PAU Receives Two Awards from the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision

Every year the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES) presents one award honoring an outstanding, innovative, or unique counselor education program in the western region. A second award is given honoring excellence in leadership of an officer, committee person, or other leader or major contributor to the WACES professional association.

  At WACES’ semi-annual conference held on November 9, 2018 in Santa Rosa, CA, Palo Alto University’s Counseling Program received the “Innovative Program Award for 2018” and PAU Assistant Professor Margaret Lamar, Ph.D., LAC, won the Professional Leadership Award.   “Surrounded by Silicon Valley’s iconic, groundbreaking, companies, PAU’s counseling faculty have been infected by the same, contagious, spirit of creativity and innovation. I am so proud and excited about how they are rethinking and reimagining the best ways to combine educational technologies and pedagogies to deliver cutting-edge educational experience within a culture of collegiality and teamwork,” said William Snow, Ph.D., chair of PAU’s Counseling Department.   ​The mission of WACES, one of five regional organizations of the national Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, is to advance the education, credentialing, and supervision of counselors. WACES advocates for a multicultural approach that honors diversity and promotes the mastery of knowledge, skills, and competencies of its members who work in guidance, counseling, and student personnel services in all settings of society.   “I'm so proud to be a part of the PAU community and this incredible counseling program,” said Dr. Lamar, “after receiving the Professional Leadership Award and reflecting on the counseling program’s award for innovation. “It’s such an honor to see PAU's counseling program win this award because the program students, staff, and faculty are doing such excellent work. Our online counseling program is very innovative and really reimagining what online clinical education can be. I'm excited to be a part of pushing the trend in counselor education technology.”   Dr. Lamar is currently the President-Elect of the WACES, the 2018 Conference Coordinator, ACES Advocacy Taskforce Chair, and WACES Chi Sigma Iota Chapter Advisor. She is excited about being a part of shaping an exciting and growing organization. “We just had our largest WACES conference and our team kept hearing how the space we created felt like family. It was such a thrill for us to see students, new professionals, and long-time members connect with each other. I'm excited to continue in this leadership role and continue the momentum we are building!”   Dr. Lamar is PAU’s Clinical Mental Health Program coordinator and advisor of PAU’s chapter of Chi Sigma Iota. Her teaching interests include counseling ethics, research, counseling theory, and career counseling. She is a licensed professional counselor with a background in university and clinical mental health counseling. She researches motherhood and mental health, issues in counselor education, and researcher development. Dr. Lamar attended the University of North Texas and the University of Northern Colorado, while working in student affairs at both universities.   Learn more about Dr. Lamar here.