Rogers State University named Dr. Michelle Taylor as the first director of the Master in Community Counseling program. Taylor, of Adair, began her duties effective July 1.
RSU’s Master of Science in Community Counseling received accreditation approval in March. The program is designed to provide students with the education necessary to become professional counselors. It was developed to combat rising mental health issues at local, state and national levels.
“Dr. Taylor brings essential engagement, leadership and team-building skills with her to guide the degree from a start-up program to a significant contributor to the professional counseling discipline in northeastern Oklahoma,” Dr. Keith Martin, dean of arts and sciences, said.
Taylor will be teaching and assisting students with internships and practicum experiences as well as pursuing accreditation for the MSCC graduate program.
Taylor is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a Doctor of Education in Occupational and Adult Education from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Human Relations with emphasis in Licensed Professional Counseling from the University of Oklahoma. She has served as the counselor for Adair Public Schools since 2007. In 2017, she was named School Counselor of the Year for the state of Oklahoma.
Her adjunct experience includes teaching in the community counseling, human relations and business administration programs for the University of Oklahoma, Langston University and Northeastern State University.
“It is an honor to be named director for the MSCC program and join the distinguished department of psychology and sociology. The faculty have diligently worked to bring an innovative graduate program formatted to suit working professionals,” Taylor said. “This program will prepare students for mental health professions. Our graduates will be committed to high ethical standards, embrace diversity while possessing the abilities to reflect and make informed decisions.”
RSU’s department of psychology and sociology is known for its development of community engagement and learning. Accomplished faculty have a broad range of expertise and interest that help personalize the classroom experience, as well as afford various real-world opportunities.
“In establishing the MSCC, Rogers State University assiduously made an investment in students, for we know the impact and benefit to northeast Oklahoma and our state. The Community Counseling graduates will develop interventions to improve and change lives, and I am privileged to be a part of the process,” Taylor said.
The first cohort of the program begins classes in August. For more information, visit www.rsu.edu/mscc.