Professor Christopher Rybak has served as Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Human Development since 2004. He teaches in the Human Development Counseling Graduate program including courses on Group Counseling and Counseling Diverse Populations. For his fall 2009 sabbatical, he received a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to work in Nepal to assist Kathmandu University School of Education to develop a graduate program in counseling and to research indigenous healing practices in Nepal. His research interests center on the holistic approaches of Eastern and Native American psychologies as well as group counseling.

In fall 2003 Dr. Rybak received a Fulbright Scholar Award to research indigenous healing methods in India. During his four months in India, he also presented on group counseling, strength-based assessments, mind-body integration, and other topics to faculty and graduate students at several Indian institutions of higher education. Since joining the Department in 1993, Dr. Rybak has explored aspects of diversity, both locally and globally, presenting papers at international conferences in India, Thailand, Nepal, China, Spain, and Australia. Locally in the Peoria area, he has collaborated with Native Americans to explore common themes of healing in Native American practices and counseling, and to offer support groups. He is on the Executive Board of Directors of the Seven Circles Heritage Center, Edwards, IL that seeks to preserve and restore indigenous culture and to improve cross-cultural understanding and respect. Dr. Rybak has served on the editorial board of The Journal for Specialists in Group Work since 1998 and co-authored the 2004 textbook Group Leadership: Interpersonal Process in Group Counseling and Psychotherapy. Based on research with Native Americans, Dr. Rybak has co-authored a recently published article entitled “Understanding Native American Healing Practices”.

Dr. Rybak is a National Certified Counselor and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois. He obtained his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology/Counselor Education in 1993 from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he also earned his Education/Educational Psychology masters degree in 1991. In 1975, Dr. Rybak was awarded a BS in Sociology/Anthropology from Illinois State University.