DALLAS, Pa .– Deyu Pan and Rebecca Sarver have joined Penn State Wilkes-Barre faculty, Chancellor Dale Jones announced.
Pan was appointed assistant professor of rehabilitation and social services (RHS) and Sarver was hired as assistant professor of criminal justice and coordinator of the criminal justice program.
“We welcome both new faculty members and the experience they bring to Penn State Wilkes-Barre,” Jones said. “We look forward to their contributions to the educational and professional goals of their students. “
Deyu Pan
Pan said he was aware of Penn State’s reputation for quality rehabilitation education programs and appreciated the size of the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus and its capacity for teacher-student interaction.
“It’s a small campus that has engaged students and offers research opportunities that are generally not available for a small school,” he said. “It’s great to have University Park’s resources for research, both for faculty and students. “
He will teach the RHS courses while conducting academic research, engaging students in research, and guiding students in their own research endeavors.
Pan said he wanted to involve students in research and help them gain experience in their field.
“I want to promote the research skills of students and help them become quality consumers of rehabilitation research,” he said.
Pan praised the students he has already gotten to know at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, saying, “The students are very motivated to learn new things and very open to new ideas. They engage in positive classroom discussions and activities and are well prepared in terms of skills.
He plans to help students get involved in local service projects that benefit both their education and the community. Pan himself helped orchestrate a community project as a volunteer with the Iowa City Senior Center during the first months of the pandemic.
“While I was working on an internship as part of my masters program, the instructor in this class had already established a relationship with a local senior citizen center,” Pan recalls. “When COVID hit, they found a lot of people in the senior community who had been to the senior center before COVID was totally isolated. They did not see family members or friends or go to the old age center as before.
To help seniors who may have had issues with the technology that allowed others to connect during the pandemic, he was part of a group that introduced the coronavirus anxiety chat line. , a dedicated telephone service with the aim of providing counseling services to the elderly to reduce their social isolation and improve their mental health.
“In the beginning, the line of discussion was to contact them to provide them with education about COVID and help them prevent them from contracting COVID,” said Pan. “Later we found out that just by recording them they felt very supported and wanted to share things when they were having difficulty. “
The group also worked to teach seniors how to use technologies like Zoom and Skype so they could stay in touch with family and friends.
Pan earned a doctorate in counselor training and supervision and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, both from the University of Iowa. He holds an MA in Philosophy of Education in Vocational Counseling and an MA in Mental Health Counseling and Services, both from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Applied Psychology from the University. Renmin from China.
He is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification and a National Certified Counselor with the National Board for Certified Counselors. He is a member of the American Counseling Association, the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and the National Council on Rehabilitation Education.
Pan is co-author of several rehabilitation publications and has presented at conferences offered by the National Council on Rehabilitation Education, NCRE / RSA / CSAVR National Rehabilitation Education Conference, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and d ‘others.
Rebecca Sarver
Sarver knew Penn State Wilkes-Barre through her husband, Assistant Criminal Justice Professor Jeremy Olson.
“My husband and I wanted to put in place a restorative justice program and this allows us to do it,” Sarver said. “He’s always had wonderful things to say about Penn State Wilkes-Barre. I love the small campus and being able to really get to know the students and connect.
Restorative justice focuses on repairing emotional, physical and mental harm and building relationships rather than applying punitive measures.
“My goal is to help my students go out into the world and change the world for the better. Restorative justice provides an opportunity to fix some of the things that are wrong with the system right now, ”Sarver said. “One of the things I love most about the concept of restorative justice is the philosophy that we are all connected, near and far. What happens to one person really happens to everyone, so we should care. “
As the program coordinator, Sarver will oversee the criminal justice program, teach classes, supervise student placements, and prepare students for their placements.
“One of my goals is to get out into the community and provide more opportunities for our students,” she said. “There are great opportunities for students to learn on the job, including places like domestic violence centers and police departments. The internship experience is a valuable part of student education.
Sarver received a PhD in Sociology – Administration and Leadership Studies, an MA in Adult and Community Education, and a BA in Rehabilitation Education, all from Indiana University in Pennsylvania.
Prior to coming to Penn State Wilkes-Barre, she taught as a lecturer in the social services program at Elmira College. She has also worked as an Assistant Instructor at Elmina College and Seton Hill University and as a Special Subjects Instructor for Westmoreland County Community College Police Academy, instructing Bill 120 cadets on sexual assault modules and domestic violence as it relates to the experience of victims.
Sarver has also held professional positions in the human services field, including the role of Advocacy Program Manager for the Blackburn Center in Greensburg, where she managed the operations of the Violence Advocacy Program Service Center. Domestic and Sexual Assault in Westmoreland County and was educated on Domestic Violence. and sexual assault issues, and a position as Clinical Director of Illuminating at Delmont, where she oversaw the operations of the private psychiatric and opioid treatment practice, including conducting individual therapy sessions with adults with suffering. addiction and mental health issues.
She served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, reaching the E-4 rank. She is an honorary graduate of the Army Signals School and received the Army Individual Achievement Medal and the General Douglas Stewart Medal.
Sarver and Olson are the authors of several publications on restorative justice, including “How Restorative Are You?” Presentation of the restoration index. She has been accepted three times to speak at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting and this year featured “Is Evil for Happiness?” A vision for integrating positive psychology, criminal justice and restorative justice.
