/ Leadership Studies/ Danielle Torres

Danielle Torres

Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Community Dialogues Director

Corbett House 204

Danielle Torres, currently Dean of Equity and Inclusion, has been selected to serve as the new Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Counseling (GSEC), and Community Dialogues Director.

In her role as dean, Torres has successfully implemented strategic initiatives and provided active oversight on meeting equity and inclusion goals for all students, staff, and faculty across the College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Education and Counseling, and Law School. She has supervised campus-wide compliance efforts for Title IX, Title VI, and bias reporting systems, ensuring fairness, care, and professionalism in all cases. She has also served as lead administrator in launching key initiatives including the President’s Native American Advisory Committee and the institution’s first comprehensive HEDS Diversity and Inclusion Climate Survey. She has dedicated significant time to consulting with staff, faculty, and students to enhance inclusive practices, strengthen ongoing recruitment and retention efforts for both students and employees, and lead community-building initiatives that foster a welcoming environment for work and learning.

Before leading the Office Equity and Inclusion, Torres was a tenured associate professor in the school counseling program at GSEC. She came to Lewis & Clark in 2004 as an assistant professor in the school counseling program and served as School Counseling Program Co-Director from 2005-2012. She was selected as Dean of Equity and Inclusion in May 2022.

Personal Statement

“My favorite thing to hear from students on graduation day is “I feel prepared”. And that is my goal—to prepare students not only with the knowledge and skills to be an effective school counselor, but to prepare students to recognize strengths, to hold compassion in challenging situations, and to amplify voices that need to be heard. Most of all, I want students to feel prepared for their role as an advocate and caring adult in the lives of the young people they work with.”

Areas of Expertise

Meeting counseling needs of diverse communities in schools; Strengthening family/school/community connections; Increasing academic and social emotional resiliency; Post-secondary planning; School-based research, evaluation, and consultation

Publications

Recent Publications

Torres, D. & Favela, A. (in press, April 2022). Surveying the landscape of post-secondary options and support for undocumented students in the Pacific Northwest: A view from one state’s school counselors. Northwest Journal of Teacher Education.
Kaul, K., Weinholdt, J., Nop, R. & Torres, D. (2019). Supporting students of color at a local high school: Graduating seniors voice their experiences and recommendations using an extensive focus group process. Report to School Board of Trustees.
Bertucci, M. Y. & Torres, D. (2018). Supporting students of color at a local high school: Graduating seniors voice their experiences and recommendations using an extensive focus group process. Report to School Board of Trustees.
Torres, D. (2017). Evaluation of Progress for David Douglas High School, 2016-17 Report. U.S. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: OESE Counseling Programs. Grant # S215E140051
Torres, D. (2016). Evaluation of Progress for David Douglas High School, 2015-16 Report. U.S. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: OESE Counseling Programs. Grant # S215E140051

Torres, D. (2015). Evaluation of Progress for David Douglas High School, 2014-15 Report. U.S. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: OESE Counseling Programs. Grant # S215E140051
Favela, A. & Torres, D.M. (2014). Connecting classrooms & communities: Identifying student needs & assets inside & outside of school. Multicultural Education, 21(2), 51-53.

Presentations

Recent Presentations

Hadraba, H., Barbour, L., Torres, D. (2021). Assessment in schools: Current practices and considerations for transformation. Oregon School Counseling Association (OSCA) Conference. Corvallis, Oregon.
Torres, D. (2020). Educator allyship and action: All together now! Transactive Gender Project Summit, From Policy to Practice: Building Your PK-12 Gender Diversity Toolkit (Virtual).
Torres, D. & Favela, A. (2019). Strategies for school counselors to better support K-12 undocumented students. College Board Prepárate Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Torres, D. (2018). Supporting the needs of undocumented students and school-based counselors in Oregon K-12 schools. Oregon Department of Education DACAmented/Undocumented Collaborative, Salem, OR.
Torres, D. & Hadraba, H. (2018). What School Counselors Want to Know to Support Students and Families with Undocumented Status in Challenging Times. Oregon School Counseling Association (OSCA) Conference, Salem, Oregon.
Torres, D. & Hadraba, H. (2018). It all looks different now: Counselor educator program strategies for applying an equity lens to school counselors’ data use. Evidence Based School Counseling Conference, New York, NY.
McDonnell, C., Torres, D. & Hadraba, H. (2017). Developing inclusive transition programs: Breaking down barriers to improve high school preparation for ALL students. Oregon School Counselor Association (OSCA) Conference, Hillsboro, OR.
Torres, D. & Hadraba, H. (2017). A journey toward infusing the use of data in school counselor graduate curriculum: Creating a road map to success and confidence for students. Presented at The Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference, San Diego, CA.
Polledri, J. & Torres, D. (2015). A positive connection to school: Reaching hard-to-engage students. Oregon School Counselor Association (OSCA) Conference, Salem, OR.
Hadraba, H., Pedersen, L., & Torres, D. (2015). Using data to create change: Tools to get you moving! Presented at The Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference, Erlanger, KY.

Academic Credentials

PhD Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon
MA Clinical Psychology, Pepperdine University
BA Psychology, Pepperdine University