Eva Gibson

Eva Gibson serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science and Counseling at Austin Peay State University (APSU), where she actively engages in service-learning initiatives connecting students with community resources and professionals. With over a decade of school counseling experience across diverse settings—including adult mental health facilities, adolescent residential programs, and the Department of Children Services—she brings extensive practical expertise to her academic role.

Her educational foundation includes an Ed.D. in Counselor Supervision & Education from Argosy University, complemented by an M.S. and B.S. in Psychology from APSU. This academic journey underpins her commitment to bridging theory and practice in counselor education.

Dr. Gibson's research centers on equity-driven school counseling, with emphases on African American student experiences, cultural competency development, and anti-racist frameworks. Her work consistently addresses systemic barriers while promoting strengths-based interventions, particularly for marginalized student populations. This focus manifests in publications examining culturally affirming leadership, community-building strategies, and transformative approaches to school counseling.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a cohesive trajectory toward dismantling racial inequities in educational settings. Her scholarship increasingly integrates critical race theory with practical counseling methodologies, emphasizing community collaboration, identity-affirming practices, and structural advocacy. The works consistently target K-12 educational contexts while providing transferable frameworks for counselor training programs.

• Tennessee School Counselor of the year award (2017)
• Middle Tennessee Middle School Counselor of the Year award (2016)

Dr. Gibson has significantly influenced state-level counseling standards through her leadership on the Tennessee School Counseling Advisory Committee and facilitation of statewide working sessions that led to the Tennessee State Board of Education's approval of revised counseling models. Her professional impact extends through presidencies of both the Tennessee School Counselor Association and Tennessee Counseling Association, alongside editorial board service for the Professional School Counseling journal. She actively mentors future counselors through community-engaged learning and has represented Tennessee at national forums including the White House.

Her collaborative work with organizations like the American School Counselor Association and American Counseling Association demonstrates sustained engagement with national counseling communities, particularly through issue briefs on equity advocacy and COVID-19 response strategies.