Tell us about your role here at Purdue Global.

I am currently serving a Full-Time Adjunct faculty with the Human Services Department. 

Tell us about your background and roles outside of PG. 

I have been associated with the fields of psychology and human services for more than 25 years and have worked in many different areas of services, including non-profit, government, direct service, administrative, and now teaching. I have had the pleasure and opportunity to work with individuals from various backgrounds, countries, ages, and ethnicities. These experiences have helped me to grow as a professional in the field, as an educator, and a person. 

How does your outside experience help with your role here?

The varied opportunities I have had working in the field have helped me to take the knowledge I gained through my education and apply it in real world settings and then being able to share those experiences and applications with my students. These experiences have also helped me understand how to work with a variety of people with different backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints, as well as develop my leadership, communication, and administrative skills. 

How did you find your way to your career path?

I was blessed to have some great professors in college who were open to taking time with me to better understand who I was, and how I wanted to help people. I also have a great family that has always been very supportive in encouraging me to pursue my passion and my strengths, which include empowering, encouraging, listening, and helping others achieve their dreams and goals. 

What is your advice to new and/or continuing students?

Education is a powerful tool, and when you combine that with passion and determination you can achieve your goals. Never give up and keep moving forward one day at a time. 

Tell us about your role here at Purdue Global.

I am a full-time faculty member in the Human Services Department.  In addition to teaching undergraduate courses, I have also been a member of numerous committees, mentored new faculty members, conducted new student orientation sessions, and revised/developed courses on the graduate and undergraduate level.  Additionally, I am currently the Faculty Advisor for the Human Services Club and a Course Lead for two undergraduate courses.  

Tell us about your background and roles outside of PG. 

I have approximately 17 years of experience in the fields of human services/social work.  I have worked primarily with adults, children and families with mental health issues and/or developmental disabilities.  I have experience working in a variety of settings including schools, an inpatient psychiatric unit, nonprofits, and a community mental health center.  Throughout my experience in the field I have worked with many diverse individuals and have had to adapt my working style and approach based on the needs of the people that I have worked with. 

How does your outside experience help with your role here?

I often use examples from my professional experience in courses that I am teaching. It is beneficial to students for me to provide real-life examples that they can use in order to apply the material that we are learning.  My experience is also useful in the introductory human services course as students often want to know what career opportunities are available to them, and having experience in the field helps me guide them more effectively. 

How did you find your way to your career path?

Through a volunteer organization that I joined in college, I realized how much I enjoy helping others in need.  I majored in Psychology and got my first job working in a residential treatment setting with adults with severe and chronic mental illness.  From there I moved to doing more community based work with children and families and decided to pursue my MSW.  I worked for many years as a Therapist after graduating with my MSW, but my mind always came back to the parts of various jobs where I was educating clients, coworkers, or community members.  I decided that I was interested in focusing my career on teaching others who wanted to work as Human Service Professionals so I went back to school to pursue my PhD. 

What is your advice to new and/or continuing students?

I always tell students to make sure to manage their time well and I support and encourage them as much as possible.  Sometimes students come to PG after being out of school for many years and aren't sure that they will be able to handle college courses.  However, they always surprise themselves and I enjoy being part of that process.  I also tell human services students that it's not unusual to be uncertain about exactly what they want to do in the field.  I share with them the fact that it took me many years, and numerous jobs to figure out where I wanted to focus my career.  

Tell us about your background and roles outside of PG. 

I’ve been a criminal defense investigator for over two decades with the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. I’m currently the Chief Investigator for the Office of the Public Defender/Tifton Judicial Circuit. Since 2001, I have worked over 30,000 criminal cases, in addition, to interviewing over 100,000 people. My extensive background includes; but is not limited to, mental health, criminal justice, human services, public administration, biotechnology-plant and animal science, agriculture,  and forensic science. My investigations have exonerated over 3000 persons charged with various criminal offenses. I am a licensed private investigator for the state of Georgia, certified instructor in private investigative courses for the State of Georgia, an underwater forensic investigator, certified anger management specialist, certified relapse prevention specialist, positive mind management coach, certified grief specialist, wildlife forensic investigator,  and an American Academy of Forensic Science member.Prior to becoming an investigator, I worked meticulously with the Pathways Center as a case manager and residential site supervisor for sex offenders. In addition, I have experience with persons diagnosed with mental, behavioral, developmental, and substance abuse issues. 

