ATLANTA – Mercer University's chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society for counseling students, professional counselors and counselor educators, will welcome Dr. Judith Miranti, director of counseling programs at Xavier University of Louisiana, to keynote its initiation ceremony.
The ceremony, to be held this Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Trustees Dining Room on the Cecil B. Day Campus in Atlanta, will also include the initiation of 73 new members to the Mu Upsilon Alpha (MUA) chapter. The event is open to counseling students and professionals.
“Mu Upsilon Alpha was established in 2003; however, it did not become active with the national chapter until 2008,” said Dr. Diane M. Clark, faculty adviser to the chapter and counseling program coordinator in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies.
“Since then, MUA has focused its attention on service and leadership. For several years, we collected items and sent care packages at Christmas to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year, we held a coat drive and contributed to a homeless shelter. In addition, since 2008, the chapter has sponsored numerous workshop opportunities for Mercer counseling students and an alumni breakfast and ethics workshop for counseling professionals.”
Dr. Miranti is a past president of Chi Sigma Iota International. She has written numerous publications, co-authored a book, titled Religious and Spiritual Issues in Counseling: Applications Across Diverse Populations, and co-edited books, titled Ethical and Spiritual Values in Counseling and Counseling: The Spiritual Dimension. She has received many awards, including the Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Humanitarian and Caring Person Award, Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Lifetime Achievement Award, Louisiana Counseling Association Distinguished Professional Service Award, Association for Religious and Values Issues in Counseling Meritorious Award and Our Lady of Holy Cross College Alumna of the Year.
“Dr. Miranti stands as an example of the impact of leadership in the counseling profession to our counseling students,” said Dr. Clark. “She has made an impression on individuals from this country and others as to the importance of counselors and counseling for all individuals and groups.”
Founded at Ohio University in 1985, Chi Sigma Iota has over 90,000 members and is currently growing by more than 6,000 new members per year. Campus-based chapters, supported at least in part by the national chapter, contribute to their counselor education programs and communities.
One of the largest associations of professional counselors in the world, the honor society's annual active membership is equally balanced between student and professional members. Among the professionals are more than 600 counselor educators and supervisors, while the remainder are practicing counselors in all settings and specialties of counseling.
The mission of Chi Sigma Iota is to promote scholarship, research, professionalism, leadership, advocacy and excellence in counseling, and to recognize high attainment in the pursuit of academic and clinical excellence in the profession of counseling.
Mercer's College of Continuing and Professional Studies offers the following counseling programs: Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling; Master of Science in school counseling; Master of Science in rehabilitation counseling; Educational Specialist in school counseling; Ph.D. in school counseling; and a certificate program in substance abuse counseling.
About the College of Continuing and Professional Studies
The College of Continuing and Professional Studies, established in 2003, is committed to serving non-traditional students 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 is a transition program for students enrolled in Mercer's English Language Institute and other international students who desire to transition to undergraduate programs throughout the University. Areas of study include organizational leadership, counseling, school counseling, human services, human resources, informatics, public safety leadership, nursing preparation and liberal studies. Programs are offered on Mercer's campuses in Atlanta and Macon, as well as multiple regional academic centers in Douglas County, Henry County, Newnan and Eastman. To learn more, visit ccps.mercer.edu.
