Evidence-Based
School Counseling
THE
CONFERENCE
Advisory Council Members
Dr. Brett Zyromski
Co-Founder & leadership team
Brett Zyromski is an award winning Associate Professor and Program Chair of the Counselor Education Program at The Ohio State University. His scholarship focuses on how school-based counselors can enhance protective factors and positive childhood experiences for students that have experienced adverse childhood experiences, while at the same time deconstructing the systems that create the need for such interventions. His research also explores the impact of socially-just evidence-based interventions in school counseling, and socially-just evidence-based school counselor education and evaluation in school counseling. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Professional School Counseling journal. Dr. Zyromski has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to school counseling issues, delivered over 150 international, national, regional, and local presentations and has served as numerous international and state conference keynote. A research Fellow at the University of Massachusetts Ronald H. Fredrikson Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation and a Faculty Affiliate at The Ohio State University Center on Education and training for Employment, Dr. Zyromski is also co-editor of School Counseling Research: Advancing the Professional Evidence Base (2023) and co-author of Facilitating Evidence-Based, Data-Driven School Counseling: A Manual for Practice (Corwin, 2016). He has been recognized with numerous leadership and teaching awards, served as keynote for multiple international, national, and state conferences, and he has served as co-primary investigator or project manager for over $12,000,000 worth of federal and state grants. Dr. Zyromski is an Associate Professor at The Ohio State University. His scholarship focuses on how school-based counselors can enhance protective factors and positive childhood experiences for students that have experienced adverse childhood experiences. His research also explores the impact of evidence-based interventions in school counseling, evidence-based school counselor education, and evaluation in school counseling. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Professional School Counseling journal. Dr. Zyromski has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to school counseling issues, delivered over 150 international, national, regional, and local presentations and has served as numerous international and state conference keynote. He is co-author of Facilitating Evidence-Based, Data-Driven School Counseling: A Manual for Practice (Corwin, 2016). He has served as co-primary investigator or project manager for $8,000,000 worth of federal and state grants. Dr. Zyromski has been recognized for numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2018 Ohio Counseling Association Herman J. Peters Award, the 2015 Kentucky School Counselor Association Outstanding Post-Secondary Counselor, the 2014 Illinois School Counselor Association Friend of ISCA, the 2010 North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Professional Leadership Award, the 2010 Illinois School Counseling Association Presidential Award, and the 2008 North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Outstanding Professional Teaching Award.
Dr. Carey Dimmitt
Co-Founder & leadership team
Dr. Dimmitt is co-founder and co-chair of the National Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference. Dr. Dimmitt is the Program Coordinator and a Professor of School Counseling at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Prior to her work as a counselor educator, Dr. Dimmitt worked for 14 years with children and families in schools and community mental health settings. Dr. Dimmitt’s major scholarly interests are in the areas of outcome research, effective teaching and counseling practices K-16, school counseling curriculum development, clinical training for school counselors, and systemic change in educational institutions. Dr. Dimmitt has provided professional development on evidence-based practice in more than 14 states/districts, done 13 invited plenary or keynote addresses and 32 national conference presentations, published 18 journal articles, and won the UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011. Dr. Dimmitt is the Counseling Content Expert for the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). She is the co-author of the books Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference with Data-Driven Practices (2007, Corwin, with Jay Carey and Trish Hatch), and The School Counseling and School Social Work Treatment Planner (2012, Wiley, with Sarah Knapp and Arthur Jongsma) and co-author of two chapters on metacognition in education for the APA Educational Psychology Handbook (2011, American Psychological Association, with Christine McCormick) and the Handbook of Psychology: Volume 7: Educational Psychology (2012, Wiley, with Christine McCormick).
