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June 12, 2012
For immediate release

The School Psychology Program at UC Santa Barbara's Gevirtz School develops the 2020 Doctoral Scholars Initiative

Recognizing the increasing demands across California and the United States for doctoral scholar school psychologists, and embracing the strengths of the faculty, the School Psychology faculty at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School has established a commitment to a central objective – to graduate at least 20 new doctoral scholars working in academic settings by the year 2020. It is envisioned that these individuals will contribute to advancing the science, practice, and policy relevant to the field of school psychology and also contribute to the preparation of the next generation of school psychologists.

The School Psychology Program at UCSB is uniquely prepared to take on this challenge. As part of the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, the program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association and also fully approved by both the National Association of School Psychologists and the California Commission on Credentialing. A recent study (Wagner, Lail, & Viglietta, 2006) that examined the number of publications among all APA school psychology programs in the country during the past 5 years revealed that the UCSB School Psychology program is #2 in the country. Given that the quality of scholarship at UCSB has been recognized with multiple outstanding article-of-the-year awards and numerous career awards, both the quantity and quality of scholarship at UCSB establishes a strong foundation for the preparation of school psychology doctoral scholars. The program aims to bring this scholarly excellence to practice through its emphasis on preparing future scholars and leaders in the field of school psychology.

As of graduation in June 2012, the following School Psychology Program alumni have secured positions, putting the school nearly 50% of the way to its 2020 goal:

Dr. Emily Fisher (Associate Professor at Loyola Marymount University)
Dr. Kelly Graydon Kennedy (Assistant Professor at Chapman University)
Dr. Elena Lilles (Visiting Professor at the University of Oregon)
Dr. Shelley Hart (Postdoctoral Scholar at Johns Hopkins University)
Dr. Tyler Renshaw (Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University)
Dr. Elina Saeki (Assistant Professor at University of Houston-Victoria)
Dr. Katie Eklund (Assistant Professor at University of Arizona)
Dr. Lindsey Grimm (Postdoctoral Scholar at Johns Hopkins University)
Dr. Jennifer Twyford (Assistant Professor at California Lutheran University)

[For more information about the 2020 Initiative, contact George Yatchisin at 805 893 5789]

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