CHICAGO, July 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Under the
leadership of President Michele
Nealon-Woods, Psy.D., The Chicago School of Professional
Psychology has grown enrollment, exceeded national benchmarks for
student retention, increased the breadth of program offerings
across geographic and teaching modalities by 300 percent, and
established four new Centers of Excellence committed to enhancing
scholarship and academic quality for students, faculty and staff.
For these reasons and several more, The Chicago School's Board of
Trustees recently voted unanimously to extend Dr. Nealon-Wood's
contract as president through 2020.
Dr. Nealon-Woods was named president in 2010. As such, she has
provided strategic leadership to the school's three onground
campuses in Chicago, Southern
California (Los Angeles and
Irvine), Washington, D.C., and
also the Online Campus. The institution serves nearly 4,300
students and offers more than 25 degree programs grounded in its
core values of education, innovation, service and community.
"Dr. Nealon-Woods has dedicated her professional career to the
mission of this institution and is a tireless advocate for academic
quality and the success of our students," commented TCSPP's Board
Chair Linda Harvard, M.B.A. "We are
fortunate to have her loyalty, steadfast commitment, and continued
guidance as we strive to be recognized as the world's preeminent
university of psychology, and related behavioral and health
sciences."
"I am very privileged to be part of the inspirational tale of a
fledgling graduate school that took root 36 years ago with a single
campus and a single degree program, which has now evolved into a
university with coast-to-coast campuses, international reach, and
an impact that is felt in areas once thought to have nothing to do
with psychology," said Dr. Nealon-Woods. "I am especially thankful
to our remarkable faculty that make us who we are today and who
work diligently to ensure that our students are the best they can
be. With their continued engagement and excellence, I have no doubt
The Chicago School will continue to rise above the norm and thrive
in the advancement of our core values."
Many of The Chicago School's recent successes were achieved as
part of Dr. Nealon-Woods commitment to strategically boost the
school's visibility as a global leader in psychology education and
innovator in placing mental health at the center of national health
care dialogue. For example, to kick off its 35th year
anniversary in 2014, The Chicago School held a series of symposia
focused on the role of mental health in everyday life and in the
health care system. Dr. Nealon-Woods moderated several events in
Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, bringing together experts to
discuss solutions to the nation's mental health crisis.
Also in 2014, with a vision to integrate the health sciences
profession into psychology, Dr. Nealon-Woods oversaw the launch of
The Chicago School's Master of Public Health Program, the inaugural
degree program for its new College of Health Sciences and Human
Services, and eight new degree programs for the university's Online
Campus, including the first online licensure program in Clinical
Mental Health Counseling. She also established The Chicago School's
first Bachelor's Completion Program in Psychology, creating a
seamless transition for students into graduate psychology
education, and signaling the establishment of the new Undergraduate
Studies Division at The Chicago School
Four new centers were also established under Dr. Nealon-Woods
leadership during the last five years: The Office of Sponsored
Programs (OSP), the National Center for Academic and Dissertation
Excellence (NCADE), the National Training and Licensure Affairs
Office, and the Institute of Professional and Continuing Studies
(IPCS).
Dr. Nealon-Woods has also strengthened The Chicago School's
commitment to the community by encouraging increased service from
faculty, staff, students and alumni. As a result, all service
records were broken in 2014 with nearly 1.2 million hours donated
to dozens of nonprofit and community organizations in Chicago, including the Anti-Cruelty Society
and Ronald McDonald House; 11 sites
in Southern California, including
the Los Angeles Mission, L.A. Works,
local food banks and the Boys' and Girls' Clubs; and three sites in
Washington, D.C. that include the
Children's National Medical Center.
Given this impact, in 2015, the President's Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a
university can receive for exemplary service learning and civic
engagement, once again recognized the Chicago School's commitment
to community. For the first time, all three ground campuses were
named to the honor roll. It was the seventh year of recognition for
the Chicago Campus, the second for Southern California and the first for
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Nealon-Woods now leads a new ambitious and visionary
five-year Strategic Plan – Toward a Healthier World –
that promises to guide The Chicago School's continued evolution as
a leader in the field of professional psychology and the integral
role it plays in healthcare.
Dr. Nealon-Woods began her training in clinical psychology in
Dublin, Ireland, earning Bachelor
and Master of Arts degrees from University College Dublin before
moving to the U.S. in 1994, where she worked with the child welfare
system in Illinois. She is
an alumna of the Chicago Campus' doctoral program in Clinical
Psychology. In addition to President, Dr. Nealon-Woods has served
in a variety of leadership roles including professor, department
chair, and campus president for the Los Angeles Campus. She
received the Distinguished Teaching Award in the area of public
service teaching, and was recognized as the Psy.D. Program Faculty
of the Year.
Dr. Nealon-Woods is an accomplished speaker on a wide range of
psychology-related topics and is a regular blogger on The
Huffington Post. To request Dr. Nealon-Woods as a speaker, please
contact Elinor Gilbert, (213)
283-4255. Follow Dr. Nealon-Woods on LinkedIn and on
Twitter.
About The Chicago School of Professional
Psychology
Founded in 1979, The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is a
nonprofit, private university devoted exclusively to psychology,
and related behavioral and health sciences. The university serves
nearly 4,300 students across campuses in Chicago; Southern
California (Los Angeles and
Irvine); and Washington, D.C., as well as through online
programs. The Chicago School is accredited by the WASC Senior
College and University Commission, (WSCUC), and its Clinical
Psychology Doctoral Program in Chicago is accredited by the American
Psychological Association. A member of the National Council of
Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, TCSPP is
recognized for its distinguished service and outstanding
contributions to cultural diversity and advocacy. The community
service initiatives on the Chicago Campus have also earned
recognition on the President's Higher Education Community Service
Honor Roll for seven consecutive years. The Los Angeles Campus
gained its second recognition in 2014, and its Washington, D.C. Campus received its first
award in 2014. With more than 25 graduate degree programs,
thousands of hours of real-world training, and a wealth of
international opportunities, TCSPP is the leader in professional
psychology education. To learn more,
visit www.thechicagoschool.edu.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Elinor
Gilbert, (213) 304-6422
egilbert@thechicagoschool.edu.
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SOURCE The Chicago School of Professional
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