Dr. Blaire Cholewa
leadership team
Dr. Blaire Cholewa is an Associate Professor and school counselor educator in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. She joined Drs. Zyromski and Dimmit as a co-chair in 2020 after serving on the EBSCC Advisory Council for multiple years. Her scholarship focuses on addressing the unsettling discrepancies in academic opportunity and discipline for low-income and/or students of color by investigating ways in which we can improve the educational experiences of K-16 youth. Specifically, her research has pursued two related lines of inquiry: (1) culturally responsive educational practices and (2) interventions to enhance post-secondary access and success. Dr. Cholewa has been a counselor educator for since 2009, focusing on preparing culturally competent, data driven, reflective school counselors. She has published over seventeen national, peer reviewed publications, and has four published book chapters. She has delivered over 40 conference presentations at the state, regional and national conferences. Her research focuses on topics such as school counselor-teacher consultation, culturally responsive school counseling, K-16 college and career readiness, and disciplinary disproportionality. In addition to her research agenda, she currently serves on the Editorial Board for Professional School Counseling, Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, and as a reviewer for Urban Education and Review of Educational Research. She also serves as a conference proposal reviewer for ACA, ACES, and the American Education Research Association, and has the honor of being the faculty advisor for UVA’s chapter of Chi Sigma Iota.
Dr. John Carey
Co-Founder (emeritus)
Dr. Carey has extensive experience in instrument development and in coordinating large multi-site school counseling research projects in the public schools. He has served as Co-PI on an IES-funded grant to investigate the effectiveness of Student Success Skills on elementary school students. In addition, he has led or co-led three recent projects that evaluated the impact of the Proactive School curriculum in five high schools in Canada and the United States; evaluated the impact of The Real Game curriculum in five school districts across the United States; and identified effective Minority Student College Readiness Counseling practices in 18 high school recognized as exemplary by the College Board. Carey has also directed statewide evaluations of the effectiveness of school counseling programs in Utah and Nebraska. Carey is a leader in the evidence-based school counseling movement. He is the former director and founder of the Ronald H. Fredrickson Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, and the co-author of the book Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference with Data-Driven Practices.
Dr. Kenya Bledsoe
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dr. Kenya Bledsoe is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at The University of Mississippi. She previously worked as a secondary school counselor and possesses over 15 years’ school counseling and leadership experience. Dr. Bledsoe’s research interests include supervision of school counselors, students from underrepresented backgrounds, and anti-racist school counseling. She has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and presented at international, regional, and state/local conferences. Dr. Bledsoe is an active member of numerous professional counseling organizations and has served in various leadership roles. Presently, she is the co-chair of the School Counseling Supervision Interest Network of ACES and the co-Advisor for Chi Sigma Iota/Epsilon Mu chapter. Dr. Bledsoe earned her PhD from The University of Alabama. She is a board-certified counselor, school counselor, and tele-mental health counselor. Additionally, Dr. Bledsoe is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervising Counselor (AL, MS). In 2020, Dr. Bledsoe expanded her counseling professional footprint and established Bledsoe Counseling, LLC where she provides counseling and clinical supervision services. Dr. Bledsoe’s favorite pastime is spending quality time with her husband and two children. When she’s not attending her kids sporting events, she enjoys socializing with family and friends.
Dr. Sarah Henry
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Sarah M. Henry, Ph.D., LSC, NCC, NCSC is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech. She has served as a high school counselor and college access provider in diverse districts in rural Virginia. Her research interests are rooted in equity-driven school counseling, rural education, school-community collaboration, and protective factors. Dr. Henry serves as an editorial board member for the Teaching and Supervision in Counseling journal, as well as a reviewer for Theory & Practice in Rural Education. She has published in journals including Professional School Counseling, the Journal of Counseling & Development, Theory & Practice in Rural Education, the Journal of Child & Adolescent Counseling, and the Journal of College Access. Dr. Henry has presented at over 30 state, regional, and national conferences on topics related to rural education, creativity in school counseling, and preventative programming. She was awarded the Outstanding Counseling Education Doctoral Student from the Ohio State University College of Educational Studies in 2023.
Dr. Hyunhee Kim
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Hyunhee Kim is an Assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). Her strong commitment to improving the lives of children and adolescents has been a driving force for transformation in her professional life. Prior to becoming a counselor educator, Hyunhee had professional counseling experiences to work with children, adolescents, college students, and adults in different settings. Her research interests include school connectedness, mindfulness, bullying, and career development. Hyunhee is interested in protective factors that help students thrive, regardless of the adversity that they may encounter. She is particularly interested in school counselor's roles in creating a supportive school environment where every student feels included and belongs to.
