RIT Extends a Warm Welcome to Suzanne Graney!

RIT's School Psychology Program will be receiving instruction from one new professor this academic year. We have been very lucky to have Suzanne Graney join the RIT family! In honor of her new arrival this fall, 'Mental Notes' decided to interview the newest addition to the RIT faculty.

Mental Notes: "Tell us about your previous education. Where did you get your degrees from?"

Suzanne Graney: "I got my undergraduate degree in psychology from Geneseo and my Ph.D in school psychology from the University of Oregon. I also have an A.A. in humanities from Finger Lakes Community College."

Mental Notes: "What are your areas of research experience (past/present)?"

Suzanne Graney: "Implementation and monitoring of general education reading interventions for students who are struggling, and identification of students with reading disabilities. I also have some past experience in issues related to ADHD."

Mental Notes: "What courses are you planning on teaching at RIT?"

Suzanne Graney: "It looks like I will be teaching Alternative Assessment Techniques in the fall, Intellectual Assessment in the winter, and possibly the Role and Function of the School Psychologist in the spring. I also am slated to supervise the interns."

Mental Notes: "What drew you to RIT?"

Suzanne Graney: "Like every major decision I've made, I have been led to RIT by a combination of professional and personal factors. My husband and I both grew up in the Rochester area. After spending several years living and working in other states, we decided that we wanted to return so we could raise our children near extended family. Concurrently, I have had an ultimate goal to pursue a career in higher education, as a trainer of school psychologists. My husband and I were planning to move back to Rochester, but I was starting to get cold feet (pun intended) about the idea of living through Rochester winters after being spoiled for so many years without them. In February I saw an ad in the NASP Communique for the RIT position. I knew that RIT was a reputable institution with a well established, NASP-approved program, and the timing couldn't have been better for me. I researched the program a little more and felt that it was well rounded and that I could contribute to the program's goals. The prospect got me excited again about the idea of moving back to Rochester, so I applied for the position. And then, as they say, the rest is history."

Mental Notes: "What do you think is most important for graduate students in school psychology to have before they go out into the schools? Or, what's most important to teach us?"

Suzanne Graney: "Well, you will learn a number of important skills in graduate school. However, I think that the most important skill you will need is the ability to maintain the integrity of your training and knowledge of best practices as you strive to fulfill the expectations placed on you in the schools. School psychology is a changing profession, and sometimes it is difficult to translate the latest innovations into practice - especially when your administrators and colleagues are perfectly happy with you in the most traditional roles. You will need to work within the culture of your school(s) to continue to address their expectations of you while you strive to define your role in ways that will meet the needs of the students and the school in which you are working."

Mental Notes: "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

Suzanne Graney: "When I have spare time I like to spend it with my husband and kids, and I also like to read, shop, and surf the Internet."

RIT's School Psychology students are very excited to get to know Professor Graney better in September. Professor Graney told 'Mental Notes,' "I am looking forward to meeting and working with all of you, and to the start of an exciting new school year."