Leadership
Maureen O'Connor, President, Palo Alto University
Maureen O’Connor, PhD, J.D. was appointed president of Palo Alto University (PAU) in August 2016. PAU is dedicated to improving the human condition through excellence in education, research, and clinical training in psychology and counseling, with an unwavering commitment to diversity.
Prior to joining PAU, Dr. O’Connor held multiple roles at the City University of New York (CUNY) in New York City over a period of 18 years. As executive officer of the Doctoral Program in Psychology at the Graduate Center of CUNY, she supported the development of programs in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Critical Psychology, and Health Psychology and Clinical Science, among others. She also oversaw the accreditation processes for four clinical training programs. From 2002–2008, she served as chair of the Psychology Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, during which time she hired close to 30 faculty and helped to build a leading program in law and psychology.
Erika R. N. Cameron, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Dr. Cameron comes to PAU from the University of San Diego where she has served in progressive administrative and leadership capacities since 2009. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She holds a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Hawaii and her bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Bradley University where she was a Division I volleyball player. She has written and co-authored a book, book chapters, and articles on Multiculturalism and Social Justice in Counseling, Counselor Professional Development, and Individual Psychology. She was the 2020 recipient of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s Counseling Vision and Innovation Award.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed to the position of Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs of Palo Alto University,” said Dr. Cameron. “I was drawn to PAU by the extraordinary faculty and dedicated students, excellent academic programs, and the university’s commitment to equity and inclusion. I look forward to working with all members of the university community to continue to provide students with the best education and training, and ensuring that PAU remains at the forefront in the fields of psychology and counseling.”
Dr. Cameron’s research interests have focused on multicultural counseling competence development of counselors through short-term study abroad. Dr. Cameron describes her scholarship as inherently and purposefully multidisciplinary in the fields of mental health counseling and therapy, consisting of three primary interrelated themes: multicultural competence, crisis and trauma, and professional development. Dr. Cameron regularly presents at state, regional, national, and international professional conferences and enjoys presenting with graduate students.
In her clinical work, Dr. Cameron has worked as a school, career, and mental health counselor with a variety of clients but specializes in work with children who have experienced trauma and utilizing expressive therapeutic interventions in school counseling. She is an active member of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and the American School Counseling Association and is the past president of the Western Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors.
James Breckenridge, Chief of Staff & Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Analysis, & Planning
Dr. Breckenridge is Palo Alto University’s Academic Liaison Officer to the regional accrediting agency, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and a member of the WSCUC Substantive Change Committee.
Since 2001, Dr. Breckenridge's academic interests have centered on social-psychological processes that have potential to augment or diminish political conflict. Dr. Breckenridge is currently Vice President of the non-profit educational Foundation for Peace and Justice and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California. He has served as principal investigator on a variety of funded research projects investigating social and psychological processes related to responses to the threat of terrorism, risk communication, and Americans’ appraisals of national security policies and institutions. He directed a grant from the National Science Foundation to evaluate psychological measures for detecting deception and for improving national security evaluations, which was part of a broader effort intended to guide Congressional priorities for future research. Dr. Breckenridge was the Principal Investigator on a Medical Response Corps grant funded by the Department of Health and Human Services to develop an evidenced-based psychological of early response to acts of terror. Along with nineteen other academics and twenty Government personnel, Dr. Breckenridge participated in the Summer Hard Problem Program (SHARP) sponsored by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In a classified setting, SHARP explored implications of factors that cause individuals or communities to coalesce into terrorist movements.
June Klein, VP for Business Affairs and CFO
Dr. June Rumiko Klein has held executive leadership positions in higher education and high tech for the past two decades. As VP for Business Affairs and CFO at Palo Alto University for the past 16 years, Dr. Klein oversees the Business Office, IT/ERP/Website, Human Resources, Facilities, Research and Grants Management. Dr. Klein was awarded the CFO of the Year Award - Non Profit category by the Silicon Valley Business Journal in December 2015, and the CFO of the Year Award – Non-Profit category from Financial Executives International – Silicon Valley, in February 2017, for her work at Palo Alto University.
Dr. Klein earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business with an emphasis in the management of technology, and is an active CPA in the State of California. Dr. Klein completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Change with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration at the Fielding Graduate University in 2010. Her dissertation was titled “Cultural Intelligence of Students in an Undergraduate Multicultural Studies Course”, and she is passionate about diversity and multi-cultural and multi-faith dialogue.