How does your outside experience help with your role here?

My diverse experience   provides insight on how human services impacts everyone globally from mental health to criminal justice applications.  These experiences assist students in developing a niche in this growing field.  Adaptability to each course and  individualized student give me a perspective on what needed for academic success in facilitating graduate courses 

How did you find your way to your career path?

My career path found me due to working in human services during the 1990s in Albany, GA and working at the Pathways Center in LaGrange, GA with an excellent staff.  The human services field found me as I found my stride while working with clients in rural human services and criminal justice settings.   

What is your advice to new and/or continuing students?

Never give up !!! Keep doing your best !!!  Develop a support group and system of peers to assist you in this journey called “ Life”. Have work -life balance and do “self-care daily”.  

Tell us about your background and roles outside of PG. 

I currently serve on active duty in the United States Navy as an embedded mental health clinician and the Installation's Deputy Director of Psychological Health. My role involves reducing stigma associated with seeking behavioral health care and offering support with direct clinical care outreach, education, and training for individuals. I have been active duty for over 26 years and have served in various leadership roles throughout my tenure. I previously served as the Assistant Specialty Leader for all Navy Clinical Social Workers. In this role, I served as a specialty subject matter expert providing informed advice to executive leadership. I disseminated accurate policy and guidance to the community and encouraged active participation in planning exercises. 

How does your outside experience help with your role here?

I have stepped foot on every continent with the exception of Africa and Antartica. I have been able to immerse myself into the cultures of many countries and interact with individuals within these populations. These experiences have helped me embrace a continued appreciation for multiculturalism and increasing my cultural competence working with many populations. My experiences have allowed me to approach student ideas with openness,  emulate our ethical standards and guidelines as well as promote the importance of a multicultural approach to the human services profession. 

How did you find your way to your career path?

Mental illness was not understood when I was growing up. My mother suffered from mental illness and at that time, we had no understanding of what she was experiencing. After she passed away unexpectedly, I sought answers for myself, questioned spirituality and suffered many years in late adolescence to young adulthood with a low sense of self. Upon enlisting in the US Navy, I was able to start building connections with people, developing my confidence and leadership style...I was given the opportunity to lead others and had always been an individual others confided to discuss vulnerable situations. I knew I wanted to assist individuals on a greater level and wanted to assist those with mental health challenges, which fueled me to apply for the Navy's Medical In-Service Procurement Program which commissioned me as a Naval Officer and a fully Licensed Clinical Social Worker. 

What is your advice to new and/or continuing students?

The opinions and judgements of others may be plentiful but find your passion and take the direction that makes you happy and keeps you going. When you give up, you have already told yourself "no". 

Tell us about your background and roles outside of PG. 

I have a Bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Miami and a Master's degree in Social Work from Columbia University. Previously, I have worked as an in-school counselor and after-school program coordinator for an elementary school and as a caseworker for those affected by disasters with the American Red Cross. I am currently the Programs Manager for a nonprofit organization called Sound Mind Live whose mission is to build community and open dialogue around mental health through the power of music. Much of my current work involves working with famous musicians on mental health campaigns and connecting music fans into mental health resources at concerts and music festivals. 

How does your outside experience help with your role here?

My work with Sound Mind Live and the American Red Cross has allowed me to work with a large variety of people facing a number of different social issues. This has allowed me to build a large referral network and work with a lot of different organizations across the human services field. This broad range of experiences and contacts allows me to better share with my students real life case examples and details on a number of different areas in the field they might end up working in. 

