Rachelle Pérusse

Associate Professor

Educational Psychology

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Titles:

Associate Professor

Academic Degrees:

Ph.D. Counselor Education, Virginia Tech, 1997
M.Ed. Guidance & Counseling, The University of Georgia, 1992
M.A. Psychology, Georgia State University, 1988
B.Sc. Psychology, University of Guelph, 1986

Areas of Expertise:

School Counseling

Achievement Gap

Post-secondary Transition

Biography:

Dr. Rachelle Pérusse is an Associate Professor in the Counseling Program at the University of Connecticut, and received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Virginia Tech. Before becoming a school counselor educator, Dr. Pérusse worked with poor and minority youth as a high school counselor in a rural school district in Georgia. She is a National Certified Counselor and a National Certified School Counselor. She has chaired committees for the Connecticut Counseling Association, the Connecticut School Counselor Association, and NARACES. She has served as Secretary of ACES (2005-2006), President (2007-2008) and Secretary (2000-2002) of NARACES, as an editorial board member for CES (2007-2010), an appointed member of ACA’s School Counseling Taskforce (2010-2011), and is currently President of the Connecticut School Counselor Association (CSCA). She has extensive knowledge in the area of college and career readiness counseling, represents CSCA on the State of Connecticut’s P-20 Council for Career and College Readiness, and serves on the Connecticut Department of Higher Education’s College Readiness Project. She has worked as a consultant with The Education Trust, Inc. as a MetLife Fellow for the Transforming School Counseling Initiative. As a MetLife Fellow, she conducts consultations with school districts about the role of the school counselor and administrators in relation to closing the achievement gap and advocating for poor and minority youth. She received the NOSCA National Advocacy Award for leadership in creating a college going culture at the master’s level school counselor preparation level.Dr. Pérusse has several articles published about national trends in school counselor education, and has co-edited two books: Critical Incidents in Group Counseling and Leadership, Advocacy, and Direct Service Strategies for Professional School Counselors.

Associations/Committees/Outreach:

Association for Counselor Education and Supervision

American School Counselor Association

Connecticut School Counselor Association

Connecticut Counselors Association (CSCA, CACES)

American Counseling Association