Patricia Zapf, Vice President for Continuing and Professional Studies
Patricia A. Zapf, PhD is Vice President for Continuing & Professional Studies at Palo Alto University (PAU). Prior to coming to PAU she was a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (CUNY) for 16 years, during which time she was instrumental in the development of a new doctoral program in clinical psychology with an emphasis in forensic psychology and served as the program’s first Director of Clinical Training. Prior to her time at CUNY, she was on the psychology and law faculty at the University of Alabama. In 2009, Dr. Zapf founded CONCEPT Professional Training with the mission of elevating the level of practice in psychology and related professions. In 2018, Dr. Zapf brought CONCEPT Professional Training to Palo Alto University to further its mission of continuing and professional studies in partnership with Palo Alto University.
Dr. Zapf is a past President of the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS; Division 41 of the American Psychological Association). In 2006, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the science and profession of forensic psychology, she was named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Distinguished Member of the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS). She has served on the board of directors for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, as an associate editor for Law and Human Behavior and as editor of the American Psychology-Law Society book series, as well as the International Perspectives on Forensic Mental Health book series.
Camille Watson, Vice-President, External Affairs
Camille Watson, Vice-President represents External Affairs on the President’s Cabinet, and oversees the strategic direction and overall management of External Affairs department.
Camille comes to us with over 25 years of experience in marketing and general business management in the areas of consumer packaged goods, e-commerce and healthcare industries. She has worked at Procter & Gamble and The Clorox Company, served as director of marketing at Netflix, Inc, and later held the position of vice president of marketing at Stubhub, Gamefly, and LivingSocial. Her interest in health and wellness led to positions as chief marketing officer for Rally Health and JumpstartMD. Camille currently serves on the Board of Directors of TechSoup Global. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology and MBA from Stanford University.She also has a degree in professional cooking from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago.
Thom Shepard, Dean of Students
Thom Shepard joined PAU in July 2017, and brings over 20 years of experience in Student Affairs and Higher Education to his role as Palo Alto University’s Dean of Students. He is responsible for all non-academic needs of the university’s students, including student activities, international students, special accommodations and financial aid. He also serves as the Title IX coordinator for the campus.
Prior to joining PAU, Thom was Dean of Students at Foothill College. His experience has also included responsibility for student housing and residential life, student leadership development and student conduct management.
Thom received an M.S. in Education in Higher Education at Abilene Christian University. He completed his undergraduate degree at Cazenovia College. Thom hails from upstate New York and spent time in Charlotte, North Carolina before moving to the Bay Area. When not working, he may be found on a tennis or volleyball court or rooting for the San Francisco Giants and the Carolina Panthers.
Anne Farrah, Director of Development
Anne has extensive knowledge of the philanthropic landscape of the Bay Area. Her career has been dedicated to supporting schools and nonprofit organizations for over 25 years, and she brings a long-standing record of leadership, achievement and success in the nonprofit sector.
Prior to joining PAU, Anne served as the Chief Advancement Officer for Mercy High School, where Anne led an advancement team that included development, alumnae engagement, parent relations, and marketing and communications. Before that, Anne served at the University of San Francisco as the Director of Development for the School of Nursing and Health Professions as well as the graduate School of Education, overseeing all major gift fundraising. At USF, Anne managed a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals and strengthened the long-term philanthropic relationships between the schools and prospective donors. She also focused on building a strong donor pipeline in preparation for USF's $300M comprehensive campaign.
Anne also worked as a Major Gift Officer for the College of Health and Social Sciences at San Francisco State University, and as the Director of Development for 826 Valencia, a high-profile nonprofit organization focusing on developing writing and literacy skills in children ages 6-18, and as the Director of Community Relations for Seneca Center (now Seneca Family of Agencies), a statewide nonprofit organization which is a leading innovator in the field of education, community-based and family-focused mental health treatment services for children and families.
She holds a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and was a member of Leadership San Francisco, a community trusteeship program sponsored by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Anne is a fifth-generation San Franciscan, and is an active volunteer in the community. She lives in San Francisco with her family.
Melanie Morrison, Director of Board and Presidential Operations
Melanie Morrison brings over 10 years of experience in Higher Education to her role as Director of Board and Presidential Operations at Palo Alto University (PAU). She provides operational support and manages special projects for the President's Office. Additionally, Melanie serves as the Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Melanie began working at PAU in 2011 in the Office of Academic Affairs as an Administrative Assistant. She later became the Executive Assistant to the Dean and then the Executive Assistant to the President.
Melanie is an alum of the inaugural class of the BS in Business Psychology Program at PAU and received her Masters in Business Administration from Notre Dame de Namur. She is a Bay Area native that enjoys hiking in the woods, baking delicious treats, and rooting for the San Francisco Giants.