Nate Hinerman

Dr. Nate Hinerman serves as Dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies and holds dual roles as Professor and Department Chair of Psychology at Golden Gate University. He specializes in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and healthcare, with a focus on aging, end-of-life care, grief, and ethical issues in palliative medicine. His leadership includes directing the San Francisco Bay Area End of Life Coalition for 21 years and volunteering with the Brothers Keepers Rape Trauma Therapy Group at San Quentin State Prison.

Education:

• PhD, Philosophy of Religion, Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA)
• MA, Philosophy, Jesuit School of Theology (Berkeley)
• MA, Counseling Psychology, University of San Francisco
• MS, Computer Information Systems, UC-Berkeley
• BA, Triple Major: Philosophy, English Literature, and Spanish, Ashbury College

Research interests emphasize suffering narratives, hospice care models, healthcare policy, and the psychological impact of loss. He has authored/co-edited over 15 books including Care, Loss, and the End of Life (2016) and On Suffering: An Inter-disciplinary Dialogue (2012). His work bridges clinical practice with philosophical inquiry, particularly addressing ethical dilemmas in terminal care and prison mental health.

Teaches courses on critical thinking, lifespan development, counseling principles, and the psychology of death. Active in professional organizations, he has held prior faculty roles at University of San Francisco (Nursing/Religious Studies) and San Francisco State University (Gerontology).

Community Engagement:

• Humane Prison Hospice Project board member and volunteer
• Psychotherapist in Haight-Ashbury focusing on transition-related losses