Oregon State University « OSU College of Education

OSU Counseling student Violeta A. Murrieta’s research centers on how school counselors support undocumented students with their social-emotional needs, academic needs, post-secondary options, and community resources. As part of the College of Education’s recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we interviewed Violeta via email to learn what she’s discovering about the stressors this unique population.

College of Education: Thank you for joining us, Violeta. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what you are studying and researching at Oregon State University?

Violeta: Sure! I am currently a doctoral candidate pursuing a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision here at Oregon State. I have been a school counselor for over nine years and I am licensed in California and Nevada. Currently, I work as an elementary school counselor in the Bay Area. I love being a counselor, I enjoy helping students and working with families. I am passionate about supporting the undocumented population, as a former high school counselor I witnessed the difficulties undocumented students experienced and how difficult it was for them to explore post-secondary options with their status looming over them. When I was accepted in the PhD program, I knew right away I wanted my research to focus on the undocumented population. Therefore, my current studies aim to explore how school counselors support undocumented students with their social-emotional needs, academic needs, and post-secondary options given the unique stressors they experience both in and out of school.

College of Education: Adolescence is a tough time for anyone, but do undocumented students have some unique stressors on them?

Violeta: Undocumented youth absolutely experience additional stressors, such as, adapting to a new culture, language barriers, limited postsecondary and work options, trauma, and fear of deportation amongst other things. Living with this uncertainty can exasperate other issues as well. The stressors that undocumented students face impact all aspects of their life, and this is why I am curious about how school counselors support this population.

College of Education: What kind of barriers to treatment might a school counselor have when dealing with an undocumented student?

Violeta: There are many barriers that school counselors face when attempting to support undocumented students. When referring students to mental health services, students and their families are hesitant to seek these resources due to possibly having to disclose their status, lack of insurance, and lack of official identification. Another barrier may be stigma around mental health.

College of Education: The College of Education is doing a lot of research around how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted K-12 schools and students over the last three years. How were undocumented students affected by the pandemic? Did they encounter some challenges unique to their situations?

Violeta: Undocumented families were largely affected by the pandemic, parents and guardians lost their jobs and they were not eligible for government assistance, which resulted in housing and food insecurity.

College of Education: There has always been a stigma around mental health concerns in this country. What can K-12 counselors do to help mitigate feelings of shame or embarrassment among any students who may have emotional or mental health concerns?

Violeta: As a school counselor, it is imperative to normalize feelings from an early age. I present classroom curriculum lessons on social emotional learning to all grade levels. We practice coping strategies and have discussions about how to express our feelings. My hope is that by normalizing this, students will feel more comfortable discussing their feelings and reaching out for help.

College of Education: What’s one big message you’d really like K-12 school personnel to know about mental health and their students?

Violeta: I am a firm believer that in order for students to be successful in school (i.e. academics) we must tend to their mental well-being first. It is important for educators to be knowledgeable about signs of distress. We have the privilege of connecting with students every day, if you recognize or have an inclination that something is wrong, reach out to a school counselor immediately.

Dr. Amanda Kibler, a professor in the College of Education, centers her research and interest in
language and literacy development for multilingual children, adolescents, and families who are
from immigrant backgrounds and are learning English as an additional language in the United
States. In her recent publication in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and
Bilingualism, “‘I’ll be the hero’: how adolescents negotiate intersectional identities within a high
school language program”, Dr. Kibler examines students in dual language immersion programs
— where students from different language backgrounds learned Spanish and English together
— and witnesses the interactions and negotiations between students and their identities.

Dr. Kibler uses the term “intersectional identities” throughout her research. She explains this as
an “idea that our identities are both multiple and they’re inseparable from each other… and that
particular combinations of identities might bring us more or less power and privilege in a
setting.”

These identities are related to age, race, gender, class, language, gender, sexuality, etc. Kibler
also describes intersectional identities as having a micro and macro level that makes you who
you are. Macro levels would be the items listed above, and micro levels are things that come up
during our interactions with others such as how to hold a conversation or engage with others.
Dr. Kibler explains that within our school systems, intersectional identities are often ignored.
Students are typically treated as a single category or a single box to check, which inaccurately
reduces complex people to singular labels. This can lead to stereotyping and can create
inaccurate and unfair expectations for how a student may perform.

