Having received the honor of becoming Adler Graduate School’s President, I am excited for
the opportunity to lead us through the next steps toward our vision of being a leader in
empowering and developing mental health and human service professionals to transform
society through social interest in action. Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA)
constitute one of the four values that support our mission and are the focus of a
significant portion of our strategic plan for the next four years. I am excited to share with
you that our new strategic initiatives in this area include but are not limited to:
- An internal mentorship program to support retention and promote the professional
development of students of color (B GREAT). - A program in collaboration with the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental
Health (MACMH) to encourage BIPOC undergraduate students interested in mental
health professions to pursue a graduate education. - A program to provide support to mental health professionals of color who already
work in the field, also in collaboration with MACMH.
If you have any questions about B GREAT, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Asha Dickerson, and
for questions or comments regarding our partnership with MACMH, please email me or
stop by my office.
My appointment as AGS President also triggered a change in our institutional organization.
Dr. Nicole Randick was promoted to Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Rashida
Fisher was promoted to Dean. Dr. Randick will lead us in institutional and programmatic
evaluation and continuous improvement, and in seeking or reaffirming institutional and
programmatic accreditations. Dr. Fisher’s role includes supporting faculty and student
development, as well as curriculum continuous development. Together, Drs. Randick and
Fisher will lead the part of our strategic plan focused on providing quality education.
I hope you find this news as exciting as I do, and I look forward to collaborating with all of
you – students, faculty, staff, alumni, and AGS’s friends – toward making the world a better
place, one process/project at a time.
Dr. Solange Ribeiro