Jane Okech, associate dean for academic and faculty affairs at the University of Vermont, has been appointed UVM's vice provost for faculty affairs, effective July 1. She will succeed Jim Vigoreaux, who plans to return to his faculty position in the Department of Biology.
“Dr. Okech brings a depth and breadth of relevant experience to this key role, which has responsibility for all matters related to recruitment, professional development, evaluation, promotion, retention, recognition, and elevation of all UVM faculty,” said Provost and Senior Vice President Patricia Prelock.
Okech joined the faculty in 2003, has taught over 70 courses using multiple modalities and has held several leadership positions. She has served as coordinator of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, as counseling program coordinator, as interim associate dean for academic affairs and research, and as chair of the Department of Leadership and Developmental Sciences.
In addition to her roles as teacher and administrator, Okech is an active scholar of the advancement of proficiencies in the practice of group psychotherapy and clinical supervision with diverse populations. She examines counseling micro skill and advanced skill acquisition processes, and their contributions to the development of complex relational dynamics that advance the efficacy of the therapeutic process in individual and group contexts.
She is the co-author of two recent books, "Counselor Education in the 21st Century: Issues and Experiences" (2018) and "Group Work in Schools: Preparing, Leading, Responding" (2020). Her work has received professional accolades, including the 2017 Article of the Year Award by the Association for Specialists in Group Work and the 2019 Counselor Education and Supervision Publication of the Year Award by the Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors.