Gemarco Peterson

Gemarco Peterson is a researcher at Georgia State University's Department of Counseling and Psychological Services within the College of Education & Human Development. He holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling (2021), M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling (2018), and B.S. in Kinesiotherapy (2015). Certified as a Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Vocational Forensic Evaluator, his research focuses on career development for Black/African Americans with disabilities, recruitment of minority counselor educators, and disability advocacy. He leads a five-year RRTC/NIDILRR-funded project on employment equity for multiply marginalized disabled individuals, and serves on the National Rehabilitation Association board.

• Education:
• Ph.D. Rehabilitation Counseling, North Carolina A&T State University (2021)
• M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling, Mississippi State University (2018)
• B.S. Kinesiotherapy, University of Southern Mississippi (2015)
• Key Research Areas: Employment equity, intersectionality in mental health, and systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups with disabilities
• Grants: $1.2M sub-award from Langston University's RRTC on Employment Equity (2021-2026)

Recent work highlights pandemic-era employment disparities among disabled POC and narratives of Black women in counselor education. His 2024 Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development paper applies intersectional frameworks to counselor training equity.