The School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) announces the addition of five distinguished mental health faculty members.
Name
Ali Bryant, PhD, LMFT
Assistant Professor of the Practice in Marriage and Family Therapy
Degrees
BA, SUNY Geneseo
MS, Canisius College
PhD, The Ohio State University
Background
As a licensed practicing marriage and family therapist, Dr. Bryant conducts research on first-generation college students and their families. Bryant is also a former higher education administrator and the clinical director of the Koslow Center for Marriage and Family Therapy located on the Fairfield University campus.
Goals at Fairfield University
Bryant’s goal is to increase visibility and traffic at Fairfield’s on-campus family therapy clinic, the Koslow Center.
Name
Carissa D'Aniello-Heyda, PhD, LMFT
Chair, Family Therapy and Social Work Department, Associate Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy
Degrees
BA, Siena College
MA, Fairfield University
PhD, Virginia Tech
Background
Dr. D’Aniello-Heyda is an AAMFT clinical fellow, approved supervisor, and treasurer of the Family Therapy Section of the National Council on Family Relations. Prior to her appointment at Fairfield University, she served as an assistant professor at Texas Tech University, and for four years at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She researches couple and family therapy processes, specifically, therapy retention, and common factors. D’Aniello-Heyda has authored over 50 publications in the American Journal of Family Therapy, Contemporary Family Therapy, The Family Journal, and the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.
Goals at Fairfield University
In order to contribute to a strong MFT and social work program, D’Aniello-Heyda’s goals for Fairfield are to develop positive mentoring relationships with her students and colleagues. She aims to develop program structures that promote transparency and equity in the learning process.
Name
Suzanne Marmo, PhD, LCSW, APHSW-C
Director and Associate Professor, Social Work
Degrees
BA, MSW, The State University of New York, Stony Brook
PhD, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service
Background
Dr. Marmo has won several national awards for her published research on palliative care and hospice. This includes two peer-reviewed journal article awards for best article in 2019 and 2022. In 2022, Marmo was awarded the Award of Excellence in Policy and Advocacy by the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network, and she is a master trainer for the Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care ESPEC training program. Marmo’s research and scholarly interests are in end-of-life care policy, political advocacy, disparities in palliative care, social determinants of health, and the role of social work in healthcare organizations.
Goals at Fairfield University
As the new program director of the Master of Social Work program, Marmo’s goal is to build a high-quality clinical specialist program that prepares new social workers to work with marginalized communities through a holistic and anti-oppressive approach. She hopes to someday utilize this expertise to develop a palliative care social work specialization and a trauma specialization at Fairfield.
Name
Michele Parker, PhD, LMFT
Director and Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy
Degrees
BA, University of Oklahoma
MS, Oklahoma Baptist University
PhD, University of Georgia
Background
With a specialization in structural-strategic family therapy and emotionally focused couple’s therapy, Dr. Parker is a licensed practicing marriage and family therapist and an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor and Supervision Mentor. From 2010 to 2018, Parker served as the MFT Program Director at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. She then pursued advanced clinical research on autism spectrum disorders and complex healthcare needs as an assistant professor in the MFT doctoral program at Florida State University. Parker has a broad range of ongoing research collaborations, such as divorce initiation, relational infidelity, telehealth supervision, and technology in relationships.
Goals at Fairfield University
Parker continues to evolve her philosophy of teaching and supervision to accommodate the ever-changing landscape of the field, specifically pandemic-related stressors, use of technology, and student diversity in MFT. In each course, Dr. Parker aims to guide students toward systemic theory-driven, research-informed clinical practice that addresses the needs of diverse clients.
Name
Jay Taylor, DSW, MSW
Clinical Director, Social Work Program and Instructor of the Practice of Social Work
Degrees
BA, Bluffton University
MSW, The Ohio State University
DSW, University of Pennsylvania
Background
With a background as an intensive outpatient therapist for youth dealing with substance abuse problems, Dr. Taylor also has experience working at a psychiatric hospital where he provided individual and group-based treatment at dual diagnosis, adolescent, and personality disorder programs. For eight years Taylor traveled the country providing healthy masculinity training in efforts to reduce violence of all forms.
Goals at Fairfield University
Taylor would like his teaching and research to center around developing hope and healing for men in ways that transform traditional concepts of manhood into more inclusive and comprehensive masculine identities. In doing this work there will be an inevitable decrease in violence against self and others, especially women, girls, and the LGBTQ+ community.
