A lot has happened since the last issue of INSIGHT went to press. We witnessed a historic election and another peaceful transition of one presidential administration to the next. Moments like these are typically greeted by waves of optimism and renewal. The last six months were different though.

The Chicago School has teamed up with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) on an ambitious project to improve educational opportunities for children in one of the city’s most economically disadvantaged West Side neighborhoods while providing TCS students with unique practicum and internship experiences.

As the practice arm of the Forensic Psychology Department, the center connects students and faculty with local organizations on projects and programs that address issues such as delinquency, child maltreatment, transitional living for ex-offenders, and victim-related trauma.

A Clinical Psychology doctoral student with a passion for social justice issues has become the first recipient of a scholarship fund established earlier this year to memorialize the life of Petra Reim, a Clinical Psy.D. student who died unexpectedly in February 2008.

The arrangement brings to 325 North Wells Street the devoted activities of an organization of nearly 500 international psychology professionals who work with school-aged populations or in school settings. Together, ISPA members promote the psychological rights of all children and the expanding use of school psychology—particularly in countries where psychology has not been prevalent. Members connect through committee work, a yearly conference, the ISPA website, the School Psychology International journal, and a quarterly newsletter.

Alumna Melodie Schaefer has come full circle. After earning her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1993 and building a three-decade career in mental health and in California professional psychology circles, she has returned to her alma mater as director of The Chicago School’s newly acquired counseling centers in Westwood and Irvine, California.

TCS is chartering the nation’s first Ph.D. in International Psychology…Offered through the Online Campus, the new Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership also begins in the fall…Classes for the Psy.D. in Clinical Forensic Psychology will begin in September…TCS Southern California has also announced its lineup of degree offerings for its locations in downtown Los Angeles, Westwood, and Irvine

The list includes alumni, a former media personality, business leaders, community organizers, entrepreneurs, and a scientist. In total, nine individuals joined The Chicago School Board of Trustees during the fall and winter semesters, representing diverse backgrounds professional expertise, and a national reach. “Gone are the days where our governing body was regional,” said Board Chair Ricardo Grunsten. “The word is out. People want to be a part of what is happening at The Chicago School.”

Rewards, fairness, and motivation need to be balanced. There are hidden costs of rewards without equilibrium. With bailouts and stimulus packages, people look at what they contribute and what they derive. When they evaluate this comparison, three outcomes are possible: 1. The two ratios are even, meaning fairness is experienced. 2. One party views his or her ratio less than the others, meaning under-reward is felt. 3. One party views his or her ratio as greater than the other, meaning over-reward is felt. Each of the last two scenarios produces tension.

The Chicago School faculty in the news.

It is not only the Dow—spewing daily evidence of infrequent rallies and steady declines—that reflects what is happening in America, and abroad, these days. Another, newer measure, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, tells the story of a global economic crisis in the language of psychologists: the human toll, the effect that the financial downturn is having on people.

And now that we’re here, shoulder-deep in an economic meltdown, what next? INSIGHT gathered a group of faculty to explore these questions, and to delve into the interrelationship of psychology and the economy. Joining in the dialogue were Dr. Ilianna Kwaske, Business Psychology Department chair, Chicago Campus; Dr. Michael Barr, assistant professor of Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology, Online Campus; Dr. Al Edwards, lead I/O faculty for Southern California; and Dr. Debra Warner, lead Forensic Psychology faculty for Southern California.

As she clutches her unicorn’s mane and flees the evil dragon, the princess concentrates hard on her wish: that the king will free himself from the dungeon and rush to her rescue. Her therapist, Dr. Eric Green, listens intently and then suggests that the fantasy be recreated with different sets of circumstances: what if the king is already free and able to save the princess? And then, what if it’s up to her to save herself?

Staying connected with fellow alumni is critical to a successful job search, I/O and Business Psy.D. graduates were told at a networking reception in late March. More than 75 attended the event, which addressed the challenges of the current job market.

Unlike most of his classmates, Nathaniel Siens does not work in a clinic, or a nonprofit agency, or even in private practice. Possibly the only financial manager with a degree in counseling, he is vice president of the private client group at Chase, overseeing the stock portfolios of some of the bank’s wealthier investors.

The tribal masks adorning a wall in Dr. Steven Nakisher’s office serve as a reminder of —if not a metaphor for—the career he has carved for himself from the resources at hand: a clinical psychology degree from The Chicago School, a passion for mentoring, and a keen business savvy.

It was 30 years ago that a troop of seven psychology practitioners banded together to sign paperwork that formally incorporated a small institution that would
eventually become the world’s leading graduate psychology university.