Dr. J.P. Oehrtman
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dr. J.P. Oehrtman is a licensed professional school counselor and an Associate Professor in the School of Counseling, Higher Education, Leadership and Foundations at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) located in Bowling Green, Ohio. Dr. Oehrtman graduated with his Ph.D. in counselor education from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 2018. He has co-authored several articles and has numerous national and state presentations on topics ranging from school counseling supervision to micropolitics in schools. Prior to coming to BGSU, Dr. Oehrtman worked for over 20 years in K-12 education both as a school counselor and educator with students across all levels. Dr. Oehrtman's primary research interests focus on school counselors' collaboration within schools, school counselor supervision, and school counseling evidence-based practices. Dr. Oehrtman has also served on the executive board for the Ohio School Counseling Association, the Ohio Governor’s School Safety Work Group, and the ASCA Ethical Committee.
Dr. Jenna Alvarez
University of Cincinnati
Dr. Jenna M. Alvarez is an Associate Clinical Professor and Counseling Program Director at Miami University, where she has led the development of the graduate counseling program, welcoming the first cohort this August. She brings over 15 years of experience across K–12 and higher education settings and holds licensure in school counseling, special education, and clinical mental health counseling (LPC) in Ohio. Dr. Alvarez earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Ohio University, a CACREP-accredited program. Throughout her career, she has supported graduate students as an advisor, instructor, and site liaison while fostering strong collaborations with local schools and community partners. Her research focuses on counselor preparation, neurodiversity, trauma-informed practices, and school-based mental health. Dr. Alvarez is an active scholar with peer-reviewed publications and has co-authored a book focused on data collection for school counselors. She has been recognized for her outstanding mentorship with the Ohio Counseling Association’s Tom Davis Outstanding Mentor Award and the University of Cincinnati’s Golden Apple Teaching Award. She currently serves as President of the North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES) and is a member of the national ACES Governing Council.
Dr. Carolyn Berger
University of Minnesota
Dr. Carolyn Berger is a Teaching Associate Professor for the Counselor Education program at the University of Minnesota. Carolyn has been a counselor educator since 2009, and prior to that she worked as a middle and high school counselor. She has served in multiple roles for school counselor associations; currently Carolyn is the Advocacy Committee co-chair for the Minnesota School Counselor Association and she is a past Chair of the Florida School Counselor Association. Carolyn regularly conducts research and presents on school counseling topics at state and national level conferences. She has been published in Professional School Counseling and other counseling-focused journals on topics including school counselor advocacy, student underachievement, college and career readiness, and supporting students with chronic illness. In addition to being a licensed school counselor, Carolyn is a licensed professional clinical counselor and continues to work with children and adolescents in private practice.
Dr. Jennifer Betters-Bubon
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Dr. Jennifer Betters-Bubon is a Professor and Department Chair in Counselor Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She received a Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a M.Ed from Boston University and a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin. Her work includes teaching clinical and school counselors and focuses on the barriers that impact K-12 student success. She has a particular interest in trauma and extending trauma informed approaches into teacher training programs. In addition, she is passionate about examining the role school counselors have within multi-tier models of support (MTSS) and working with school districts to help student services teams align their work within a trauma informed MTSS framework. Prior to her role in academia, Dr. Betters-Bubon spent 11 years working as a school counselor and one year as a special education teacher. She is co-editor of The School Counselor's Guide to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (Routledge, 2019, 2023) and Making MTSS Work (ASCA, 2020) and has published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Betters-Bubon is a licensed school counselor and licensed professional counselor in Wisconsin.
