RU Confers Its First Doctor of Psychology Degrees

Radford University has awarded the first degrees in its four-year-old Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program.

Joshua Bradley, Kevin Simonson and Zetta Nicely received their degrees in the summer. All three graduates will be recognized at Radford University's 2012 Winter Commencement in December.

"We are very excited to have the opportunity to recognize the first three graduates of the Doctor of Psychology program at Radford University," said James Werth, professor of psychology and director of the Psy.D. program.

"Each of them provided tremendous clinical, scholarly, university and community service work while in the program, and we know that they will make a difference in many people’s lives as they work in their rural communities."

The program enrolled its first cohort of students in fall 2008. It offers a Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology with a focus on rural mental health and additional emphases on cultural diversity, social justice and evidence-based practice in psychology.

Graduate Bradley is employed at the Stone Mountain Health Services clinic in St. Paul, and Simonson works at the Frostburg State University Counseling Center in Frostburg, Md. Nicely is employed at Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Marion.

Radford's Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology is designed for people pursuing careers as psychologists in mental-health settings and institutions where clinical supervision and the direct application of counseling, therapy and psychological assessment are required.