Ashley Ascherl Pechek, Kristin A. Vincenzes, Kellie Forziat-Pytel, Stephen Nowakowski, and Leandrea Romero-Lucero received the 2024 Outstanding Scholar Award for Quantitative or Qualitative Research for their article “Teaching Suicide Assessment and Intervention Online: A Model of Practice.”
Ashley Ascherl Pechek (she/her), PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC (CO), currently works as an associate professor at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania in the clinical mental health counseling graduate program. She has been a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado since 2010 and has worked with a variety of clientele, including children and adolescents, military families, and at-risk youth. Dr. Pechek earned her PhD in counselor education and supervision from Adams State University in 2018 and has been teaching in online CACREP-accredited programs for the last 10 years. Her research interests include online learning, creativity in counselor education, military families and veterans, self-care, and suicide assessment and intervention.
Kristin A. Vincenzes (she/her), PhD, NCC, ACS, BC-TMH, LPC, is a counselor educator and full Professor at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania in the clinical mental health counseling graduate program. She has over 13 years of experience teaching in graduate counseling programs, including 10 years during which she served as a program director developing and growing a new program. Dr. Vincenzes has fully written two CACREP self-studies and has led her program through both initial accreditation and preparation for re-accreditation. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania as well as an Approved Clinical Supervisor, National Certified Counselor, and a Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider. She has 29 peer-reviewed publications, including both journal articles and book chapters, and has presented 53 times across different local, state, regional, and national venues. Her scholarship interests focus on trauma, the military, wellness for service professionals and leaders, and online education.
Kellie Forziat-Pytel (she/her), PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC (PA), currently works as an Assistant Professor at the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania–Lock Haven. She is a part-time research support for the Clearinghouse for Military Readiness at Pennsylvania State University. Her specialty areas consist of prevention work, military, trauma, and grief and loss, and their impact on individuals, families, and the community.
Stephen Nowakowski (not pictured), is a former graduate student of clinical mental health counseling at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
Leandrea Romero-Lucero (she, her, hers), PhD, ACS, LPCC, CSOTS, is an Associate Professor and Program Director for the 100% online clinical mental health counseling program at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania–Lock Haven. Dr. Romero-Lucero holds a PhD in counselor education and supervision, has been licensed in the state of New Mexico as a mental health counselor since 2008, holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor and Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist certifications, and is an approved supervisor in New Mexico. Dr. Romero-Lucero’s research interests are grief and loss for kinship caregivers, supervisor training and development, and burnout among providers who work with adult and juvenile sex offenders.
Read more about the TPC scholarship awards here.
