Dr. Mari Clements assumes the position of sixth dean of the School of Psychology on July 1, 2014

Fuller has announced that Dr. Mari L. Clements has accepted the position of Dean of the School of Psychology effective July 1, 2014. Dr. Clements, who has served for more than a decade as associate professor of psychology at Fuller, is the first woman to serve in the dean's role since the founding of Fuller's School of Psychology in 1965.

"I am delighted that Dr. Mari Clements has accepted this position," said Fuller President Dr. Mark Labberton. "As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our School of Psychology, I am confident that Dr. Clements' leadership will help us continue to be pioneers in Christian psychology for many years to come."

Dr. Clements was selected following an extensive nationwide search.

The first seminary-based psychology school accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), Fuller has established a leadership role in the integration of Christian faith and psychology. Since its inception, Fuller's School of Psychology has more than 2,200 alumni serving locally and across the globe as clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and other counselors and educators.

"I am both honored and humbled to be given this remarkable opportunity to serve as dean," said Dr. Clements, who is also a competitive race car driver in her free time.

"We are in a time of such dramatic change-in the world, in higher education, and in psychology-and I am excited as well as challenged by the task of preparing our school and our graduates for this ever-expanding diversity of needs, settings, and cultures."

Dr. Clements replaces Dr. Winston Gooden who is retiring after serving as Dean of the School of Psychology for 15 years, and as a Fuller faculty member for three decades. Under Dr. Gooden's leadership, the School of Psychology currently serves nearly 350 graduate-level students.

"She is an experienced and visionary leader who values collegiality and teamwork," said Dr. Gooden. "Dr. Clements understands the academy, and is committed to efficiency in pursuit of the school's teaching and research missions."

Along with a BA in psychology from Yale University, Dr. Clements has MA and PhD degrees in child clinical psychology from the University of Denver. Prior to coming to Fuller in 2001, Dr. Clements served for seven years as assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Clements, whose work has appeared in scholarly journals including Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Journal of Marriage and Family, Journal of Family Psychology, Family Process, and Journal of Psychology and Christianity, is a member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the National Council on Family Relations, American Psychological Society, and the American Psychological Association. She is also a leader in accreditation, and has extensive experience with the APA and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).