MC Counseling Department Adds Pair of Experienced Psychology Instructors to Faculty Ranks

Emily Derrick, left, and Jennifer Giambrone have joined the MC Department of Counseling faculty.

The Mississippi College Department of Counseling has welcomed a seasoned university counseling instructor and a longtime adjunct professor into its full-time faculty ranks.

Emily Derrick, who served as an associate professor of psychology, assistant director of first-year experience, and Title IX deputy coordinator at Blue Mountain College for more than a decade, and Jennifer Giambrone, who recently retired from Mississippi State Hospital after 25 years of service, have joined the MC Department of Counseling as assistant professors.

Kayla Acklin, chair and assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, said the new faculty members will be outstanding assets to the University.

“Dr. Derrick is an experienced faculty member who completed her master’s degree at MC and is returning to educate the next generation of counselors,” Acklin said. “She will be teaching our foundational courses across all three masters-level specialty areas.

“As evidenced by her extensive administrative experience in higher education, she has a strong work ethic and collaborates easily with others. She has been a pleasure to work with and I am grateful that she is here with us at MC.”

A Madison resident, Derrick obtained her B.S. in psychology from Blue Mountain College, her M.S. in counseling psychology from MC and her Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Mississippi.

She began her career as a school-based clinical therapist at the Region 8 Mental Health Commission in Brandon and had stints as a tobacco cessation counselor for Information and Quality Healthcare in Ridgeland and as an individual counselor and group facilitator at the University of Mississippi Counseling Center before entering the world of academia as director of student support services at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia.

Derrick became an assistant professor of human services at Shorter before joining Blue Mountain College, where she also served as coordinator of the university’s online psychology program. She concurrently served as an adjunct instructor in Shorter University’s Traditional Program and Curriculum Advising and Program Planning (CAPP) Online for eight years.

The author of a pair of journal articles published in peer-reviewed scholarly publications, Derrick has given three presentations at international conferences and scientific meetings. She received the 2017 Course of the Year Award from Blue Mountain College.

Likewise, Acklin said Giambrone brings decades of clinical experience to her work with MC students.

“In the world of counseling, it is not enough to grasp the knowledge aspects of the profession – understanding how to put the knowledge into practice to effectively diagnose and treat clients is a huge part of training students to be competent counselors,” Acklin said. “The diagnostic and treatment skills aspect of student training is where Dr. Giambrone shines.

“She will be teaching our masters-level diagnostics courses as well as courses in the D.P.C. Program. Dr. Giambrone is a pleasure to work with and our students can’t say enough positive things about her classes.”

The Clinton resident obtained her B.A. in psychology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where she was in the Honors Program; and her M.S. in psychology and her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Giambrone joined the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield staff in 1999 as a psychology resident and worked her way up through the ranks, serving as a psychologist I for the Community Services Division; as Case Management Program director for the division; as a behavioral health clinician III and operations manager for the division; and as behavioral health clinician III for the Behavioral Health Services Department.

An adjunct faculty member for MC’s Department of Counseling for the last five years and for Holmes Community College in Ridgeland for the last 13, Giambrone has given nearly 50 presentations at professional conferences and scientific meetings throughout Mississippi.