Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist is an accomplished professional who has dedicated her professional life to advancing the knowledge and practice of Rehabilitation Counseling and Counseling Psychology .Her impact on the field is underscored by her lengthy academic background and extensive career achievements. She obtained her Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Counseling Psychology in 1974 and has since held licenses and certifications as a Clinical Psychologist, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Diplomate of the American Board of Vocational Experts (ABVE) and International Psychometric Evaluator (IPEC). She has been a VE for SSA since 1983. Over the years she has held offices in many professional organizational including the presidencies of ABVE, NRCA and CORE. She has also been a continuous member of the Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Coalition (VRCC) which was formed as a response to the changes in the role of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors in the 2014 WIOA.
One of Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist's most notable attributes is her prolific research output, which comprises over 80 articles in referred journals, countless juried presentations and three books, all of which have significantly contributed to the body of knowledge in vocational counseling. Moreover, her work has translated into tangible results by over more than $26 million in external grant funding, attesting to her ability to secure resources for innovative projects and initiatives. She has demonstrated her leadership through PI roles in RSA-funded long-term training grants and an Experimental and Innovative Grants, during which she has disseminated her knowledge and expertise to empower community and VR service providers.
Dr. Schiro-Geist's career trajectory has been marked by key academic leadership positions, including serving as the senior vice provost at the University of Memphis, director of Disability and Rehabilitation Education and Training, and director of the Disability Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She also directed the IIT masters in Rehabilitation Counseling Program from 1981-1987. In an interesting historical note,Dr. Schiro-Geist, while at the U. of I., managed the first international master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling in Ireland.
Her exceptional leadership abilities are evident in her role as the director of the University of Memphis Institute on Disability (UMID) since 2007. Under her guidance, UMID has flourished, expanding its program operations to include transition and vocational training, ensuring that individuals with cognitive disabilities are provided with the necessary tools for success. That inclusive higher education program had graduated over 300 young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities with a 70 percent. Dr. Schiro-Geist has been involved with specialized accreditation in rehabilitation, counseling, rehabilitation science, and most recently, the development of inclusive Higher Education accreditation standards and practices.