Lucy Purgason

Dr. Lucy L. Purgason is an Associate Professor in the Counseling Department at Oregon State University – Cascades, where she teaches and advises in the school counseling and clinical mental health counseling programs. Her scholarship centers on culturally responsive school counseling practices, interprofessional collaboration, and the academic and mental health needs of multilingual and immigrant-origin students. Dr. Purgason has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and has received national recognition for her research, including awards from the Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy, the North Carolina Counseling Association, and OSU-Cascades. She actively contributes to state and national conversations on school mental health and counselor education and was the PI on a federally funded Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant aimed at advancing school counselor training in CentralOregon. 

Dr. Purgason’s work is deeply rooted in community engagement, with a focus on building sustainable university-school partnerships that support equity and access in K-12 education. She was honored as a co-recipient of the Oregon State University Community Engaged Scholarship Team Award in 2024 for her leadership in collaborative initiatives that prepare and support school counselors in underserved regions. Prior to joining OSU-Cascades, Dr. Purgason held faculty positions at Appalachian State University and Western Washington University, where she led student research teams and developed community-engaged projects focused on equity and inclusion. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where her dissertation research was inspired by her work at a school specifically for newcomer immigrant and refugee students. With a professional background as a licensed school counselor in multiple states and a commitment to holistic admissions and strengths-based practice, Dr. Purgason brings a practitioner-scholar lens to her teaching, research, and service. She currently serves on editorial boards and advisory councils and is a frequent presenter at national and regional conferences on topics related to school counseling, supervision, and culturally sustaining practices.