Dr. Rawn Boulden
North Carolina State University
Dr. Rawn Boulden is an assistant professor and on-campus school counseling program coordinator in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at NC State University. Previously, he was an assistant professor at West Virginia University for four years. His scholarship focuses primarily on school counseling and counseling youth and adolescents. His research interests include school counseling, students with diverse learning needs, counselor education, rural school communities, school climate, resilience, cultural competence, and psychometric research. Dr. Boulden has secured more than $10 million of federal grants as lead principal investigator (PI) addressing youth mental health disparities in West Virginia and North Carolina. He is the proud recipient of both the 2023 WVU College of Applied Human Sciences Outstanding Researcher award, and the 2023 WVU Values Coin awarded for his research that aligns with WVU’s land grant mission.
Dr. Oliver Camacho
Purdue University Northwest
Dr. Oliver Camacho is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Purdue University Northwest in Indiana where he is core faculty in the school and clinical counseling programs. He holds a B.A. in Spanish, an M.A. in Inner City Studies, an M.A. in Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Northern Illinois University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and a Professional School Counselor (PEL: SC). Previously he was a high school counselor in the Chicagoland area and has been in education and counseling for over 15 years. As a researcher, he focuses on social justice issues in counseling, mental health in schools, and empowering undocumented students through social justice research. He utilizes culturally sustaining and responsive practices that help to amplify the voices of people of color, his work has been highlighted at several universities and professional institutions. He currently serves as a Chair on the Ethics Committee for the Indiana School Counselor Association (IN-SCA), is elected board member for North Central Association Counseling Educators and Supervisors (MAL) and is a volunteer immigrant asylum psychological evaluator for the Midwest Human Rights Consortium (MHRC).
Dr. Nancy Chae
University of San Diego
Dr. Nancy Chae is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at the University of San Diego. She earned her PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision from William & Mary, M.S. in School Counseling with a specialization in urban school counseling and Post Master's Certificate in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University, and B.A. in Psychology and Studies in Women & Gender from the University of Virginia. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and certified school counselor in Maryland, an approved clinical supervisor (ACS), and a nationally board-certified counselor (NCC) and school counselor (NCSC). Nancy is a passionate school counselor and has served across the P-12 grade levels in Baltimore, Maryland, and also provided free family and group counseling services for children and parents in the Williamsburg & Hampton Roads area in Virginia. Her primary research interests include school counselors' roles in promoting equitable access to academic rigor, school counselors' advocacy for underserved P-12 students and families, and school counseling supervision.
Dr. Carol Dahir
New York Institute of Technology
Carol A. Dahir, Ed.D., has recently retired as professor and chair of the School Counseling Department at New York Institute of Technology and continues to teach part time at both NYIT and NYU. She is a specialist in comprehensive school counseling program development, implementation, and evaluation. Carol Dahir is a past president of New York State School Counselor Association and served on the governing boards for the American School Counselor Association and the National Career Development Association. For more than 25 years, she has worked extensively with numerous state departments of education, large urban , suburban, and small school systems, school counselor associations, and national organizations as a consultant. Carol has delivered more than 400 workshops in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as well as internationally in Turkey, Japan, and the Philippines, assisting with developing comprehensive school counseling programs. Carol Dahir continues to focus her writing, research, and presentations on comprehensive school counseling program development, college and career readiness, accountability, principal-counselor relationships, cultural responsiveness, and continuous improvement for school counselors.
Dr. Peg Donohue
Central Connecticut State University
Dr. Peg Donohue is an Associate Professor and School Counseling Coordinator at Central Connecticut State University in the department of Counselor Education and Family Therapy. Dr. Donohue spent 16 years working as a school counselor in both Connecticut and California. Her primary research interests include: aligning school counselor preparation with multiple tiered systems of support (MTSS), fostering social and emotional learning, school counselor ratio, and universal screening for mental health concerns in schools. She is a co-founder of School Counselors for MTSS, a research and training collaborative of school counselor leaders and educators. She is the author of Setting the Table for Tier 2 Small Group Social Emotional and Academic Interventions for K-12 Students (Cognella, 2025), a co-author of The School Counselor's Guide to MTSS Second Edition (Routledge, 2023) and Making MTSS Work (ASCA, 2020).
