Watch the video replay of our virtual event, a panel discussion with Sherri Ettinger, PhD, LICSW and Micah M. Griffin, PhD, MHA
Moderated by Sheila Murphy
Co-Chairs: Hilary Steinert & Annie Montesano
Hear what professionals are saying about the importance of mental well-being for college students and what you can do to promote mental health.
Also at the event, the 2021 Wily Pack Award was presented to Wily Scholar Saffron Deasey, MIT ’20 in honor of Gail and Jim Radley.
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Moderated Panel Featuring
Sherri Ettinger, PhD, LICSW
Director of the Counseling Center and Interim Dean of Student Affairs, Simmons College
Sherri began working in the Simmons Counseling Center in the fall of 2000. Sherri received her BA in Sociology and Women’s Studies at Brandeis University and her MSW and PhD at the Smith College School for Social Work. Prior to joining the staff at Simmons, Sherri worked with teenage parents at Children’s Hospital; on a trauma team at Judge Baker Children’s Center; and in the Counseling Center at Wheaton College. She is a member of the adjunct faculty at Smith College, School for Social Work, where she taught Clinical Practice and a course on GLBT identities for a number of years.
Sherri has worked with adolescents and young women for 25 years, focusing on life-transitions, self-development, and resilience. Areas of particular interest include sexual identity, trauma, eating problems, parenting, and the impact of oppression on development and self-esteem. In addition to providing clinical services to Counseling Center clients, Sherri supervises interns and serves on various committees at Simmons.
Micah M. Griffin, PhD, MHA
Senior Director of University Health Services, Penn State University
Dr. Griffin has worked in higher education and public health for over a decade in a variety of roles and health service settings. He has managed initiatives such as MyQuest for Health, and developed The Student Health Alliance. The majority of his experience has been focused on improving health outcomes for marginalized and underrepresented students. He also founded Heal Our People Inc., a nonprofit that supports the social and well-being needs of African-American men through innovative programs focused on mentoring college students, fatherhood training, and barbershop health promotion.
Previously, Dr. Griffin served as Director of Health Programs with The City University of New York (CUNY) at Kingsborough Community College, on the Faculty at Livingstone College, and as Director of The John & Ella Byrd McCain Health and Counseling Center at Alabama A&M University. He has a passion for improving health equity and supporting diversity and inclusion. In 2019, he helped establish the HBCU Coalition with American College Health Association (ACHA). In 2020, he was awarded The Hannibal E. Howell Jr. award for promoting diversity in college health. He currently serves on the ACHA Board of Directors and sits on the association COVID-19 taskforce. Dr. Griffin has a Bachelors in Biology from Livingstone College, Masters in Exercise Science from Life University, and a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) and a Ph.D. in Health Services with a focus in Community Health from Walden University.
Micah M. Griffin, PhD, MHA
Senior Director of University Health Services, Penn State University
Dr. Griffin has worked in higher education and public health for over a decade in a variety of roles and health service settings. He has managed initiatives such as MyQuest for Health, and developed The Student Health Alliance. The majority of his experience has been focused on improving health outcomes for marginalized and underrepresented students. He also founded Heal Our People Inc., a nonprofit that supports the social and well-being needs of African-American men through innovative programs focused on mentoring college students, fatherhood training, and barbershop health promotion.
Previously, Dr. Griffin served as Director of Health Programs with The City University of New York (CUNY) at Kingsborough Community College, on the Faculty at Livingstone College, and as Director of The John & Ella Byrd McCain Health and Counseling Center at Alabama A&M University. He has a passion for improving health equity and supporting diversity and inclusion. In 2019, he helped establish the HBCU Coalition with American College Health Association (ACHA). In 2020, he was awarded The Hannibal E. Howell Jr. award for promoting diversity in college health. He currently serves on the ACHA Board of Directors and sits on the association COVID-19 taskforce. Dr. Griffin has a Bachelors in Biology from Livingstone College, Masters in Exercise Science from Life University, and a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) and a Ph.D. in Health Services with a focus in Community Health from Walden University.
Moderated by Sheila Murphy
Consultant, WittKieffer
Based in Boston, Sheila Murphy brings extensive experience in academia to her role as search consultant. She supports searches for presidents, chancellors, provosts, and deans, as well as vice presidents for student affairs, academic affairs, finance, and other areas.
Prior to joining WittKieffer, Sheila served as the Dean for Student Life at Simmons College in Boston. In this role, she was responsible for administration and management of all aspects of co-curricular life for undergraduate and graduate students, while supervising staff and managing facilities renovation and budget. Sheila has also served as Vice President and Dean of Students at Bradford College in Bradford, Massachusetts; Dean of Students at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts; Vice President for Student Affairs at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York; and Dean of Students at Mount Ida College in Newton Centre, Massachusetts.
Sheila has served on a number of education and nonprofit boards, and has published and spoken extensively on the topic of student affairs. She has also been active in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) as well as other education and student affairs organizations.
