Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Beatrice A. Tatem is the new director of student counseling and testing services at Mississippi State University.
A staff psychologist at the center for the past two years, she begins her new duties May 2.
Tatem succeeds Linda M. Cox, who left last year for a similar position at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Staff counseling psychologist Philip M. Drumheller has served as interim center director since Cox's departure.
A doctoral graduate of Western Michigan University, Tatem was a staff psychologist at the Texas Tech University counseling center and center director at the University of Louisiana at Monroe before coming to MSU.
"Dr. Tatem is experienced, knowledgeable and devoted to the role and scope of the department," said Jimmy Abraham in making the announcement. "She will do an outstanding job in this important campus position."
Abraham is associate vice president in MSU's Division of Student Affairs, of which the center is a part. Last year, center offices relocated from the YMCA Building to 103 Lee Hall.
The center offers a variety of direct student services ranging from preventative
psycho-educational programming, student mentoring, supportive counseling, group counseling, intensive psychotherapy, and 24-hour crisis intervention. Members of the professional staff also serve as consultants and training resources for faculty and staff.
Tatem also holds master's degrees in counseling psychology from the State University of New York at Albany and in political science from Villanova University. Her bachelor's degree in psychology was completed at Fisk University.
In addition to being licensed by the National Board of Certified Counselors Inc. and the State of Mississippi, Tatem holds licensure in Louisiana and Texas. While at Texas Tech, she was honored with the school's Quality Service Award.