Department of Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology

Office Number:
  Education 2119

Phone Number:
  (805) 893-2013

E-mail:
  education.ucsb.edu gale

Gale Morrison

Professor, Ph.D. (University of California, Riverside)

Emphasis:
School Psychology Credential

Research Interests:
Social and educational development of at-risk and mildly handicapped children in school and family settings; Staff development/personnel training; Consultation; Reform of support services in the schools

Biography:
Currently serving as Dean, Graduate Division.

Dr. Morrison is also a professor in the Counseling/Clinical/School Psychology Program. She teaches and mentors graduate students in a National Association of School Psychologists-approved school psychology credential program and an American Psychological Association-approved Counseling/Clinical/School Psychology Program. During her career at UCSB, she has served as Chair of the Graduate Council, Director of the Research Office in the Graduate School of Education, President of School Psychology Educators of California, and Newsletter editor for the American Educational Research Association Division of Counseling and Development, among other appointments. UC Riverside Alumni Association honored her with a Public Service Award in 1998.

She received a B.A. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of California, Riverside. After a postdoctoral year at the University of California, Los Angeles, she came to UCSB's graduate school of education in 1980. In 1987, she earned a credential in Pupil Personnel Services--School Counseling and School Psychology.

She recently completed research funded by a Field-initiated Research Award from the US Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. This three-year research project examined the risk and resilience patterns for upper elementary students with and without disabilities who were experiencing discipline problems at school. The study documented the schooling trajectories of students as they transitioned to middle or junior high schools. The project afforded an opportunity to study school discipline practices, zero-tolerance policies, and schools as a context for antisocial student behavior.

Dr. Morrison is one of the few professionals in the nation to publish information about suspension/expulsion disciplinary processes as they affect special education students. She has also published work on resiliency with special-needs children, as well as work on school safety and violence. Her focus in on role and resilience models in explaining the growth and development of children in the contexts of school and home.

Dr. Morrison has served as lead evaluator for the Healthy Start and A-OK After-School Programs in the Santa Barbara School District for the past 10 years. She is currently affiliated with the Center for School-based Youth Development at the Gevirtz School. This center was founded in order to facilitate research and development in the area of school engagement, recognizing that this concept applies to ALL students -- those with leaning and behavior challenges as well as others.

Recent Publications:
Morrison, G. M. & Brown, M. Homework. In S. W. Lee (Ed.), Encyclopedia of school psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 2005. [Encyclopedia Entry]

Morrison, G. M., Furlong, M. F., D’Incau, B., & Morrison, R. L. The safe school: Integrating the school reform agenda to prevent disruption and violence at school. In A. Goldstein & J. Conoley (Eds.), School violence prevention: A practical handbook, (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press. 2004. [Book Chapter]

Furlong, M. J., Morrison, G. M., Cornell, D., & Skiba, R. Methodological and measurement issues in school violence research: Moving beyond the social problem era. Journal of School Violence, 3, Special issue: Issues in school violence research. 2004. [Journal Article]

Osher, D., VanAcker, R., Morrison, G. M., Gable, R., Dwyer, K., & Quinn, M. Warning signs of problems in schools: Ecological perspectives and effective practices for combating school aggression and violence. Journal of School Violence, 3, 13-38. 2004. [Journal Article]

Morrison, G. M., Peterson, R., O’Farrell, S., & Redding, M. Using office referral records in school violence research: Possibilities and limitations. Journal of School Violence, 3, 39-62. 2004. [Journal Article]