologists, William Seymour, Ph.D. and Ramel Smith, Ph.D. have been exploring the definition of masculinity for the past five years. As a result, their book, "Building a Better Man," interweaves a diverse group of compelling personal stories of boys and men in a theory and science-based discussion of masculinity in modern America. Dr. Torres describes his research as, "exploring the effectiveness of a violence prevention intervention that addresses masculinity among men." Through The Building a Better Man Project, Drs. Torres, Seymour and Smith hope to fashion a new definition of what it means to be male, keeping positive traits like bravery and allowing for the full range of
Espanol: El Rol del Terapeuta y la Entrevista Psicologica Inicial Friday, October 10 Washington, D.C. Campus Commencement Friday, October 10
emotions. In 2011, they launched an evidence-based pilot program at Children's Hospital that encourages small groups of boys and young men to think about masculinity. The groups focus on three themes: intrapersonal awareness, interpersonal skill development and service to others. Future plans include seeking more empirical validation, and they are currently in the grant-writing process.
Graduate Research Forum Launched on D.C. Campus
Los Angeles Campus Commencement Friday, November 7
TCSPP in The Media Dr. Sean Sterling Psych 1 on 1 July 22 Dr. Melody Bacon Psych 1 on 1 July 2 Dr. Lavonda Mickens Braham Psych 1 on 1 June 11 Dr. Robert Cleve Radyo Vesaire June 9
TCSPP Students & Alumni in the Media Cassandra Jennings Las Cruces Sun July 30 Denise Bryant Denver.gov July 16 Siobhan St. John Ohio State Buckeyes July 11 Dr. Genevieve Thornton Chicago Tribune July 2 Pam Kruse
Exhibitor Online June 19
Dr. Melvin Hinton
Washington D.C. Campus' Ghislaine Toussaint Green, (center), a Ph.D. student who is in the International Psychology Program, was one of nine Graduate Research Forum (GRF) winners from across all locations and online. GRF is an opportunity for students to give poster-style presentations for each other and faculty, gaining experience and feedback at different stages of development. Green's winning presentation "Benefits of Early Childhood Education: Does Early Intervention and Parent Education Detect and Prevent Early Childhood Delays?" came during the Washington, D.C. Campus' first GRF.
Dr. Drake Spaeth Receives Ted Rubenstein Inspiring Teaching Award Drake Spaeth, Psy.D, associate professor in the Counseling Department at the Chicago Campus, is the recipient of the Ted Rubenstein Inspiring Teaching Award. The award honors and recognizes the legacy of Dr. Rubenstein, a TCSPP graduate and faculty member who died in 2010. Described as an advocate for students who was creative and impactful, Dr. Rubenstein was an inspiration to his students and the Award seeks to recognize teachers who embody those same characteristics. Dr. Spaeth says he was "pleasantly shocked to have been nominated by my students, and I was honored and delighted to have been selected by the Committee."
New National Student Affairs Division Tailors to Students' Needs The Chicago School's new Division of Student Affairs recently launched. The division delivers supportive professionals dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive campus environment that allows students to take full advantage of the TCSPP's academic and co-curricular benefits. With access across all campuses, the division consists of five departments: Career Services, Educational Support Programs, Office of the Registrar, Student Development and Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. Each department specializes in areas tailored to the differing needs of new and current students, with services ranging from military and veteran affairs, to international services and assistance in completing school forms.
Chicago Business Journal June 6
Chicago Campus Helps Build Playground
Jasmine Meyers chicagonow.com May 25
Stay Connected
(L-R): TCSPP's Hannah Holtgeerts, Community Engaged Volunteer Coordinator, and Dr. Belinda McFeeters, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs.
TCSPP students, faculty and staff joined forces with The Community Builders (TCB), KaBOOM! and Radio Flyer on June 26 to build a playground with the families of St. Stephens Terrace, a project-based Section 8 building located in Chicago's West Side. Because of their efforts, more than 200 families now have access to safe, innovative play. TCSPP's Community Partnerships Department also partnered with TCB to create an after school program in the apartment complex. Providing homework help for children in grades K-6th, the program also gives students from TCSPP an opportunity to become involved with a community with whom they might not otherwise interact.
TCSPP Students Among Recipients Of The California Psychology Internship Council Intern Stipend Program Seven students from TCSPP's Clinical Forensic Psychology and Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) Programs were among 37 psychology students in California who received internship stipends through the California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC). Funded by the state's Mental Health Services Act through the California Department of Mental Health, these stipends are awarded to students completing internships in publicly supported mental health agencies in California. All awardees will receive a substantial stipend towards their educational advancement. Six of the students are from the Southern California Campuses, while the seventh attends the Chicago Campus. Read press release.
Doctoral Student Receives Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Fellowship Kesha Burch, M.A., a doctoral student in the Counseling Program at the Chicago Campus was recently awarded the prestigious Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Fellowship (DFI). The DFI, awarded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, is given to talented ethnic minority graduate students who aspire and have the potential to join the ranks of academia. The
award is meant to help offset the cost of graduate education.
TCSPP Leadership, Faculty, Staff and Students Make Tracks to Washington, D.C. for APA Convention More than 20 leadership, faculty, staff and students from all three TCSPP campuses and online will be participating in the 122nd American Psychological Association (APA) Convention in Washington, D.C., August 7 through 10. An ideal opportunity to connect with colleagues, the convention features more than 800 sessions over a four-day period covering the entire field of psychology. For a listing of TCSPP presentations, please contact Academic Affairs.
First of Three 2014 Commencements A Glowing Success
More than 490 doctoral and Master's degree candidates (pictured) graduated from the Chicago Campus on July 11.The featured speaker and honorary degree recipient was Dr. Melba Vasquez, the first and only Latina to serve as president of the American Psychological Association (2011) in the association's history. In addition, TCSPP Trustee Chair Emeritus Ricardo Grunsten received an honorary degree. Representing her fellow graduates, Megan E. Shaal, a doctoral graduate in Clinical Forensic Psychology, also spoke. Click here to watch highlights from the event.
Chicago Campus ABAI Department Celebrates 10th Anniversary
(L-R): Julie Vargas, daughter of B.F. Skinner, and center, Dr. Merbitz, Department Chair of ABA, Chicago.
The 40th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) turned out to be an especially celebratory occasion for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's Behavior Analysis (ABA) Department. In addition to the department commemorating its 10th anniversary, members also celebrated the fifth anniversary of the annual reunion of TCSPP's ABA Department, the B.F. Skinner Foundation and the Cambridge Center, held at the convention. A tradition started in 2009 by Dr. Chuck Merbitz, the reunion is an opportunity for participants to meet and network with a diverse group of behavior analysts, which includes everyone from students to faculty to well-known researchers in the field.
D.C. Campus Running Group Goes the Distance
A reflection of the Washington metropolitan area's top spot in an annual ranking of health and community fitness, Ryan Tobiasz, Psy.D., lead faculty in the Forensic Psychology Department, at the D.C. Campus organized a TCSPP faculty, staff and students running team who train together in preparation for local running events. The group's first event was the D.C. Front Runners Pride 5K Run/Walk in June, an official event of Capital Pride 2014. Dr. Tobiasz (second from left) says that the TCSPP team plans to participate in more running events with mental health awareness themes.