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Lewis and Clark Graduate School

We are united in our commitment to serving others.

A Lewis & Clark graduate school education is built upon the values and practices associated with critical thinking, individual growth, and social justice. Our programs combine rigorous academic work with unparalleled hands-on and field-based experiences—students spend nearly 200,000 hours working in Portland-area schools and mental health agencies each year, beginning the first semester of study.

Our Community

Faculty Highlights

Rafe McCullough and Nori Gruber

Guiding Future Counselors and Educators
Associate Professor Rafe McCullough presented “Guiding future counselors to support trans and non-binary clients in a fearful climate,” with Community Counseling Center Director Nori Gruber, and “Teaching disability with depth: a framework for counselor educators,“ alongside Palo Alto University Professor Tameeka Hunter at the ACES conference in Philadelphia.
Professor Gon Ratanashevorn

Deconstructing Monogamy and Leveraging Community Cultural Wealth
Assistant Professor Gon Ratanashevorn presented “Decolonizing Monogamy and Deconstructing Mononormativity in Counselor Education” and “See Our Strengths: Leveraging Community Cultural Wealth to Empower International Counseling Students of Color” at the Association Counselor Education and Supervision Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Maika Yeigh, associate professor of secondary teacher education

Reimagining Grading in Schools
Associate Professor Maika Yeigh coauthored a new book, “Equitable Grading Unlocked: Practical Strategies from the Classroom,” offering day-to-day strategies to reimagine grading so it fosters motivation, cultivates a positive mindset, and builds cultural responsiveness.
L-R: Andy Saultz, dean; Brenda Sifuentez, associate professor; Elena Diamond, professor

Celebrating Faculty Promotions
Associate Professor Brenda Sifuentez (center) and Professor Elena Diamond (right) were honored by President Holmes-Sullivan and Dean Saultz (left) for their recent promotions to associate professor with tenure and full professor, respectively.
Pilar Hernandez-Wolfe

A New Certificate, Rooted in Nature
Professor Pilar Hernandez-Wolfe has spearheaded a new 8-credit certificate for counseling, therapy, and school psychology master’s degree students, eco-soma-arts, to offers clinicians and clinicians-in-training concrete ways of working in and with nature using somatic, verbal, spiritual, and artistic expressions.
Lina Darwich, Mary Stuart Rogers Professor of Education

An Outstanding Scholarly Record
Associate Professor Lina Darwich has been named the Mary Stuart Rogers Professor of Education. This professorship honors distinguished educators, celebrates collective intellectual rigor, stimulates learning, and advances interdisciplinary teaching and research.
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Graduate students and faculty from the art therapy program offer weekly open studio sessions, where members of the community can explore art making in a group setting at the Community Counseling Center.
Strong connections with local K-12 school districts help inform program development and offer graduate students opportunities for experiential learning during internships and practicums.
Sailboats dot the Willamette River at dusk, just down the hill from Lewis & Clark.
Community partnerships provide both networking opportunities and deep connections with the communities we collectively work to serve.
Peer to peer discussions provide invaluable opportunities for understanding and growth, both personally and professionally.
The picturesque graduate campus attracts visitors from across Lewis & Clark and the local residential neighborhoods, welcoming everyone with its peaceful meadow and shady trees.
Commencement is one of the graduate school’s most treasured traditions, and takes place the first Sunday in June.
Sustainability is one of Lewis & Clark’s top priorities, with incentives and resources offered to commuters who choose green travel methods such as cycling.
Small cohorts enable faculty to offer highly personalized instruction, and students form strong professional networks that help sustain their work throughout their careers.
Located in the lush hills of South Portland, Lewis & Clark is ideally situated in the city’s “sixth quadrant,” just 7 miles from a vibrant downtown hub with endless networking, entertainment, and cultural resources.
Secondary MAT students discuss classroom observations during a recent visit to Jackson Middle School in Portland, Oregon.

News and Media

Exterior winter shot of campus with snow on the wall.

Top Stories of 2025

As the calendar year draws to a close, we’ve compiled a sampling of top stories from the undergraduate college, the graduate school, and the law school.

Students sitting together at a table, smiling at the teacher.

Five-Year Jumpstart to an Education Career

Lewis & Clark’s Teacher Pathways program supports undergraduate students who dream of becoming educators, offering a BA, MAT, and licensure in just five years.

Two faculty members headshots, side by side.

Endowed Professorships Named for Darwich and FitzGibbon

Associate Professor Lina Darwich and Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Katherine FitzGibbon have received endowed professorships for their outstanding scholarly record.

River otter plush sitting in the middle of the football field.

River Otter Makes a Big Splash as New Mascot

The river otter, beloved for its scrappiness, teamwork, and Pacific Northwest roots, is officially Lewis & Clark’s new mascot. The adorable, semiaquatic mammal emerged as the top choice among students, alumni, and employees.

Group of people wearing matching black tshirts.

Championing Self-Care and Community

With a grant from Projects for Peace, Nichole Champion BA ’25 and current professional mental health counseling graduate student, created the Holistic Wellness Initiative, an effort to create spaces of belonging, healing, and empowerment for Portland youth.

A group photo of the attendees beneath the Arctic Village sign.

Leadership Beyond Our Schools

A professor of educational leadership travels to the arctic circle on an environmental justice mission to defend a precarious way of life.

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