During Dr. Kibler’s study, Spanish- and English-background adolescents in a dual language
immersion classroom were given a task of creating a bilingual children’s book for elementary
school children. Kibler’s research team observed how the adolescents brought themselves into
the conversation of writing these books and how they “negotiated” their complex identities that
may have had more or less power in that setting.

During the creation of their books, the adolescents put together not only their academic
identities, but also their social, extracurricular, racial, linguistic and gendered identities. For
multilingual students from immigrant backgrounds who spoke Spanish as a home language, Dr.
Kibler and her colleagues found that students’ Spanish expertise both helped and hindered their
efforts to assert powerful and positive identities in the dual language program. In some cases,
these students’ expertise in Spanish helped them create more privileged identities for
themselves that disrupted traditional power dynamics. In other cases, however, peers’
misunderstandings about these multilingual students’ Spanish expertise led to them being seen
as either uncooperative or unskilled in their own home languages. So how can teachers use Dr. Kibler’s information to enhance learning and involvement in class?

One way is to make sure students feel like they are in a safe and accepting environment to be
able to claim their own identities. Stereotypes exist even in dual language programs, and so
teachers in all settings need to consider issues of power and privilege.

“Multilingual adolescents may bring some very powerful identities, and some very marginalized
identities in combination, and we have to listen to them to understand what those identities are,”
said Dr. Kibler.

Listening carefully to their students — rather than making assumptions — can help teachers
understand who and what their identities are. Dr. Kibler also states that it is important to talk
directly with the students and encourage them to challenge stereotypes inside and outside the
classroom so that both educators and students can work together to create more equitable classroom environments.

Hà Nội Ơi!

Greetings from Vietnam! In my regular job, I serve as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Science Education Professor at OSU’s College of Education. This year I’m on the very first sabbatical of my career, serving as visiting professor in the University of Education at Vietnam National University (VNU). I am also honored to serve here as a Fulbright Scholar.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international cultural exchange program, whose goal is to promote understanding between nations, advance knowledge across communities, and improve lives worldwide. As a Fulbright Scholar, I teach science education classes, provide professional development for VNU faculty, assist students and faculty with English speaking skills, and explore the possibility of a teaching internship for OSU students in Hà Nội schools. Even my day-to-day activities are part of the Fulbright mission, as I interact with my Vietnamese friends and neighbors and promote good will and mutual understanding.

Being introduced to VNU Faculty of Natural Sciences. (Photo by Randy Bell.)

This will be the first in a series of blogs that, along with plenty of photos, will recount my experiences in Vietnam. Through these updates, I hope not only to share more about this beautiful country and its people, but how my work as a faculty member of the College of Education is impacting university faculty and students on the other side of the world.

My first full month in Vietnam (October) was very busy! I moved into offices on two campuses and participated in Freshman welcoming ceremonies at the newly opened Hoa Lac VNU campus. This month I also conducted a half-dozen faculty seminars, taught three lessons to science education students, led Vietnamese children on a museum tour, provided three keynote addresses and was interviewed by a national Morning Show TV host. I even purchased a motorbike for transportation.

Keynote address for grand opening of VNU University of Education new location at Hoa Lac. (Photo by Randy Bell.)

Speaking of motorbikes, traffic is something else here in Hà Nội! Traffic rules are viewed simply as mild suggestions, and it’s not uncommon to see drivers blatantly run red lights or drive the wrong way on a six-lane highway! Even crossing the street is hazardous, as pedestrians do not have the right of way. Westerners here exclaim in frustration (and fear) that Hà Nội traffic is crazy, and most can’t believe I drive here. But I think that’s not the only way to look at it– Hà Nội traffic norms are undoubtedly different from what’s familiar, but they work for Hà Nội. In the US, we (generally) obey traffic rules so that we can drive safely at high speeds on fairly open roads. In Hà Nội, where the roads are exponentially more crowded, it’s the driver’s responsibility to maintain a reasonable speed and anticipate other drivers and pedestrians to make unexpected moves. When this happens, you simply drive around the temporary obstacle while beeping your horn. In this way, traffic flows, and people get where they’re going even when the traffic is extremely heavy.

