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Lynch School Professor David Blustein’s study of the roles of work in psychological functioning has transformed counseling and vocational psychology. His expertise also includes unemployment, decent work, precarious work, relationships and work, the future of work, STEM career development for marginalized high school students, and other aspects of the radically changing world of labor. 

More About David

Amy Mazur, M.Ed., and WIN Project Coordinator is a Career Development Specialist and Counselor Educator who has been working in the field for over 20 years, and who is committed to recognizing how contexts and systems in which clients locate themselves are critical to understanding how an individual develops beliefs and generates options. Her expertise includes educating, training and mentoring professionals in career and workforce development on using counseling skills to foster growth and change.

Prior to her work in private practice and as Lead Career Counselor at JVS md´«Ã½¹ú²ú¾ç, Amy created and coordinated the Career Counselors’ Consortium Northeast Professional Development Seminars Series. Currently, she trains and mentors career professionals locally, regionally, and nationally, and her recent work focuses on the effects of self-blame on long-term unemployed workers.

Amy received her M.Ed. from Harvard University in Counseling & Consulting Psychology, and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan. She is a National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC), and is a member of the National Career Development Association (NCDA), the association from which she holds the Master Career Development Professional (MCDP) designation.

Michael is a doctoral candidate in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at md´«Ã½¹ú²ú¾ç College. He currently works as a graduate research assistant for Dr. David Blustein on projects related to the psychology of work, career development of Black and African Americans, and meaningful work. He has an M.A. in Counseling Theory from md´«Ã½¹ú²ú¾ç College and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida.

Blake A. Allan is an Associate Professor and Program Director of Counseling Psychology at the University of Houston. His specific area of interest is investigating the predictors and outcomes of work quality, operationalized as underemployment, precarious work, meaningful work, and decent work.

Gali is a Professor of Career Development in the School of Education at Tel Aviv University.

Kelsey Autin, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Counseling Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Autin's broad research area is the psychology of working. She explores role that work plays in people's lives and how working can support or hinder people's physical, social, and psychological well-being. Her recent work has focused on two main areas. The first is understanding what contextual factors help people obtain decent jobs. The second is women's career development, particularly as it relates to reproductive autonomy, pregnancy, and early motherhood.

Joaquim A. Ferreira is a Professor and Chair Department of Education Developmental and Counseling Psychology at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. His main areas of interest are school and work-based transitions, decent work, and well-being.

Saliha Kozan, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and the Director of Clinical Services at the md´«Ã½¹ú²ú¾ç University Danielsen Institute. She has a doctorate in counseling psychology from md´«Ã½¹ú²ú¾ç College where her dissertation explored psychologists’ engagement in social justice advocacy. Dr. Kozan’s clinical interests include anxiety and depression; complex-PTSD; relationship and work-related concerns; identity, cultural, sexual, and spiritual/religious concerns; and marginalization-based stressors. She uses a trauma-informed and culturally responsive approach to psychotherapy integrating methods from various therapy models including relational/psychodynamic therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Kozan’s goal is to help clients access their inner strengths in order to foster psychological well-being and growth as a whole person. To forge a direct connection between clinical practice and social justice research, Dr. Kozan has also been involved in research projects and presentations. She has co-authored peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters focusing on the intersections of mental health, social justice, work/career, and culture.

Sharone is an associate professor at the College of Social & Behavioral Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Ofer’s research focuses on career transitions, work and unemployment. His studies are primarily cross-national comparisons and utilize in-depth interviews and participant observations.

Camille is a doctoral candidate in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at md´«Ã½¹ú²ú¾ç College. She currently works as a graduate research assistant for David Blustein on projects related to career development, unemployment and underemployment, and the psychology of work. She has a M.S.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling from Fordham University and a B.A. in Psychology and English/Creative Writing.

Brian Stevenson, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School and Adjunct Instructor at md´«Ã½¹ú²ú¾ç College Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology. His clinical and research interests are focused on developing, implementing, and testing vocational interventions for people living with mental health and substance use disorders.

Mindi Thompson, PhD, HSP, is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at The University of Wisconsin-Madison and a licensed and registered Health Service Psychologist. Applications of her research agenda occur within two primary domains: vocational and educational development and mental health and psychotherapy.

Amy Avergun is an Instructional Designer who enjoys designing workshops and presentations that start by asking people to identify What They Love Doing. This positive start makes them open-minded, creative and resilient - the best frame of mind for learning something new.

Amy's signature specialties include

• Designing and delivering highly interactive, research-based activities for real people with real challenges.
• Being a Thought Partner who helps clients and colleagues see things in a new way
• Utilizing Zoom and other virtual platforms to create high-impact workshop experiences.
• Working with Content Experts to develop interactive and engaging presentations and workshops
• Writing easy-to-use facilitator guides and participant materials
• Coaching facilitators to significantly elevate their skills
• Conducting Train-the-Trainers for Technical and Non-technical facilitators
• Partnering with other consultants to design customized executive workshops

A longtime friend and colleague to many career and executive coaches locally and nationally, Amy co-created a step-by-step guide for WIN workshop facilitators ensuring that WIN concepts are clearly and simply communicated. This guide is designed for facilitators who might need more guidance than the current manual offers, or may not have as much group facilitation experience as some of WIN's more experienced career professionals.

Patricia Flynn Weitzman, PhD, is a developmental psychologist, behavioral science researcher, and executive coach. She is the co-founder of a public health tech company and has been the PI on several NIH-funded research studies that use a lifespan developmental approach to supporting decision making in HIV. As an executive coach, she similarly combines a lifespan developmental perspective with evidence from positive psychology to help professionals grow as leaders and/or navigate career transitions. Her peer-reviewed publications have been on a range of topics including young adult career development and decision making in relation to workplace conflict. Pat started her career as a faculty member in the Division on Aging at Harvard Medical School. She also served a 3-year term on the Harvard Joint Committee on the Status of Women, which supported the career advancement of women faculty.

Pat received her PhD in developmental psychology from NYU and her coaching certification from Mentor Coach. She is a member of the Association of Women In Science (AWIS) and has written articles on women’s career advancement for AWIS Magazine.