01/12/2024
2024 Conference Keynote Speakers
Dr. Y. Barry Chung
Dr. Dayna Jones
Dr. Candy Ho
Dr. Spencer Niles
Dr. Mark Savickas
A native of Hong Kong, Dr. Y. Barry Chung received his A.M. and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his B.A. in educational psychology and counseling from the National Taiwan Normal University. Prior to his current appointment as Dean of the College of Education at San Diego State University, he was Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the School of Education at Indiana University Bloomington. He also served as Department Chair at Northeastern University, and Professor and Program Director at Georgia State University.
Dr. Chung’s research interests include career development, multicultural counseling, sexual orientation and gender diversity issues. He has presented and published widely on these topics. He was appointed to 10 journal editorial boards internationally and was Executive Editor of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 44 Book Series. Dr. Chung was President of the National Career Development Association, Society of Counseling Psychology, and Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs. He also served on APA’s Board of Educational Affairs, Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest, Membership Board (as Chair), Council of Representatives, Finance Committee, and Policy and Planning Board. Dr. Chung is a Fellow of APA (Divisions 17, 44, 45, and 52), Asian American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, and National Career Development Association. He received the Eminent Career Award from the National Career Development Association in 2019, the highest honor of the Association.
Dr. Dayna Jones is a licensed clinical psychologist in South Florida. She has been practicing for 10 years as a psychologist working in various settings including community mental health, prison and long and short-term psychiatric hospitals. She is the owner of Jones Psychological Health Services, LLC. As the sole psychologist in her private practice, she works with adults suffering from mild to severe psychological distress. She worked throughout her educational endeavors, mostly with severe mentally ill populations. She made it a point to gain exposure to the various levels of care in the field of psychology to enhance her knowledge of the human experience from different lenses.
Dr. Jones’ commitment to her clients and unwavering desire to assist and guide them toward their optimal living experience allows her the ability to understand how identity, history, desire, motivation, circumstances, and overall psychological health impact career choices. Discussing, exploring, and processing through job related experiences, thoughts and emotions are a large part of her daily sessions with clients. Making it a point to connect personal and professional experiences to how a person is feeling in their life at any given time is essential in striking a balance; where planning, joy, contentment, validation, and hope can reside. She believes that this balance should be a priority for both mental health and career development professionals and that working together consultatively will allow for people to live more satisfying lives as well as improve productivity.
Dr. Candy Ho is a proud recipient of NCDA's 2022 International Practitioner of the Year Award. Dr. Ho is an international award-winning career development educator and scholar whose expertise is recognized globally through keynotes and engagements. Her insights have been featured in prestigious media outlets including BNN Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Canadian Business, National Post, and CTV news. Originally from Hong Kong, she currently serves as Chancellor's Research Chair at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and teaches in Douglas College's Career Development Practitioner Program.
Prior to becoming a faculty member, Candy has also worked extensively in university student affairs in areas such as first year experience and student transition, campus and residence life, career and volunteer services, co-operative education, academic advising, and university advancement. Her collective professional experiences to date have culminated in her doctoral dissertation investigating the conceptions of post-secondary career influencers in student career success, and she readily shares her expertise locally and globally. Finally, she currently serves as Chair of CERIC, a Canadian charitable organization that advances education and research in career counselling and career development, in order to increase the economic and social well-being of Canadians.
Dr. Spencer G. Niles is a professor of counselor education and co-director of the THRIVE Research and Intervention Center. Dr. Niles served as Dean (2013-2020) for the School of Education at William & Mary where he was ranked as the 11th most influential dean of education in the United States. Previously, Niles served as Visiting Professor at Johns Hopkins University, Distinguished Professor and Department Head for Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education at Penn State and a Fulbright Scholar at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research. Niles also served as Professor and Assistant Dean in the School of Education, University of Virginia.
He is the current Editor for Counselor Education & Supervision and served as Editor for the Journal of Counseling & Development and The Career Development Quarterly. Niles has authored 155 publications and delivered over 170 presentations. He is the recipient of the American Counseling Association's Extended Research Award, David Brooks Distinguished Mentor Award, Thomas Hohenshil Publication Award, Thomas J. Sweeney Award for Visionary Leadership and Advocacy Award, and President's Award. He has also received Chi Sigma Iota International's Legacy Award, the Eminent Career Award from the National Career Development Association, the Outstanding Alumni Award from Penn State, and the Legacy Award from the University of Alabama. Niles is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association and the National Career Development Association. He was President of Chi Sigma Iota and is a Past-President of the National Career Development Association.
Dr. Mark Savickas is professor and chair emeritus of the Behavioral Sciences Department at the Northeast Ohio Medical University and teaches career counseling at Kent State University. He edited the Career Development Quarterly for seven years and the Journal of Vocational Behavioral for seventeen years. He has received the the Eminent Career Award from the National Career Development Association, the Leona Tyler Award for Outstanding Achievement in Counseling Psychology from the American Psychological Association, and the Distinguished Contributions Award from the European Society for Vocational Designing and Career Counseling. The University of Pretoria in South Africa and the University of Lisbon in Portugal have awarded him honorary doctorates. He holds fellowship in the National Career Development Association, American Counseling Association, American Psychological Association, American Psychological Society, and International Association of Applied Psychology.