I see Hà Nội traffic as a metaphor for my Fulbright experience here in Vietnam. The language, professional, and cultural norms here differ significantly from what I’ve known as an OSU professor. As a visitor to this rich culture, I am enjoying the opportunity to experience these differences and step outside of my comfort zone as I consider new possibilities for how to work and live productively. I am blessed with new friends and colleagues eager to guide me on this journey to understand and become a better-connected citizen of the world. Living abroad can be difficult, and even a little scary at times, but just like crossing a busy street in Hà Nội, faith, courage, and little help from your friends can get you where you want to be.

My home for the next year is the Nam Từ Liêm district of Hà Nội, the capital city of Vietnam. Being from Oregon, I’m used to rainy weather, but still adjusting to the high temperature and higher humidity here.

Sunset on West lake, Hà Nội. (Photo by Randy Bell)

People have been living in Hà Nội for more than 1,000 years, so there’s plenty to do and see when I’m not engaged in professional duties. My colleagues and I have formed an English Club in which they hone their conversational English skills and I work on my Vietnamese. We always have a great time, and travel around Hà Nội for great food and views. Of all the wonderful things I’ve experienced in Vietnam, the best is the friendship and good times I’ve enjoyed with my new colleagues.

Till next time, Tạm biệt! Randy

Photo of a person sitting with a laptop in front of them on a desk and their hand on a computer mouse.

Dr. Arien K. Muzacz, clinical associate professor for the College of Education’s Master of Counseling Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, is helping usher in a new era where counseling services will reach clients through technology.

Last fall, Dr. Muzacz was the recipient of a professional development award from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC); this summer, she completed required trainings and a national exam to earn a new credential, the BC-TMH (Board Certification in Telemental Health). The award, which is presented through the NBCC’s Center for Credentialing & Education, included a $500 award to help Dr. Muzacz facilitate professional development in the area of telemental health.

The NBCC is the nation’s premier certification board devoted to credentialing those who meet standards for the general and specialty practices of professional counseling. The organization also provides what is considered the Gold Standard for those practicing remotely or specializing in telemental health.

Telehealth, which is the distribution of health-related services through technology, is not new. Many Oregonians have used technology to communicate with their health care providers in some form or another, whether it is setting up appointments, checking lab results, or consulting on a new health concern. However, telehealth became more common and more vital during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, the telehealth innovations that came out of that global crisis do not always benefit clients in need of counseling services.

Beyond the obvious privacy concerns, many Oregonians may not have access to internet-ready devices, or the bandwidth needed to get telehealth services. Even in heavily populated areas like Portland, potential clients may rely on libraries or other public spaces for their internet access — hardly an ideal situation for a counseling session.

“As counselors, we are always looking for ways to reduce barriers for our clients,” said Dr. Muzacz. “Telehealth has great potential in this area. Even without the pandemic, telehealth could help counselors reach those living in very rural locations, or in smaller communities where in-person counseling services are few or nonexistent.”

But barriers still exist. Beyond access to the needed technology, Dr. Muzacz notes that it is vital for counselors to ensure confidentiality and implement best practices to make sure clients receive the same quality of care they would when meeting with a counselor in person.

“During the height of the pandemic, some privacy requirements through the Health and Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) were waived as the need for telemental health grew during an unprecedented crisis,” said Dr. Muzacz. “But as social distancing and other restrictions have eased, those exemptions are being reversed and counselors providing remote services will need to adapt to ensure privacy for their clients.”

Dr. Muzacz’s NBCC certification will allow her to build on her own expertise as a professional counselor and set an example for many of the College of Education Master’s students who are considering careers in telemental health.

“Due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home is very appealing to many of our students,” Dr. Muzacz said. “It’s our responsibility to fill in the gaps in their training to make sure they’re providing the highest quality care. I’m looking forward to helping them integrate these standards into their professional practice.”

