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Liberty professor elected to human services leadership position

MOUNT VERNON—Dr. Susan Kinsella, associate professor of sociology and human services at Brewton-Parker College, has been elected to serve on the executive board of officers of the Southern Organization for Human Services (SOHS). She was elected by her peers at the organization’s spring 2006 conference in Clearwater, Fla.

Dr. Susan Kinsella

“It was an honor to be asked to run and a bigger honor to win the election by my peers,” Dr. Kinsella said. “I will serve a two-year term as the executive treasurer.”

SOHS is a regional affiliate of the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) and serves educators, students and practitioners in 11 southern states. Representatives from each of the 11 states come together for periodic meetings to discuss issues which affect students and consumers of human services, including curriculum issues and ethics.

“Our purpose is to develop a student who has a broad knowledge base in working with individuals, groups and families. We focus on values, skills and knowledge building. Our students graduate with degrees that can be used in a variety of settings such as schools, hospitals, mental health agencies, counseling programs, nursing homes, shelters, advocacy type programs and family and children services,” Dr. Kinsella said. “The SOHS organization is committed to the excellence in the classroom and agency setting as well. Membership in SOHS is the first step a Human Service student can take as a beginning professional.”

Dr. Kinsella teaches at the college’s Liberty Campus and has been a member of SOHS and NOHS for the last 10 years. She presents workshops and papers annually at either or both of the conferences and has published in the NOHS journal. She is also the faculty advisor of the Liberty Campus’ Student Action Council.

Dr. Bill Faw, dean of Brewton-Parker’s External Programs and Dr. Kinsella’s peer in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences Division as he is also a professor of psychology, is proud of Dr. Kinsella’s accomplishments in the field and in her classroom.

“Susan Kinsella is one of our best professors at Brewton-Parker,” Dr. Faw said. “Since she came to us in January, 2002, she has developed from scratch our Human Services major and developed Human Services, Sociology, and Psychology into a large program at our (Liberty) campus. She also coordinates other Social and Behavioral Science courses there.

“I know first hand that she is excellent as a teacher and have heard many of her students express their love for her – as a teacher, as the coordinator for the Student Action Council, and as the main developer for the Pi Gamma Mu honorary society unit at (Liberty). I am proud to have served as one of those who hired her, as her division chair for three years, and now as her Dean for External Programs.”

-BPC-