Dr. Allison Fears
East Carolina University
Allison Fears, Ph.D., LSC-NC, is an Assistant Professor at East Carolina University. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she served as a high school counselor in North Carolina. Her research interests include rural school counseling, antiracist practices, school counselor training and practice, and AI in school counseling. Dr. Fears serves as a reviewer for the Journal of School-Based Counseling Policy and Evaluation. She was also selected to be part of the Emerging Leader 2025-26 cohort for the North Carolina School Counseling Association. Dr. Fears has presented at over 30 state, regional, and national conferences on topics related to rural school counseling, school counselor training and practice, and antiracist practices. She was awarded the Margaret, The Lady Thatcher, Award for Scholarship, Character, and Service from the College of William and Mary School of Education in 2024 and Profiles in Democratic Education Award from East Carolina University in 2025.
Dr. Sejal Parikh Foxx
University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Dr. Foxx is a Professor and Counseling Department Chair. She is also the Director of the Urban School Counseling Collaborative. She has experience as an elementary and high school counselor. She is co-author of School Counseling in the 21st Century, 6th ed. In 2015, she received the Counselor Educator of the Year Award from the North Carolina School Counselors Association. She teaches both doctoral and master’s level courses and her special areas of interest are school counseling, multicultural and social justice, urban education, and creating equity and access to college and career readiness. She has been successful working with interdisciplinary teams to obtain over $4.2 million dollars in grant funding from the Department of Education and National Science Foundation. Dr. Foxx currently serves as the Chair of the International Registry of Counsellor Education Programs (IRCEP). In 2025, Dr. Foxx was the recipient of the UNC Charlotte, Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award.
Dr. Emily Goodman-Scott
Old Dominion University
Dr. Emily Goodman-Scott (Professor & School Counseling Coordinator: Old Dominion University) has been in education for over two decades. Her overarching professional goals are: creating more equitable and just educational systems, and bridging the gap between school counseling research and practice. Previously she was a special education teacher, school counselor, and provided mental health counseling. Now she teaches the next generation of counselors and faculty in ODU’s counseling master's, EdS and PhD programs. She is also the director for ODU’s Holmes Scholars program. Dr. Goodman-Scott is passionate about researching school counseling, including Multi-tiered Systems of Support; timely topics in school counseling; and counseling youth with diverse-abilities. She appreciates qualitative research and has published extensively, including two books (A School Counselor's Guide to MTSS- 2019; 2023; Making MTSS Work- 2020), and over 60 peer-reviewed, national journal articles. She is a Fellow for the American Counseling Association and a recipient of the 2020 ACA Research Award. She prioritizes making research accessible-- through scholarly mentoring, advocacy, national and state school counseling leadership, as well as collaborating with schools, districts, and educational/counseling organizations. She continues to be honored and excited to be on the EBSCC Advisory Council.
Dr. Catherine Griffith
University of San Diego
Catherine Griffith is an Associate Professor in the school counseling program at the University of San Diego and formerly served as an Associate Director for CSCORE. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and earned her Master's degree and credential in School Counseling at Chapman University in Orange, CA. A passionate advocate for creating school environments that are responsive to vulnerable students and families, her primary research activities include the development and validation of strengths-based counseling interventions and assessments. She has worked with children and adolescents in school, clinical, and community settings, and specializes in the development of positive coping skills and resilience among queer youth. She has presented over 100 skills-training and research-focused workshops both nationally and internationally. Dr. Griffith also specializes in the improvement of research literacy and rigor in school counseling, and has previously co-chaired the American Counseling Association (ACA) Research and Knowledge Committee, and led the Increasing Research Quality Workgroup for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) School Counselor Interest Network (SCIN). She is currently on the board of reviewers for our profession's flagship journal, Professional School Counseling.