The College of Education congratulates Dr. Muzacz on her award and the vital work she does for our students and our fellow Oregonians.

Post written by Marsh Myers

When Greg Garcia discovered he was named 2021 Oregon History Teacher of the Year, all he could think about was Mike O’Malley. The senior instructor in the College of Education had died the previous day.

“Mike O’Malley is the entire reason why I’m in education right now,” Garcia says. “I dedicate my award to Mike’s memory. Everything I do as a teacher is based on his example.”

Garcia was first introduced to O’Malley when he came to Oregon State in 2014. After receiving his master’s degree in American history from Western Oregon University, Garcia simultaneously earned his teaching license from Oregon State. Garcia was enrolled in both the ELA/Social Studies and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs.

He now teaches Advanced Placement U.S. history and AP psychology at Franklin High School in Portland.

When Garcia graduated from Western Oregon University, he hoped to work at the U.S. State Department in the field of U.S./Latin American relations. He felt that if he worked hard enough, he could make history.

Garcia did go on to make history, just not in the way he thought he would.

From Dread to Gratitude

Education wasn’t Garcia’s initial career choice. After graduating from Western Oregon University his stepmother, an elementary school principal, along with his mother, a middle school English teacher, suggested Garcia go into teaching.

“At first, I was a little hesitant, because it’s a hard job,” he says.

Garcia experienced the lows early on. As a student-teacher, he was placed with a bilingual social studies teacher, at a school that ranked low in technology and had a 93% poverty rate.

Garcia recalls one of the most pivotal moments as a student-teacher being a day at school when his students erupted in aggression, yelling and throwing garbage at him.

Garcia came to dread the idea of being a teacher, thinking he wasn’t made for the job. But after an invitation to coffee with O’Malley, things changed.

“He talked me off the proverbial ledge and convinced me that things would get better,” Garcia says. “Every day I’m in the classroom I’m thankful Mike convinced me to stay.”

Garcia says he realized the significance O’Malley’s mentorship and teaching philosophy had on him after O’Malley’s death.

“Mike O’Malley did the heavy lifting over one of the worst chapters of my life,” he says. “Meeting Mike was my axial moment.”

Garcia also attributes his strengths as an educator to his stepmother for teaching him practicality, and his biological mother who taught him creativity. One of the most valuable lessons he learned from them was the idea that he must attend to a student’s needs before he can teach them. He does this every day, providing snacks and resources in his classroom.

Creating “well-informed citizens”

Franklin High School has a diverse student population, and Garcia’s classroom incorporates practical learning experiences into his teaching. Students explore a wide range of history topics, and they can participate in culturally diverse activities.

Before he was a teacher, during his time at Oregon State, Garcia designed museum exhibits, and that experience lives on in his classroom. He’s made graduate-level education available to traditionally underserved students with the opportunity to research and build their own exhibit on a historical narrative of their choosing. The exhibits are installed on campus and open to the public in the spring.

“I wish Mike O’Malley could see what has happened here because at Franklin, at one time we had more AP U.S. history classes than we did standard,” he says.

Garcia hopes to make AP U.S. history classes available to a wider variety of demographics, because of how important he believes history is to his students’ education.

“I firmly believe that history needs to have a higher priority,” he says. “My goal is to make students well-informed citizens.

“One of the things I feel very passionate about as an instructor is helping kids find their full potential. It’s all about reaching students where they are and helping them go in the direction they want to go.”

As Oregon History Teacher of the Year, Garcia says he hopes to see his methods of education be adopted nationwide.

“This award gives me the legitimacy and ethos to make that happen,” he says. “It gives me the opportunity and authority to try to bring about significant change in the field of social studies and history. And to continue the journey on which Mike started me on. I hope to do for others what he did for me.”

From his time at Oregon State to his career at Franklin High School, Garcia says he takes pride in the work he’s done and the experiences he’s had.

“Every person in the College of Education played a really supportive role in helping me reorganize and reorient the trajectory of my life. Oregon State helped me find focus and made it all possible.”

