Associate Dean Earns National Recognition

10/08/2010 9:48 AM

By Erin Henneberger

Dr. Lori Russell-Chapin, a professor and the associate dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences, received a national award for her counseling from the Association for Creativity in Counseling.

Started in 2008, the Thelma Duffey Vision and Innovation Award recognizes individuals who have constructed original and inventive counseling and counseling education techniques through promoting and creating new and innovative practices and resources.

According to the Association for Creativity in Counseling, the recipient “displays passion, vision, creativity, and future thinking, demonstrates a commitment to mentoring in leadership, fosters innovative and applied writing or publication, [and] promotes cutting-edge practice.”

The ACC recognized not only Russell-Chapin’s tenure at the university, but also what she has done with her time, such as receiving approval for innovative classes for graduate students. Within that program, she advocated the use of Second Life, a virtual reality world, for grief counseling.           

“She was nominated by faculty at Bradley,” said Leadership in Education, Human Services, and Counseling department chair Dr. Christopher Rybak. “The ACC reviews the letters of nomination and support of all the national nominees, along with other documentation of creative counseling, in making their final decision.”

The award, which she accepted at a conference in Portland, Ore., gives Russell-Chapin much-deserved credit for her work, and also shines light on work the university is doing.      

“We’re delighted to see Bradley University and our department receive national recognition for the work that Dr. Russell-Chapin has been doing,” said Rybak.