Dr. Katheryne T. Leigh-Osroosh
The State University of New York at Buffalo
Katheryne (Katy) T. Leigh-Osroosh is currently an Assistant Professor at The State University of New York at Buffalo. As a phenomenological researcher and existential practitioner, she employs community-participatory frameworks to explore the intersection of social justice, education, and mental health, with the goal of developing community-based support systems that empower marginalized communities. Her research addresses topics such as anti-racism in school counseling, community-based participatory research, and Indigenous-centered and anti-racist practices in counseling. Katy has authored 10 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored the School to Career high school career and technical education textbook, and delivered 18 peer-reviewed presentations. She has served as a peer reviewer for multiple journals, including Journal of Counseling and Development, Journal of Employment Counseling, The Qualitative Report, and others focused on qualitative and Indigenous-centered research. She was also Co-PI of a federally funded training program aimed at preparing school counselors and psychologists to ethically serve Native American Indigenous youth. Additionally, she has reviewed grants for the Spencer Foundation’s Large Grant award and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) program. Katy looks forward to serving on the EBSCC advisory council and contributing to the conference.
Dr. Ian Levy
Rutgers University
Ian Levy is an Assistant Professor of School Counseling in the Educational Psychology Department at Rutgers University, a former High School counselor, and an emcee. His research explores preparing school counselors to use Hip Hop-based interventions to support youth development. Most notably, Dr. Levy piloted the development, implementation, and evaluation of a Hip Hop based counseling framework in urban schools. This particular hip hop therapy program was featured on various news outlets including the New York Times, and CNN. In 2016 Dr. Levy was named the New York State School Counselor of the Year. His research monograph, Hip Hop and Spoken Word Therapy in School Counseling: Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches, is published with Routledge. In 2023 he released his second album, Sometimes I Forget Where I’ve Been, available on all streaming platforms.
Dr. Melissa Mariani
University of Florida
Melissa Mariani, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Counselor Education at the University of Florida (UF). Her research focuses on student success, school climate, school counseling interventions, outcome research, school safety and crisis response, suicide prevention and intervention, and collaboration between higher education and K-12 institutions. Dr. Mariani is a lead researcher and national trainer for Student Success Skills and co-developer of Resiliency Success Skills and SSS for SEL Success. She co-authored Facilitating Evidence-Based, Data-Driven School Counseling: A Manual for Practice which serves as a guide for school counselors in implementing evidence-based and data-driven practices. Her dedication to the field is reflected in her active involvement in professional organizations at local, state, and national levels. Having secured over $6 million in grants, Dr. Mariani actively pursues funding focused furthering the field of school counseling.
Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Novakovic
DePaul University
Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Novakovic, Ph.D. is an associate professor of counselor education in the Department of Counseling and Special Education at DePaul University in Chicago, IL. She has a master's degree in school counseling and was a high school counselor for four years before obtaining a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her research interests include career development of women and special populations, college and career readiness, and counselor education. Dr. Novakovic has published in peer-reviewed journals and is a frequent presenter at state, regional, and national conferences. She served on the board of the Illinois School Counselor Association and is a former member of the ACA Ethics Committee. Dr. Novakovic has worked with children, adolescents and adults in school, community, and residential settings. In addition to her role as a counselor educator, she enjoys working with adolescents and adult clients in private practice.
Dr. Melissa Ockerman
DePaul University
Dr. Melissa S. Ockerman is a Professor of Counseling at DePaul University who is passionate about equipping schools to be safe, supportive, and transformative spaces for young people. She has presented across the U.S. and internationally on trauma-informed counseling, weaving MTSS into school counseling programs, and driving systemic change in education. Her advocacy has taken her from the classroom to Capitol Hill—serving on an expert panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Anti-Bullying Braintrust and contributing to White House convenings focused on expanding opportunity for underserved students. Melissa is co-author of 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times and The ABCs of Social Emotional Learning for School Counselors and Administrators: An Adaptive, Balanced, and Collaborative Approach. Her work has earned recognition for scholarship, leadership, and service to the school counseling profession. Whether she’s teaching future counselors, consulting with schools, or championing equity-driven policies, she is dedicated to preparing future counselors and creating school communities where every student can thrive.
Dr. Vanessa Placeres
San Diego State University
Dr. Vanessa Placeres is an Associate Professor of School Counseling in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at San Diego State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Georgia State University and master's degrees in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, and School Counseling from both California State University, Fresno, and Georgia State University. Dr. Placeres is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified School Counselor, and Registered Play Therapist. Her clinical experience centers on supporting children and adolescents, with a background in community mental health agencies, inpatient rehabilitation settings, and secondary school counseling. Her research interests include the development of culturally responsive school systems, reducing barriers to mental health services, and advancing school counselor training. Dr. Placeres has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has presented nationally and internationally on topics related to school counselor preparation and equitable access to mental health services for historically marginalized communities.