The History Teacher of the Year Award is given by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to teachers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. As Oregon’s honoree, Garcia received a $1,000 prize, an archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials. Garcia will be recognized at an award ceremony in the spring.

Mike O’Malley’s legacy and memory lives on in the College of Education and in the many lives he touched. A memorial plaque is hung on the first floor of Furman Hall and a collection of memorial pieces can be viewed in this blog post.

Dr. Thomas (Thom) Field – Counseling Program Chair and Associate Professor
Thomas Field, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Oregon State University. He has taught graduate counseling students since 2011 and previously worked as a faculty member at Boston University School of Medicine. His research focuses on the integration of neuroscience into counseling practice, and professional and social justice advocacy. During his academic career, he has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles. He has also authored two books on the topic of neuroscience integration. He has received grant funding from agencies that include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). His research and teaching has been recognized nationally. In 2019, he received the Counselor Educator of the Year award from the American Mental Health Counselors Association. He is also a current standards revision committee member of the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the recognized specialized accreditation body for counseling. In addition to faculty responsibilities, he has actively helped clients with mental health concerns since 2006. He has provided counseling to more than 1,000 clients during his career and currently maintains a small private practice where he sees adolescents and adults. He is board certified as a counselor and clinical supervisor by the National Board of Certified Counselors and affiliates.

Dr. Beth Rankin – Professor of Practice | Double Degree Program
Beth Rankin joins us from the University of Kansas, where she completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in 2021. Her dissertation explores secondary traumatic stress in K-12 educators. She also holds an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction and a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Kansas. Beth brings knowledge and experience in K-12, as she has taught elementary school for five years, from kindergarten through fifth grade in Kansas. She has also served as an instructor at the University of Kansas, and she has specialized knowledge of support for ELLs. She has taught a variety of classes, including Curriculum & the Learner in the Elementary School; Student Teaching Seminar; Differentiating Curriculum & Instruction; Assessing English Language Learners; Reading & English Language Learners; Practicum in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

John Scholl – Executive Assistant to the Deans
John grew up in Austin, TX, and moved to Eugene, OR in 2009 where his wife, Julie, is from. They have three young school-aged kiddos and are eager Beavers for the new job and town. John has a BSE in Kinesiology and M. Ed. in Sports Management and has worked in non-profit, public, private, and Higher Ed settings in a variety of different leadership and support roles. His most recent position was with PeaceHealth as a Sr. Quality Facilitator. John’s interests outside of work is lots of family time, ministry-related pursuits, going to any live event, and all kinds of recreational fitness pursuits.

Dr. Martha Ahrendt | Education PhD Program Lead

Martha’s experience is rooted in philanthropy, non-profits, and community engagement, in roles such as the Vice President for Community Engagement at the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Executive Director of Connections for Mental Wellness, and consultant assisting non-profits and foundations. She has helped a variety of stakeholders come together and navigate through complex processes and organizational systems. She has a doctorate in Art History from Washington University, St. Louis; a Master’s from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and a Bachelor’s from Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota. She loves cooking food from around the world, and is looking forward to working with everyone in the College.

Dr. Becky Crandall | Adult & Higher Education Associate Professor of Practice

Biography: Hello! My name is Dr. Becky Crandall, and I am the new AHE Associate Professor of Practice. I have worked in college and university settings for nearly two decades, including my most recent position as a faculty member in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Program at The Ohio State University. I look forward to getting to know you all; in the meantime, feel free to learn more about me at www.beckycrandall.com.

Fun fact/hobby about me: While I consider myself a junk food connoisseur, I am also part of the CrossFit community. I promise not to talk about it all the time though!

Why I’m excited to work at CoEd/OSU: I am Dam Proud to be part of the College and its legacy of preparing social-justice-focused change agents. I am also thrilled to finally plant my life in the state that long ago captured my heart.

