Alumnus Returns to KU as Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University alumnus Dr. Carl J. Sheperis ’89 has been named the university’s vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies. Sheperis has been a professor for more than 22 years, including 12 years dedicated to leadership and administration. Sheperis begins at KU May 8.

Sheperis has extensive experience in pediatric and family mental health and has served in numerous leadership roles, including dean of the College of Education and Human Development for Texas A&M University-San Antonio from 2019-22.

As vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies, Sheperis will be responsible for providing strategic vision and leadership for graduate and extended learning; leading development and enhancement of programs and services that meet the needs of students and employers; promoting excellence in graduate research and creative activity; developing opportunities for graduate assistantships and scholarships; providing oversight and leadership for graduate recruiting and increasing student enrollment in graduate and extended programs; and supporting excellence in instruction by providing opportunities, in collaboration with other units, for professional development, training, and assessment.

“I am very pleased to have Dr. Sheperis joining us at Kutztown University,” said Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “His experience in developing innovative academic partnerships and finding unique possibilities to serve students will help us continue to meet the educational needs of adults across the region. It is particularly special to have a KU alumnus joining us in this capacity.”

A native of Northeast Pennsylvania, Sheperis attended KU as a first-generation college student and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He earned a Master of Science in education from Duquesne in 1994 and a Ph.D. in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida in 2001.

In his role as dean at Texas A&M San Antonio, a Hispanic-serving institution with the current student body over 70% Hispanic and over 70% first generation college students, Sheperis served as the chief academic officer for the college. He was able to advance the overall reputation of the college and generated more than $20,000,000 in grants and contracts during his tenure.

“It is an amazing privilege to return to my undergraduate alma mater as the vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies,” Sheperis said. “I am honored to be of service to Kutztown University, the Kutztown community and the state of Pennsylvania.”

Prior to A&M, Sheperis served as interim president and CEO for the National Board for Certified Counselors and Affiliates (2018-19) and as chair and associate professor for the Department of Counseling and Special Populations at Lamar University for four years (2012-16). He was the director of doctoral programs at Walden University from 2009-11 and spent 10 years in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations at Mississippi State University.

Sheperis has visited more than 30 countries to serve as an envoy for professional counseling, has more than 100 professional publications and served as a media expert for counseling-related issues. He has held several professional leadership positions in counseling. He served as president of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) and as associate editor for the Journal of Counseling and Development. He has worked with the American Counseling Association (ACA) as the chair of the Research and Knowledge Committee and has served as the editor of the Journal of Counseling Research and Practice.

In addition to counseling, Sheperis served on an advisory board to the Health Resources Services Administration and currently serves as a member of the Global Forum on Innovations in Health Professional Education for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. He is an author of several textbooks including Research in Counseling, Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Methods; Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Diagnosing and Treating Children and Adolescents; Assessment for Counselors and Helping Professionals; Online Counselor Education: A Student Guide; and The Peace Train. He also has published chapters in various textbooks, academic journal articles and reference volumes.

Sheperis and his wife, Donna, have five children.