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About Suzy Thomas

Dr. Suzy Thomas is a former middle and high school counselor and teacher who earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of California, Davis. She is a Professor in the Counseling Department, where she teaches the foundational Counseling Skills I and II sequence, Group Theory & Practice, Alcohol & Substance Abuse, and School Counseling Issues & Interventions. She also teaches in the Collegiate Seminar Program on campus. Outside of SMC, Suzy co-teaches in-person and hybrid courses in college admissions and career planning (CACP) certificate program at UC Berkeley, Extension, for both local and international groups of students. Suzy is a credentialed school counselor (PPS) and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). She is actively involved in numerous professional organizations, including the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), the American Counseling Association (ACA), the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), and the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES). She is especially proud to be one of the founding members of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA), an international group of educators and community activists dedicated to the use of action research as a tool for social justice and grassroots change. Suzy is an advocate for school counselors and school-based reform in local, statewide, regional, national, and international venues. She presents regularly at school counseling and counselor educator conferences and has various publications in the areas of mentoring, collaboration, LGBTQ youth, legal and ethical issues in counseling, group counseling, action research, and school counseling reform. She was inducted into the H.B. McDaniel Hall of Fame in 2013 and recognized in 2017 as the School Counselor Educator of the Year by the California Association of School Counselors. 

Research Projects, Ongoing and Completed:
  • Researcher, Saint Mary’s College of California (10/15-present). Member of qualitative research team led by Dr. Rebecca Proehl, examining student success and organizational effectiveness at DeMarillac Academy in San Francisco; research team received 2015-16 Provost’s Faculty Research Grant to support the project.
  • Researcher, Saint Mary’s College of California (9/14-5/16). Designed original survey for department faculty, with IRB approval, on curriculum, teaching style, and mentoring skills and needs. Project resulted in presentation at the 2015 Conference of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA), Toronto, Canada. 
  • Researcher, Saint Mary's College of California (February 2014 - June 2014). Designed original surveys on personal/social counseling, self-disclosure, and LGBTQ youth for graduate students, practicing school counselors, and counselor educators in the United States. Project resulted in presentation at the 2014 conference of the Western Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES), Anaheim, CA.
  • Research Coordinator, AB1802 Joint Project with University of San Diego (February 2007 - December 2008). Provided oversight for graduate student action research projects; collaborated with researchers in Southern California to develop a statewide evaluation of the school counseling bill AB1802; assisted with meta-analysis of results from eight schools, which were shared at Summit II in 2007, followed by a publication in 2008 and a presentation at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in 2009 in San Diego, CA.
  • Researcher, California School Counseling Research Summits I and II (March 2004 - December 2007). Co-designed statewide online and evaluation surveys for participants in the California School Counseling Research Summits I and II.
  • Supervisor of Collaborative Action Research Projects (February 2003 - 2017) Supervised collaborative action research projects, including research design, implementation, and data analysis for graduate students placed in K-12 school settings in the larger Bay Area. Projects have resulted in numerous presentations at local, state, regional, and international levels.
  • Researcher, Joint Project between Saint Mary's College and University of San Diego (5/05). Conducted pilot study of school counselor perceptions of research and role issues using an original questionnaire. Project resulted in a presentation at the annual meeting of the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), Pomona, CA
  • Focus Group Leader, The College Preparatory School, Oakland, CA (1/02). Conducted focus groups with high school students to explore the usefulness of college Internet search engines. Project resulted in a paper presented at the 2002 meeting of the Western Association of College Admissions Counselors (WACAC), Stockton, CA.

Positions

February 2018 - Present R&T Task Force, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2011 - Present Graduate and Professional Academic Honor Council, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2002 - Present Advisory Board, Counseling Department, Saint Mary's College of California
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Present Faculty Member, Saint Mary's College of California ‐ Kalmanovitz School of Education
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Present Faculty Member, Saint Mary's College of California ‐ Counseling
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August 2014 - May 2018 Chair, Counseling Department, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2016 - January 2017 Chair of Dean's Search Committee, KSOE, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2014 - July 2017 Tenure Track Search Committees, Counseling Department, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2014 - May 2016 Academic Senate, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2014 - May 2016 Program Review Committee, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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July 2007 - June 2014 Associate Professor, Counseling Department, Saint Mary's College of California
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January 2013 - June 2013 KSOE Ad Hoc Resource Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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February 2012 - June 2013 KSOE Alumni Task Force, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2012 - August 2013 Program Review Committee, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2012 - August 2013 Tenure Track Search Committees, Counseling Department, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2011 - May 2012 Tenured Graduate At-Large Representative, Grievance Committee, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2010 - May 2012 Academic Policies Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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May 2010 - May 2011 Accreditation Steering Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2010 - February 2011 Dean’s Search Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2009 - May 2011 Tenure Track Search Committees, Counseling Department, Saint Mary's College of California
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March 2011 Faculty Expert Media Training Session, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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January 2010 - August 2010 Graduate and Professional Academic Honor Council, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2009 - June 2010 Co-facilitator for “A Campus of Difference” Diversity Workshops, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2003 - May 2010 Scholarship Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2006 - May 2009 Action Research Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2006 - September 2009 Member and Co-Chair, Library Committee, Saint Mary's College of California
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September 2005 - June 2009 Faculty Technology Group (FTG, formerly FCAT) Committee, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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January 2007 - June 2008 Chair, Subcommittee on Student Competencies, Graduate Counseling Program, Saint Mary's College of California
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May 2006 - August 2008 Co-chair, Subcommittee to Revise M.A. Project Options, Graduate Counseling Program, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2006 - June 2008 Dissertation Chairs Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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June 2004 - December 2008 Health Education Curriculum Team Leader, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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February 2007 Presenter, Faculty Scholarship Forum, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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July 2006 - June 2007 Assistant Professor, Counseling Department, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2003 - September 2006 School Psychology Advisory Committee, Kalmanovitz School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
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1998 - 2006 Adjunct Faculty - Graduate Counseling and teacher credential programs, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2006 Translator of Sexual Harassment Training Presentation, Office of General Counsel, Saint Mary's College of California
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August 2003 - September 2005 Disciplinary Hearing Board, campus-wide, Saint Mary's College of California
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March 2004 School of Education Representative, Student Athlete Orientation Meeting, Saint Mary's College of California
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Disciplines

