CIIS Names Danielle Drake, Ph.D. as New Dean of Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dear Community,

As many of you know, a search has been underway for a Dean of Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This is a role that has been long-overdue at CIIS and one for which we have given much consideration. I am excited and honored to announce that Dr. Danielle Drake will fill this important position. I see this inaugural role as vital to the sustainability, growth and well-being of faculty at CIIS. Dr. Drake is ready to lead us into a new era of faculty support, visibility and educational prominence.

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Danielle Drake, New Dean of Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is Program Chair, Associate Professor, and an alum of the Counseling Psychology Expressive Arts Therapy program at CIIS. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University, where her dissertation explored the use of creativity and spirituality among African Americans. Her research led to an initial validation of the Black Spiritual Creativity Scale (BSCS) which is now used in several research projects and studies. Her post-doctoral internship at the Rafiki Coalition focused on holistic health and wellness in the Bayview/Hunters Point community of San Francisco.

Dr. Drake’s clinical work engages clients in creative writing, music, and visual arts processes. She has also worked in Human Resources as a corporate recruiter and HR administrator, and in nonprofit management as a Grant Writer, Fund Developer, Program Director, and Executive Director. She is the author of Cast Iron Life: A Collection of Poems and Recipes, a spoken word artist, a former Oakland Poetry Slam Champion, and the host of a Public Programs conversation with Angela Davis.

We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Dr. Drake to this new role.

Warmly,

Kathy Littles, Provost