Dr. Lucy L. Purgason
Oregon State University-Cascades
Dr. Lucy L. Purgason is an Associate Professor of Counseling at Oregon State University-Cascades. She has taught and supervised graduate counseling students for 12 years. She has five years prior experience as an elementary and high school counselor, including at a school specifically for newcomer immigrant and refugee students. Her research centers on recognizing and harnessing the cultural strengths of students and their families. In addition, she also pursues scholarship related to mentoring and supervision, with a specific emphasis on relational-cultural approaches. She is the recipient of the North Carolina Counseling Association Research Award and has been recognized by the Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy as an outstanding article recipient. She is co-director of the Department of Education grant-funded program, Promoting and Advancing the Training of High Desert School Counselors (PATH-SC), aimed to increase the number and diversity of qualified school counselors in high-needs, rural K-12 schools in the Central Oregon region. On the weekends she can usually be found adventuring (and sometimes mis-adventuring) around the Pacific Northwest with her family and their dog, Max.
Dr. Sam Steen
George Mason University
Dr. Sam Steen is a Professor, Director of the Diversity Research Action Consortium, Division Director, at George Mason University and a licensed Professional School Counselor who specializes in school counseling, group work and cultivating Black students' academic identity development. Dr. Steen was a school counselor for 10 years and these practitioner experiences shape his research agenda, approach to teaching, and service. Currently, two objectives guide his scholarship: 1) to further develop creative and culturally sustaining school-based counseling interventions that improve student achievement; including The Achieving Success Everyday Group Model (ASE Group Model) designed to promote social emotional and academic development for students of color and 2) to explore issues related to the training and preparation of pre-service counselors and school counselors in the local, regional, and national community. Dr. Steen is a Fellow for the Association for Specialists in Group Work, a division of the American Counseling Association. Recently, Dr. Steen received the Al Dye Research Award and the Professional Advancement Award both from ASGW recognizing his outstanding efforts advancing the field of group work though research and development of a new and innovative strategies for schools, families, and marginalized communities.
Dr. Julia V. Taylor
University of Virginia
Julia Taylor, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education within the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia, where she also serves as co-director of the Virginia Partnership for School Mental Health. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Taylor worked as a school counselor and dean of student services for a decade. During this time, she supervised school counselors-in-training, developed district-wide counseling curricula, and authored several counseling-related books. Currently, Dr. Taylor’s research, service, and advocacy efforts center on three key areas: (1) advancing K-12 mental health service delivery, (2) promoting effective, data-informed decision-making, and (3) addressing equity concerns in the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive school counseling programs.
Whitney Triplett
Hatching Results
Whitney Triplett is the Vice President of Partner Services at Hatching Results, a social impact company that partners with school districts, county offices, and state departments to strengthen and transform comprehensive school counseling programs. In this role, she provides vision, strategy, and support for large-scale program implementation with a focus on change management, equity, fidelity of practice, and evaluation of results. She co-founded and chairs the National School Counseling Leadership Conference and is a co-author of multiple bestselling, application-based textbooks for school counseling practitioners. Formerly a school counselor, district leader, adjunct instructor, and state association board member, Whitney was recognized in 2018 as the Illinois School Counseling Advocate of the Year. She is passionate about equipping school systems to close opportunity gaps and improve outcomes so that all students thrive.
Dr. Amy Upton
University of South Alabama
Amy Upton, PhD, NCC, NCSC, is an Assistant Professor of Instruction and school counseling coordinator at the University of South Alabama, Counseling and Instructional Sciences, in Mobile, AL. Prior to becoming a counselor educator, Dr. Upton worked as a middle and high school counselor for 15 years in Virginia. She is a member of ASCA, ACES, and ACA and is actively involved in the executive board of the Alabama School Counseling Association. Dr. Upton's primary research interest is centered on professional identity for school counselors. In addition, she is interested in best practices in school counselor training and preparing school counselors for effective program development and implementation. In regards to student development her research interests lie in resiliency factors and the development of these factors in our youth. She passionately believes in the importance of the profession of school counseling and the impact that school counselors can have on students.
