The Department of Counseling and Educational Development (CED) alumni, Dr. S Anandavalli, will receive the 2022 Outstanding Research Award from Chi Sigma Iota International, the Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society, for her open access publication, “’Because here, White is right’: Mental health experiences of international graduate students of color from a critical race perspective ” (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10447-021-09437-x).
In the study, part of her dissertation project, Dr. Anandavalli used critical race theory to provide a rich examination of her participants’ stories. Her dissertation chair, Dr. Borders wrote in her endorsement letter that, in critically examining the literature, “Valli chaffed at acculturation and assimilation frameworks researchers used to determine their research questions, variables, and results.” CRT provided a missing systemic lens for more fully understanding the experiences of international graduate students of color, thus providing new directions for both researchers and mental health practitioners serving these students. In Valli’s own words, “That piece has had a big piece of my heart.”
Dr. Anandavalli, an Assistant Professor at Southern Oregon University, will officially receive the award in April. We add our Congratulations! and celebrate that Dr. Anandavalli’s original and substantive work has been recognized by CSI.
