Professor of Counseling Psychology, College of Education,
Special Assistant to the UH System Chancellor and President
Associated Faculty, Hobby School of Public Affairs

Biography:

A first-generation college graduate, Robert McPherson’s career has been marked by a deep commitment to the application of psychological science across diverse settings that provide education and mental health services for at-risk populations, beginning with his work as a teacher and counselor at a high-poverty high school in segregated West Texas more than forty years ago. His research interests address the use of technology to assess and intervene in the intersection of health and educational disparities on mental health and academic achievement. In 2001, he and former University of Houston colleague Stewart Pisecco co-founded an education software-as-a-service company, which was acquired by Pearson in 2012 and continues to serve millions of students.

His influence on the practice of counseling psychology has been demonstrated by his leadership at UH, service to the community and entrepreneurial work. As a UH doctoral student, he played a major role in developing the counseling psychology Ph.D. program, later becoming one of its first graduates and then a faculty member, training director, department chair, associate dean and executive associate dean. As dean, he oversaw a significant rise in the college's national rankings and the launch of two new Ph.D. programs. He later served as interim provost and then as special assistant to the president, co-leading the university’s response to a campus suicide contagion. The effort resulted in ongoing university-wide efforts for suicide prevention programming and the implementation of a comprehensive plan to promote mental health among the campus community.

McPherson is the recent recipient of the American Psychological Association's Society for Counseling Psychology’s John D. Black Award, which recognizes a senior psychologist for a sustained record of contributions impacting the field. His advocacy efforts have helped to shape state and national policy, and he is a past recipient of the APA President’s Karl Heiser Award for Advocacy. The Texas Psychological Association has named its political advocacy award in his honor. His other honors include lifetime achievement awards from the Houston and Texas Psychological Associations and the Texas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. He is a licensed psychologist, a Counseling Psychology Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology, a Fellow of the American Psychological and Education Research Associations and a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice.