Tania Israel has been appointed the Chair of the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School. Israel’s three-year term began July 1, 2016. She succeeds Dr. Shane Jimerson as Chair.
“I am honored to serve as Chair for UCSB’s Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology,” Israel says. “CCSP is home to a vibrant faculty of productive scholars, a doctoral program that is highly regarded and accredited by the American Psychological Association, and the largest undergraduate minor on campus. I see my role as supporting the department in achieving our mission of ‘excellence and innovation in research that fosters the psychological well-being and social equity of all people, especially vulnerable populations.’”
Tania Israel is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University and a Masters degree in Human Sexuality Education and a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Her scholarship focuses on interventions to support the mental health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and communities; privilege and oppression; intersections among gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation; and social justice. She has received honors for her research and advocacy from the American Psychological Association, the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, and her local LGBT community.
Dr. Israel teaches undergraduate courses including Helping Relationships: Theory and Practice, a requirement for the Applied Psychology minor, as well as graduate courses, including Pedagogy in Applied Psychology, Counseling LGBT Clients, and a seminar on social justice in counseling psychology. She is affiliated faculty with the Department of Feminist Studies at UCSB.
She is engaged in professional organizations, currently as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. She also served as 2010-11 President of the Society of Counseling Psychology (Division 17 of the American Psychological Association) and Lead Coordinator for the 2009 National Multicultural Conference and Summit. Her campus leadership includes Chair of Graduate Council, 2014-15 and Chair of Undergraduate Council, 2010-12.
Dr. Israel’s scholarship is relevant to policy, practice, and community. She delivered a TED Talk on “Bisexuality and Beyond,” participated in the first White House Bisexual Community Policy Briefing, and presented at a Congressional briefing on the Violence Against Women Act. Dr. Israel is the Director of Project RISE, a research team at UCSB that develops and studies interventions to support the psychological health of LGBTQ individuals and communities. She tweets @LGBTRISE.