Research Interests

Grants

2015 Provost's Faculty Research Grant
Saint Mary's College of California
2001 The Uncommon Legacy Scholarship
The Uncommon Legacy Scholarship
2000 - 2001 U.C. Davis Blockgrant Fellowship
University of California Davis
1998 - 1999 U.C. Davis Blockgrant Fellowship
University of California Davis
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Professional Service and Affiliations

2015 - Present Reviewer, Educational Action Research Journal
2014 - Present Advisory Board MemberCollege Advising & Career Planning Certificate Program, University of California, Berkeley Extension
2013 - Present Working Group Consultant, Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA)
2012 - Present Member, Reviewer, Consultant, Translator, Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA)
2002 - Present Research Committee Chair, Assistant Editor, California Association of School Counselors (CASC)
2000 - Present Instructor - Career and College Planning Certificate Program, University of California, Berkeley Extension
1998 - Present Member, Secretary, Graduate Student Representative, Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES)
2011 - 2018 Conference Co-Chair, Northern California Conference, CASC/H.B McDaniel Foundation
2011 - 2017 Board Member, Chair of Scholarship Committee, Program Co-Chair, Annual Northern California Conference of School Counselors, H.B. McDaniel Foundation
2011 - 2017 Board Member, H.B. McDaniel Foundation
2010 - 2016 Advisory Board Member, Indian Institute of School Psychology, School Counseling, and Guidance
2008 - 2016 Research Committee Chair, California Association of School Counselors (CASC)
2014 - 2015 Conference Proposal Reviewer, Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA)
2014 - 2015 Organizing Committee Member and Conference Co-Coordinator, Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA)
2014 Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC #896), California Board of Behavioral Sciences
2013 - 2013 Member, American Educational Research Association (AERA)
2013 Co-Coordinator of Research Poster Session, Action Research SIG Community Reception, American Educational Research Association (AERA)
2013 Reviewer, Professional School Counseling Journal (Special Edition)
2011 - 2012 Editorial Board Member, California School Counseling Journal
2001 - 2009 Visiting Professor - Developmental Teacher Education Program, University of California - Berkeley
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Honors and Awards

  • 2017 School Counselor Educator of the Year, California Association of School Counselors (CASC)
  • Faculty Service Award - Saint Mary's College of California (February 2014)
  • H.B. McDaniel Hall of Fame - H.B. McDaniel Foundation (June 2013)
  • 2013 Lasallian Educator Symposium Essay Winner - Saint Mary's College of California (April 2013)
  • 2013 Top 20 Education Professors in California, onlineschoolscalifornia.com
  • 2010 Honored Instructor in Education - U.C. Berkeley, Extension (December 2010)
  • WACES Outstanding Mentor Award - Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (October 2008)
  • 2007-2008 School Counselor Advocate Award - California Association of School Counselors (CASC) (December 2007
  • WACES Research Award, Western Association for Counselor Education & Supervision - (2001)
  • Certificate of Honor, Educational Coalition for Hispanics in Oakland, 2003
  • Morgan Vail Professional Development Award, California Association for Counseling & Development - (2001)
  • Outstanding Graduate Student Award - Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (1997)
  • Outstanding Thesis Student Award, Graduate Counseling Program - Saint Mary's College (1997)

Courses

  • Collegiate Seminar
  • Counseling Skills I and II
  • School Counseling Issues & Interventions
  • Group Theory & Practice
  • Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Education

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2001 Ph.D. Education (Educational Psychology), University of California, Davis
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1997 M.A. Counseling, with Honors, Saint Mary's College of California
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B.A. English, Phi Beta Kappa, University of California - Berkeley
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Links

Contact Information

Office
Filippi Academic Hall - 263--Office hours arranged via e-mail
Contact:
Phone: 4539
Fax: 376-8379
Mail: P.O. Box 4350

Email:

Publications (17)

Presentations (77)