Niki Weight | Head Advisor

Biography: My passion is making a difference through hearing students’ stories about who they are and where they want to go and helping them achieve their goals. This led me to earn my Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Brigham Young University and a Master of Science in Academic Advising from Kansas State University. I began advising 10 years ago as an Exploratory advisor and then moved to Oregon three years ago to serve as the Director of Student Success and Advising at Western Oregon University before joining the OSU family.

Fun fact/hobby about me: One of my favorite places in the world is the Oregon coast. I didn’t see the beach for the first time until I was in college and now I go as often as I can, even in the winters. I was definitely born in the wrong state and love my Oregon home!

Why I’m excited to work at CoEd/OSU: As someone who was born and raised in a rural community, I love the feel and values of a land grant institution like Oregon State University. The value of education and the impact it can have on a person’s future has been a core value throughout my entire career. These are some of the reasons I am so excited to join the College of Education at OSU to combine my experience as a leader and advisor to help students reach their goal of becoming an educator.

Ana Ramirez | Teaching B.S – CBEE Instructor

Biography:

Ana comes to the College with many years of experience teaching at the K12 and university level, most recently as the ELL Program Coordinator and Teacher in Sutherlin School District and as an instructor for Pacific University and Umpqua Community College. She brings expertise in linguistically and culturally sustaining pedagogy in elementary classrooms, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teacher education.

Fun fact/hobby about me:

A fun fact about me is that I have hosted eight exchange students from different countries for one year over different times during the past 18 years. A hobby I have is reading and binge-watching Netflix Shows and the Hallmark Channel.

Why I’m excited to work at CoEd/OSU: I am really excited about working at the College of Ed at OSU because it is a realization of a lifelong dream to become a Higher Education Instructor. , I have worked diligently throughout my career to incorporate anti-racist pedagogy into my teaching. I understand the barriers faced by under-represented or marginalized groups of students, as well as my own experiences meeting the needs of a diverse population of students, staff, and peers. I know I would contribute to the development of a diverse and inclusive learning community at Oregon State University through my teaching, research, and service. One way I would like to continue this is by continuing to evaluate programs, curricula, and teaching strategies designed to enhance participation of under-represented students in higher education.

A podcast created by KOIN news 6

Justin Roach, program lead of the MAT in Clinically Based Elementary and Chelsey Williams, continuing education manager were featured in a KOIN Podcast: “Coronavirus Podcast: What can we learn from distance learning?”

Listen to learn more about how far distance learning has come since last spring, what needs improvement and a glimpse into how education is changing. Both Roach and Williams delve into remote learning during COVID times. This is a hard time to be a teacher, which is why the college is working to provide K-12 teachers with a variety of synchronous and asynchronous resources.

Congratulations to faculty member Gloria Crisp for receiving the 2020 ASHE Mentoring Award. Crisp is a Professor and Program Chair of the Adult and Higher Education programs at Oregon State University.

ASHE (Association for the study of Higher Education) awards recognize exemplary achievements and contributions to the study of higher education through research, leadership, or service to ASHE and the field of higher education. Crisp has a long record of sustained, wide-reaching, and transformative mentoring of emerging scholars. Above and beyond mentorship as a condition of academic service, Crisp has studied mentorship as a mechanism for addressing inequities facing marginalized groups and, most notably, has extended this line of inquiry into her everyday practice. In ASHE, she has consistently mentored new faculty members as chair of the Early Career Faculty Workshop.

Additionally, Crisp has recently published their research on Empirical and Practical Implications for Documenting Early Racial Transfer Gaps with co-authors and AHE doctoral students, Charlie Potter and Rebecca Robertson. The chapter reveals racial and ethnic inequities in transfer.

We congratulate you for your hard work, Gloria!

By Maia Farris

Rebecca Bolante: Director of Threat AssessmentWhen trying to prevent a tragedy, OSU alumna and Director of Threat Assessment, Rebecca Bolante, says threat assessment is “not about finding someone who would do something bad, it is the opposite — it is about creating a supportive plan so their situation changes.”

Rebecca Bolante is a stellar graduate from the Oregon State University College of Education who was studying in the PhD in Counseling program when the Virginia Tech shooting occurred. This event sparked her interest in threat assessment, and she changed her research focus to answer the question, “How can we prevent something like this happening in Higher Education?”

