Clay Rowell

I earned my Ph.D. degree from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Both the Ed Specialist and MA degrees were earned at the University of Alabama- Birmingham.

My BS. Degree is from Birmingham Southern College. When Clinical Mental Health Counseling became a stand-alone department last fall, I became the department head.

Wow – as a counselor, it is an honor and a privilege to become part of people’s stories because of the trust they bestow upon me. I am always humbled by my clients when they allow me to help them navigate through some difficult situations. But as a counselor educator, I really love the notion that I prepare people to make huge impacts on society starting with one person at a time.

Let me honestly say that in terms of a research agenda, I have a lot of interests but my primary umbrella evolve around counselor education. As a teacher, I try new strategies, analyze their impact on students, and then make informed decisions about pedagogy. I also want to share my findings with other counselor educators. So I feel congruent with the fact that teaching informs my research and vice versa.

I have been recognized several times at UNG – first with the “Teaching Excellence Award in Technology Utilization” followed by the “Innovative Instructional Technology Faculty Fellow” appointment for the past two years. But the true highlight of my career occurs when I see my students’ “light bulbs” go on showing their deeper understandings about themselves and the world.

My hope is that all our students leave this program transformed as human beings. They learn to reflect about their places in this world and to see life from different perspectives. My primary goal in all my teaching interactions with students is to transform their hearts to become empowered to make differences.