Dr. Robin Wagner Renucci, a recent graduate of St. Cloud State University’s Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) doctoral program, has been named the Melvene D. Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award winner by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).
NASPA, a national organization of student affairs administrators in higher education, will honor Renucci at their national conference in March.
“Our online program provides opportunities for full-time working professionals to pursue doctorates that may not be as accessible at other universities,” said Dr. Steven McCullar, chair of the Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education and Student Development at SCSU. “National awards are often dominated by larger research institutions; we believe our program is one of the best kept secrets nationally, and awards like Robin’s are beginning to let that secret out.”
Renucci worked as a school counselor in Louisiana and Texas for nine years before moving to Dublin, Ireland with her husband in 2019. She began conducting counseling sessions online and decided to make her dream of earning a doctorate a reality.
That was when she connected with McCullar, whom she had crossed paths with at Louisiana State University while McCullar was earning his doctorate and Renucci was getting her master’s degree.
She was intrigued by the flexibility of SCSU’s online doctoral program, and she started taking classes from Ireland in 2020. Renucci was able to work as a graduate assistant and collaborate with faculty on online learning management and course design to begin building relationships and further honing her skillsets in educational technology.
“I knew I wanted to earn my doctorate, but there were always so many barriers with regard to time, location, energy and finances,” said Renucci. “I wouldn’t have had the confidence or resources to achieve this dream had it not been for this exact program at the exact time and the incredible faculty who encouraged me the whole way through.”
That timing was also perfect for her eventual dissertation, “University Counselor Experiences of Providing Online Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” With the near overnight transition to online therapy on campuses in 2020, many professionals had to step out of their comfort zone to provide services in new ways.
“For most of my career, my work centered directly on student services … through my research, I developed an interest in the lived realities of counselors and the implications for the field,” Renucci said. “Our coursework helped me gain clarity on my dissertation topic and evaluate how university mental health counseling is evolving, even when at odds with traditional university structures.”
Interviews with seven college mental health counselors brought her dissertation to life, where she explored the importance of integrating online counseling as a permanent component of university mental health services and advocating for further training and development to meet the needs of students.
Additionally, Renucci examined the evolving role of counselors, the importance of work/life balance and workforce trends for job satisfaction and employee retention.
For the NASPA competition, she had to turn her 200-plus page dissertation into a 10-page executive summary. Renucci was shocked to find she was named a finalist in November, and even more stunned when she was announced as the winner in January.
“I didn’t truly consider myself in the running for that accolade; there are a lot of great writers and passionate people in our field, and I don’t think I thought of myself at that elite level,” Renucci said. “Imposter syndrome is real across practitioners and academia alike, especially at the doctoral level. It’s been impactful to realize that I have a lot to say because I’ve put in the work to be an expert in counseling and educational spaces. The diploma isn’t an end to my scholastic career because there is still so much that I have to offer through my curiosity and inquiry.”
Renucci will get the chance to share that message again in March when she presents at the NASPA National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
“It’s a very big conference, so I’m excited about the chance to attend as well as present,” Renucci said. “I want to put my research into action and continue to share what I’ve learned and put into practice … when you’re at the forefront of something, you feel energized, and I’m thrilled for the opportunity to share that enthusiasm.”
