Professor starts endowment to strengthen department's multiculturalism

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A Western Michigan University faculty member has established an endowment that will continue his legacy of instilling multiculturalism into the fabric of the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology.

Dr. Joseph Morris, professor of counselor education and counseling psychology, has bequeathed a gift that creates the Joseph R. Morris Endowed Professorship in Race and Psychology. This endowed professorship will enable his department to recruit and retain faculty who have made exceptional contributions to the study of race in counseling psychology or race and psychology.

It will help to ensure that, in perpetuity, multiculturalism will continue to be a cornerstone of the department and its curriculum as well as WMU's College of Education and Human Development, student body and faculty.

Morris

Morris came to WMU's Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology in 1984 as the first African American tenure track faculty member in the department. Over the past 34 years of his WMU career, he has left a legacy of instilling multiculturalism into the fabric of the department through his leadership as well as his scholarship.

Morris chaired the department for 10 years and during that time, focused on hiring diverse faculty and recruiting diverse students. In addition, he previously established the Joseph R. Morris Award for Outstanding Contributions to Multicultural Counseling and Psychology. The award assists with the many expenses associated with doctoral studies. It goes to historically underrepresented doctoral students with research and leadership interests centered on issues of race and psychology.

Morris also is actively engaged in community outreach projects that benefit students in the Kalamazoo Public Schools.

Learn more about WMU's Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.