Brandy Clarke makes it pretty clear — there’s something special about the Munroe-Meyer Institute.
That’s why, Dr. Clarke said, she has stuck around through her time as a trainee, an intern and now as an associate professor of psychology.
Dr. Clarke said she’s far from the only one to maintain that kind of longevity at the institute.
And in July, she will move into yet another role with the institute as director of the MMI Department of Psychology.
“I am honored and humbled,” Dr. Clarke said. “There’s a long legacy of truly excellent leadership in this department. To be among that is an honor and it feels very humbling to be chosen for the role.”
Dr. Clarke will take over for Keith Allen, PhD, who is retiring as director of the department. She said Dr. Allen and Joseph Evans, PhD, professor emeritus and Dr. Allen’s predecessor, leave big shoes to fill.
“They’ve been great mentors to me and great leaders for our department,” Dr. Clarke said. “They’ve really paved a successful pathway that makes it a lot easier for me to jump in and take on this role.”
Dr. Clarke hopes to continue that momentum when she steps into her new role. Her goals for the department include:
- Maintaining its strong training program and national reputation;
- Expanding in areas such as school mental health and across-the-lifespan programming;
- Recruiting talented researchers to build up the department’s portfolio;
- Continuing to recruit a diverse workforce from within the community.
Dr. Clarke also hopes to explore continued collaborations with community partners.
“We have an established, longstanding history of partnerships that are very meaningful,” she said. “I think that creates lots of opportunities for us to continue to meet the mission of serving our community.”
Dr. Clarke has been at the institute as full-time faculty since 2015. During that time, she’s earned a number of awards and recognitions, including the Education Phoenix Award. That kind of recognition is always appreciated, Dr. Clarke said, but she also takes pride in her grant portfolio.
While Dr. Clarke didn’t initially seek the new title, she’s looking forward to being in a position where she has the opportunity to lead initiatives and provide support in the department.
“I am a help-giver at heart, and I am in a position where that is what I get to spend my time doing,” Dr. Clarke said. “The true impact is that I can make a difference in the lives of kids and families and the community. The things I’m working on are things I truly choose and believe in. They’re efforts that I am passionate about. It doesn’t really feel like work.”