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Connect with the Palo Alto University community at the 2026 Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES) Conference in Reno, Nevada on October 8-10, 2026.
PAU Presentation Schedule at a Glance
Explore presentations by Palo Alto University faculty, students, and alumni, and connect with the PAU community throughout the conference.
- Welcome to WACES: A First-Timer’s Orientation
- Education session
- 8-9am
- Dr. Donna Sheperis, Dr. Daniel Cisneros, Dr. Hope Schuermann, and Jennifer Kiehl
- Is Supervisee Disclosure in Supervision Universal?
- Roundtable session
- 8-9am
- Dr. Chi Li and Dr. Ching-Chen Chen
- Speaking Your Client’s Language: Language Concordance Practice for Counselors-in-Training
- Poster session
- 10-10:30am
- Alexa Miller, Dr. Rachel Jacoby, Dr. Cristen Wathen, and MacKenzie Stuart
- WACES Graduate Student Lounge - Games, Networking, and Food!
- 12:30-1:30pm
- Facilitated by WACES co-Graduate Student Representatives, Jennifer Kiehl and Zhixuan (Selena) Zeng
- Bridging the Linguistic Gap: Developing Distance Bilingual Training Programs for Counselors
- Panel session
- 12:30 - 2pm
- Dr. Karen Roller, Dr. Szu-Yu (Darlene) Chen, Dr. Chi Li, Jackie Bicas, Maggie Tsai, Celia Ferrer, and Dr. Angelica Castillo
- Teaching Gen Z Through an Advocacy Lens: Reframing Pedagogy for the Next Generation
- Roundtable session
- 12:30-1:30pm
- Dr. Margaret Lamar and Laura Rea
- “Beat Me, Hate Me, You Could Never Break Me”: Refugee and Immigrant Perseverance for Advocacy
- Education Session
- 1:45-2:45pm
- Dr. Najla Hrustanovic and Dr. Ramona Amely
- On the Other Side of the Search: A Counselor Education Hiring Panel
- Panel Session
- 1:45-2:45pm
- Moderated by WACES co-Graduate Student Representatives, Jennifer Kiehl and Zhixuan (Selena) Zeng
- WACES Career Fair - Come learn about programs who are hiring and explore your next step in counselor education!
- 3-4pm
- Facilitated by WACES co-Graduate Student Representatives, Jennifer Kiehl and Zhixuan (Selena) Zeng
- Accessible, Inclusive, and Innovative: Teaching Strategies for Doctoral Andragogy Courses
- Roundtable session
- 3-4pm
- Dr. Cristen Wathen and Chitra Thummarukudy
- Relational Pedagogy in Counselor Education: Modeling Culturally Inclusive & Equitable Practice
- Education session
- 4:15-5:15pm
- Dr. Laura Smestad and Dr. Alisha Guthery
- Earning Tenure Without Losing Your Soul: Strategies for Faculty of Color Navigating the Tenure Track
- Education session
- 4:15-5:15pm
- Dr. Tameeka Hunter, Dr. Donya Wallace, and Dr. Shreya Vaishnav
- Pleasure Activism and Mental Health: Implications for our Students, Clients, and Ourselves
- Roundtable session
- 4:15-5:15pm
- Dr. Megan Speciale
- Ethical Gatekeeping in CES: Supporting Counselor Development, Wellness, and Multicultural Identity
- Roundtable session
- 4:15-5:15pm
- Chitra Thummarukudy and Dr. Jeremiah L. Peck
- From Harm to Agency: A Classroom Framework for Teaching Ableism and Disability-Affirming Practice
- Education session
- 9:30-10:30am
- Dr. Tameeka Hunter and Dr. Rafe McCullough
- Cultivating Creativity in Counselor Education
- Education session
- 9:30-10:30am
- Jennifer Kiehl
- Hard(er) Times, Unwavering Truths: Collective Resilience in the Face of Anti-DEI Movements
- Education Session
- 9:30-10:30am
- Dr. Najla Hrustanovic and Dr. Ramona Amely
- Beyond the Baby Blues: A Scoping Review of Maternal Mental Health Across the Lifespan
- Poster session
- 10:30-11am
- Dr. Margaret Lamar and Priscilla Miranda-Sanchez
- Navigating the University Course Evaluation Process
- Poster session
- 10:30-11am
- Dr. Regina Moro
- Not a Deficit: Supervising for Neuro-Affirming ADHD Care
- Poster session
- 10:30-11am
- Tracy Hayes
- Rigor Without Rigidity: A Neurodiversity-Informed Framework for Sustainable Counselor Education
- Education session
- 10:45-11:45am
- John-Michael Spangler and Dr. Alisha Guthery
- Keeping it together: Cohort cohesion in hybrid counselor education programs
- Poster session
- 1:30-2pm
- Allie Lloren, MacKenzie Stuart, Alexa Miller, Celia Ferrer, Melanie Espinueva, and Priscilla Miranda-Sanchez
- Somatic-Based Interventions for Immigration-Related Anxiety
- Poster session
- 1:30-2pm
- Eleni Stogianni
- Claiming Our Space: Authenticity and Professional Identity Among First-Generation Counselor Educators
- Roundtable session
- 1:45-2:45pm
- Dr. Angelica Castillo and Dr. Sara Al-Khedairy
- Advancing Transcultural Approaches to Counselor Education: Centering Culture and Lived Experience
- Education session
- 1:45-2:45pm
- Dr. Szu-Yu (Darlene) Chen and Dr. Donya Wallace
- Immigration-Related Trauma in Context: Rethinking Counselor Training in Trauma Assessment
- Roundtable session
- 1:45-2:45pm
- Jackie Bicas and Dr. Karen Roller
- Voice, Prosody, and Embodied Attunement in Counselor Education and Supervision
- Roundtable session
- 1:45-2:45pm
- Jennifer Kiehl and Dr. Rachel Jacoby
- Supervising Counselors-in-Training with ADHD and Executive Functioning Differences
- Roundtable session
- 3-4 pm
- Laura Rea
Palo Alto
University
RESEARCH
Connect with PAU at WACES
Whether you're reconnecting with colleagues, exploring graduate education, or attending the Convention, we invite you to stop by and connect with the PAU community.
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Visit the PAU Booth
Stop by the Palo Alto University booth to connect with faculty, staff, and university representatives throughout the Convention. Whether you're reconnecting, asking questions, or simply saying hello, we'd love to meet you.
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Meet with the Admissions Team
Thinking about graduate school or know someone who is? Meet with our Admissions team to learn more about PAU's graduate programs, application process, scholarships, and student experience.