How did you find your way to your career path?

I worked in the music industry for several years before pivoting and deciding to become a social worker. My current role allows me to combine my prior music industry experience and utilize my old industry contacts to promote health and wellness for musicians, music industry workers, and music fans. 

What is your advice to new and/or continuing students?

To the extent that you can, get practical experience in the field. Whether that is taking on internships or volunteering with a local community organization, practical experience is super valuable. My internships and volunteer experiences during my master's degree really helped me hone in on what I wanted my career to look like once I graduated and gave me a great network of professional contacts that helped me find a job once I had my degree. 

Tell us about your role here at Purdue Global.

I am one of the newest full-time adjunct faculty hires in the Department of Human Services. 

Tell us about your background and roles outside of PG. 

Dr. Wingfield earned her PhD in Higher Education Administration from Illinois State University, with a unique focus on social foundations in education, her master’s degree in social work from The University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, and her Bachelor’s in sociology from Purdue University. She is a  Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) with the State of Illinois.

Dr. Wingfield has 23 years of experience in social services and higher education at the micro and macro levels of practice. These experiences include early childhood education/Head Start, practice in schools from PreK-12, child welfare, non-profit community-based organizations, and higher education.

Dr. Wingfield has taught courses in introduction to social work, field education, practice with individuals and groups, human behavior in social environment, policy, social work practice within a multi-cultural context as well as researched focused independent studies at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Dr. Wingfield presents at conferences in social work as well as education. She is the guest editor for the Critical Social Work Journal and served as a reviewer for an open access text Graduate Research Methods in Social Work: A Project-Based Approach. She also consults with doctoral students on their dissertations.

Her areas of interest are Black feminism, Critical Race Theory, Critical Race Feminist Theory, intersectionality, anti-coloniality, abolition, culturally responsive education, culturally humility, social work field education, educational experiences of African American women and girls, identity development, and mentoring.

Diversity and inclusion is at the center of her teaching, scholarship and research! 

How does your outside experience help with your role here?

In my role as an educator, my goal is to motivate students to think critically about the world around them. My passion for teaching is rooted in a genuine interest of supporting students academically and socially; both inside and outside of the classroom. I try to connect course content to the experiences of my students to further develop their understanding of the material. As educators, I believe we have a responsibility to provide a quality experience while holding the students accountable for their learning. I challenge my students and push them out of their comfort zone.  To accomplish this, I design my courses to be student centered and create a classroom culture that allows students to engage in critical, yet healthy debates.  This level of engagement opens the door to knowledge, critical thinking, and consciousness about self and others through an engaged pedagogy. An engaged pedagogy honors the cultural ways of being and knowing of the students with whom I teach, encourages self-direction, critical thinking, and a genuine curiosity about the world in which we live. 

How did you find your way to your career path?

I entered Purdue University, West Lafayette in the fall of 1993 with the dream of becoming a pharmacist. Those dreams quickly changed when I learned in the first semester that I was not prepared for the rigors of undergraduate education. Additionally, it was difficult adjusting to the campus climate and culture as a first generation Black female student. After being placed on academic probation, I had to find a new career path because pharmacy did not feed my soul. So, I changed my major to sociology and from there I excelled. The course content as well as the instructors were interesting and engaging. I could see myself in the curriculum. The most pivotal moment of my academic career that led me on the path of pursuing my doctorate was the experience that I had as a member of the Engineering Programs in Community Services (EPICS). As an EPICS team member, I was the project liaison with the Department of Children and Family Services of Tippecanoe County. My task was to communicate the tech design to the agency project lead who was a social worker to develop a networked database that would capture services provided to children and families. It was during this experience as well as the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) that I became interested in helping others. I knew that furthering my education was necessary and I entered graduate school right after I completed my undergraduate degree and the rest is history. 

What is your advice to new and/or continuing students?

Advice that I would give to new and/or continuing students is to situate yourself as a learner. Be unafraid to ask for help AND also be courageous enough to speak your truth!