Dr. Anita Young
Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Anita Young is an associate professor in the School of Education Counseling program at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to her appointment at Johns Hopkins, she was a district school counseling leader for Fairfax County Public School Division. Dr. Young also has practitioner experience as an elementary, middle, and high school counselor. She was recognized as District School Counselor Supervisor of the Year by ASCA in 2010. Her scholarship focuses on building school counselor leadership capacity and examining data and accountability strategies that promote equitable college access, especially in urban schools. Dr. Young has been the recipient of approximately $6,800,000.00 in external federal and state funding. She is co-author of Making DATA Work (ASCA Publication) and School Counselor Leadership: The Essential Practice (ASCA Publication). Her research is published in scholarly counseling and educational journals. She has served on editorial boards and co-editor for a special issue in the Professional School Counseling Journal. Dr. Young has presented at numerous local, state, regional and national conferences specific to her research agenda.
National Counseling Organization Representatives
Dr. Sylvia Fernandez
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
Dr. M. Sylvia Fernandez, CACREP President and CEO, was a counselor educator and administrator for 29 years. Dr. Fernandez has extensive professional service and leadership experience in state, national, and international counseling professional organizations. At the state level as Arkansas President of both ACA and ACES, and as Chair of the: Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling, At the national level, as the Chair of the Board of Directors of NBCC, and CACREP Board of Directors. And at the international level, as Chair of the and NBCC-International Advisory Board and in multiple capacities with the University Council of Jamaica. Dr. Fernandez's publications and presentations are in the areas of multicultural issues in counseling and related disciplines, counselor education and credentialing, professional identity and ethics, and clinical supervision.
Angie Hickman
Director of Research and Marketing, American School Counselor Association
As director of research and marketing for the American School Counselor Association, Angie Hickman serves as publication manager of Professional School Counseling journal, directs the organization’s research projects, manages the ASCA grants program and recognition program for school counselor preparation programs, and develops marketing messaging and strategy for the organization. Hickman is passionate about serving school counselors and is particularly grateful for those who have assisted her own two children. Hickman is a 30-year veteran of the publishing industry, who has spent most of her career conducting research and managing publications for nonprofit professional associations. As vice president of Stratton Media Strategies, a well-respected Washington, DC, area consultancy to associations, and later, as president of Hickman Brady Media, Hickman provided full-service publication management and helped organizations better serve their audiences by gaining insights into their habits, preferences, and information needs. Earlier, she served as an editor for American City Business Journals (Washington Business Journal and Atlanta Business Chronicle) and as Editor of the Business Journal of Tri-Cities, TN-VA. She serves on the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Research Foundation Research Committee and the Bowie State University Ujima Center for School Counseling Scholars Advisory Council.
Dr. Lynn E. Linde
American Counseling Association
Dr. Lynn E. Linde is the Chief Knowledge and Learning Officer for the American Counseling Association. She received her master’s degree in school counseling and her doctorate in counseling from George Washington University. Her previous positions include Director of Clinical Experiences at Loyola University Maryland and faculty in the school counseling program; Chief of the Student Services and Alternative Programs Branch at the Maryland State Department of Education, the State specialist for school counseling, a local school system counseling supervisor, and a school counselor. She has made numerous presentations on ethics and legal issues for counselors and is the author or coauthor of a number of book chapters about these topics. She was a member of the ACA 2014 Ethics Revision Task Force. She has held a number of leadership positions in the ACA and its entities; she was the 2009–2010 ACA president and the 2012–13 ACA treasurer. Dr. Linde is an American Counseling Association (ACA) Fellow and the recipient of the ACA Carl Perkins Award, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s Program Supervisor Award, the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s Program Supervisor Award, and a 2013 and a 2015 ACA President’s Award as well as other numerous awards.