ATLANTA – Mercer University student Keith J. Myers, a Ph.D. candidate in Penfield College's counselor education and supervision program, recently received the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) 2016 Outstanding Graduate Student Leadership Award.
Myers received the national award at the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) regional meeting Oct. 6-8 in New Orleans.
“I can only think of good things to say about Keith Myers,” said Dr. W. David Lane, professor of counseling and human sciences. “He is a shining example who sets the bar high for his peers in Mercer's Ph.D. program in counselor education and supervision.”
“Our doctoral program is very proud of Keith and his accomplishments,” added Dr. Kenyon C. Knapp, associate professor of counseling and coordinator of the counselor education and supervision doctoral program. “He is a hardworking, creative and ambitious guy who will no doubt add much to the counseling profession.”
This award honors a graduate student member who has provided outstanding leadership to counselor education and the counseling profession. Leadership activities could include state-, regional- or national-level activities that are directly relevant to the advancement of counselor education, ACES, and the counseling profession; assuming leadership positions in university organizations related to counselor education and counseling; working on innovative research, publication activities or professional presentations directly related to counselor education; participating in professional organizations; and modeling leadership for current and future ACES members for the sake of developing future leaders in ACES and the counseling profession.
“I'm honored and pleased to receive this leadership award from ACES, a large division of the American Counseling Association (ACA),” said Myers. “This division devotes itself to the development of counselor educators and supervisors, and I'm proud to be a member of this active association as I continue my journey as a counselor educator.”
Myers serves as an ad hoc reviewer for the Counseling and Values Journal published by the ACA's Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling and as an editorial board member for the Journal of Military and Government Counseling published by the ACA's Military and Government Counseling Association. He is a graduate student representative for ACA Georgia State Branch Executive Council, former co-chair for the ACA Ethics Committee, and was recently appointed to a four-year term on the ACA Editorial Board. He is the author of 13 publications, seven of which are peer-reviewed, and has given around two-dozen presentations. He is currently under contract by Cognella Academic Press to write a textbook on counseling the veteran population.
While pursuing his master's degree in community counseling from Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) in 2003, Myers began his career as a case manager in clinical mental health. He graduated from SEMO in 2006.
He regularly works as a trauma therapist and veteran's advocate specializing in combat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other veteran issues.
Following completion of his Ph.D. program this fall, Myers will serve as an assistant professor of counseling in the clinical mental health counseling program at Richmont Graduate University.
SACES represents the southern region of ACES and serves to strengthen counselor education and supervision, advance knowledge in the academic fields of the behavioral sciences and assist in improving competency for members and for those counselors with whom the members will work.
About Penfield College of Mercer University
Penfield College of Mercer University, established as the College of Continuing and Professional Studies in 2003, is committed to serving non-traditional learners and currently enrolls more than 1,300 students. Undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs are offered to working adult learners seeking professional advancement into leadership roles in and beyond their communities. Educational programs provide students with distinctive, multidisciplinary programs that integrate theory and practice. The College offers general education and elective courses for various colleges and schools at Mercer. Another initiative called the Bridge program transitions students enrolled in Mercer's English Language Institute and other international students to undergraduate programs throughout the University. Areas of study include organizational leadership, counseling, human services, human resources, informatics, criminal justice leadership, nursing preparation, liberal studies, psychology, communication, homeland security and emergency management, and healthcare leadership. Programs are offered on Mercer's campuses in Atlanta and Macon, as well as multiple regional academic centers in Douglas County, Henry County and Newnan, and online. To learn more, visit penfield.mercer.edu.