In 2014, Bolante graduated from Oregon State University with a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. Bolante continues her work as the Director of Threat Assessment Management programs at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. Along with her Ph.D., her education background includes a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice from Western Oregon University.

Bolante was first introduced to the counseling program here at OSU when one of her professors spoke highly of the program. The flexible, hybrid program including both online and on-campus classes was perfect for her needs. Working full time and as a mother made finishing a degree more challenging, but her passion of caring for others, education, and research propelled her to earn her degree.

With her research on threat assessment, she learned the best tactics to prevent violence and continues to share these techniques with various professionals like counselors, law enforcement, human resources, and legal counsels . “The key to threat assessment”, she says, “is a team approach”. Overall her research created the Threat Management Resources program at Chemeketa. This program focuses on three parts: prevention (threat assessment), what to do during an event, and disaster behavioral health recovery, and can result in a certificate.

Currently, Bolante’s work at CCC is filling the need to provide the support, education, and training in Threat Management for working professionals. The program has even expanded to places outside of the state to provide the training where it is needed. Bolante’s work doesn’t just engage with the national conversation about mental health and safety nationwide, she contributes to it.

At the beginning of her research she thought that all campuses had threat assessment teams, given they are highly recommended by the Secret Service, FBI, and the U.S. Department of Education. In reality, most colleges and communities do not have someone like Bolante to help facilitate the aftermath of traumatizing events; however, she hopes that her workshops on how to set up a response room, to-go box, and other trainings will help see an increase. She believes campuses should all have threat assessment teams because “there is a need and it continues to grow”. Fortunately, here at Oregon State we have our own Threat Assessment Team with Oregon State Police lieutenant, Eric Judah, co-founder of the team, who also assists Bolante with various training.

After learning about the College of Education’s new Master of Counseling in Clinical Mental Health program, Bolante expressed interest in the online aspect. She shared that her last part of her academics was online and although she originally questioned how it would work out, she stated that “the online experience went very well…[because] it is very efficient to handle the details. I can see how it would benefit counselors in training”.

Some improvements that Bolante hopes for the future is more work in counselor education involving threat assessment and disaster behavioral health. Bolante admits that she “made an assumption that counselors have training [in disaster response], and although there is more now, it is a different skill set with emphasis on psychological aid.” She also emphasizes the importance in education about spirituality and belief systems because they play a significant part of responding to disasters since “people’s belief systems oftentimes get confused and unsure during these times”.

One thing she loves about her job is seeing people “get off the pathway to violence and receiving positive support”. Bolante shares that “if we could learn more about the warning signs and report them prior to an incident we could reduce mass violence.” With work keeping her busy and oftentimes dealing with dark topics, she knows how important self care is and enjoys gardening, music and family time.

Bolante is fortunate to have her hard work and determination supported by her family, husband, and children. Another person who is a continuing supporter of Bolante’s education and work is Dr. Cass Dykeman, a faculty member in OSU’s Counselor Education program. Bolante says that he has “been a champion for these initiatives” and together, they have created recent publications; including one this year.

OSU College of Education

News and more from the College of Education at Oregon State University

Tag Archives: Oregon State University

Mental Health and the Undocumented Student: An Interview with Violeta A. Murrieta

Promoting Identity and Challenging Stereotypes in Dual Language Programs

Chào Thầy! Professing in Vietnam with Dr. Randy Bell, Part 1

Dr. Arien K. Muzacz and the challenges and potential of telemental health

His mentor convinced him to stick with teaching. Now he’s Oregon History Teacher of the Year.

Welcoming our new colleagues | fall 2021

Welcoming our new colleagues

Dr. Martha Ahrendt | Education PhD Program Lead

Dr. Becky Crandall | Adult & Higher Education Associate Professor of Practice

Niki Weight | Head Advisor

Ana Ramirez | Teaching B.S – CBEE Instructor

Coronavirus Podcast: what can we learn from distance learning?

Gloria Crisp receives the 2020 ASHE Mentoring Award

Making Campuses Safer

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