News&Notes
McCorvey leads unified Student Wellness Center
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lisha McCorvey, EdD was recently named the executive director of Student Health and Wellness, as well as Interim Vice President for Students. She was appointed to her current positions in the late summer of 2021. “I am honored to be given the opportunity to utilize my 25 years of experience in mental health, disability services, administration, and education to lead the student wellness offices and initiatives across campus,” said McCorvey. “I believe in a holistic and prevention-based approach to student wellness, developing the whole person intellectually, artistically, socially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We ask a lot of our students: to be conscientious and questioning, to be open to new ideas, and to be a willing participant in our community; and to do this, they need to feel their very best mentally, emotionally, and physically” As executive director of Student Health and Wellness, McCorvey is responsible for a team of nurses, mental health professionals, and disability personnel whose focus is on health, mental health, accommodation services, wellness promotion, and education. She provides leadership and program direction of the center, implements and assesses programs and initiatives focused on student wellness, and provides visionary, strategic, and operational leadership to an umbrella of student wellness areas including the Office of Health Services, Counseling Services, and the Office of Disability Services. This role is key to planning, developing,
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a “lotWeof ask our
students ... they need to feel their very best mentally, emotionally, and physically.
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Alisha McCorvey, EdD
maintaining, and evaluating the holistic mental health and well-being of our students. While serving as the interim VP for Students, she also assists in the planning, administration, and leadership of Student Affairs; provides leadership in planning, human resources, and policy development for all reporting departments; and more. McCorvey has served at the Mount since 2017, first as director of Disability Services and then as executive director of Counseling and Disability Services. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at the college, teaching courses in Education and Social Sciences. McCorvey earned an EdD in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Fordham University; an Advanced Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Bank Street College of Education; a Master of Social Work from Marywood University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz. She also holds a license in Clinical Social Work, School Building Leader Certification, School District Leadership Certification, and School Social Worker Certification.
MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021-22
Pettus named director of Health Services Deirdre Pettus BSN, RN, CRRN, a 2018 graduate of the Mount, returned to her alma mater as director of Health Services in October of 2021. Pettus oversees the college’s Health Services office, which aids students in their health management and hosts events that promote wellness and healthy living. “To work here at Mount Saint Mary College is such a blessing to me,” said Pettus. “I feel so appreciative that I have been given the opportunity to work with the students, faculty, and staff. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming.” She added, “As a mother of four children…I have seen the struggles and triumphs of these students and I want to be part of their journey. I want to help these students with their health and wellness.” Pettus comes to the Mount from Garnet Health Medical Center (previously known as Orange Regional Medical Center) in Middletown, N.Y. where she served for more than 20 years as a referral specialist for Inpatient Rehabilitation Services. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Mount and an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from SUNY Orange. Becoming the director of Health Services “has brought me full circle,” Pettus said. Pettus takes over for Doreen Bischof, RN, BSN, who helped to guide the Mount through the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time Bischof passed the torch to Pettus, more than 94 percent of Mount students were vaccinated and 100 percent were compliant with the college’s COVID-19 policy.
