FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The College of Education and Health Professions announced the addition of an award-winning faculty member to the department of educational leadership, counseling and foundations. Rebecca A. Newgent, newly appointed assistant professor of counselor education, received the 2001 Outstanding Doctoral Student Award from Chi Sigma Iota International, the counselor education international honorary society.

Newgent was also named Outstanding Woman Student in Higher Education for 2001 at The University of Akron, where she earned her doctorate in counselor education and supervision.

"Rebecca Newgent is an outstanding addition to the counselor education faculty," said John W. Murry, Jr., associate dean for research, graduate studies and faculty development and interim head of the department of educational leadership, counseling and foundations. "She combines achievement on a national level in quantitative research with a solid professional background both in clinical and private practice."

Newgent’s research for her dissertation on a measurement of personality, "An investigation of the reliability and validity of the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator," lead to multiple presentations at academic conferences and publications in scholarly journals. She has also made academic and popular presentations on a variety of counseling-related subjects, such as issues in family therapy and gerontological counseling.

Newgent comes to the university with two research projects underway. One is an investigation of career decision-making in young adolescence, and the other is an offshoot of her dissertation that will involve revising a measure of personality to make it more valid for high school students.

Newgent cited several reasons the University of Arkansas was so attractive that she withdrew her applications elsewhere after interviewing at the U of A. She was impressed with the high level of dedication among the faculty and the broad spectrum of interests represented in the college. Newgent, an enthusiastic teacher, also pointed to the quality of students admitted to the university as an important factor in her decision.

"Meeting with the department’s students particularly impressed me," Newgent said. "The counselor education program at the University of Arkansas has higher criteria than many such programs and admits high quality graduate students."

Newgent also considered the quality of life in Fayetteville an important plus. As a "big sports fan," Newgent has already purchased season tickets to university football games, and is investigating the basketball Hogs and other campus sports.