Pacifica Graduate Institute Inaugurated Carol S. Pearson as President in a Formal Ceremony and Celebration
On Thursday, February 9, 2012, Pacifica Graduate Institute inaugurated Carol S. Pearson as President, at the Institute's Ladera Lane Campus. After serving for two years as Pacifica's Executive Vice President and Provost, she succeeds Founding President Stephen Aizenstat. Dr. Aizenstat, will continue to serve the Institute in the newly-established position of Chancellor.
The inauguration featured a formal ceremony, followed by a meet-and-greet with Dr. Pearson and a reception immediately afterward. Speakers included Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider; Donna Shavlik, former director of the Office of Women in Higher Education at the American Council on Education; scholar, poet, and Goddard College President Emerita Barbara Mossberg; the Institute's founding President; and Pacifica faculty, staff, and Board members. In her inaugural address, entitled "Evolving the Legacy – Eros, Logos, and Soul," Pearson shared her vision for Pacifica's future and its role in American society and global civilization. "Eros" refers to relationships, "Logos" to reason and discussion, and "Soul" to the essence not only of humans, but also of the greater community and world. Only by following a path that combines these three concepts can we ensure humanity's future, Pearson believes.
"The Board of Trustees of Pacifica Graduate Institute voted unanimously to support Dr. Pearson's appointment because of her background and the leadership she has shown over the past two years," said Board Chair Ernest E. Zomalt. Before coming to Pacifica, Pearson was Director of the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland and a professor in its School of Public Policy. She has held major administrative positions at several colleges and universities, was an American Council on Education Fellow in Academic Administration, and is the author of more than a dozen books and numerous articles in the fields of archetypal psychology, leadership, organizational development, branding, women's studies, and literature. Her new edited volume, The Transforming Leader: New Approaches to Leadership for the 21st Century, will be published in June. Pearson earned her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Rice University in Houston, TX.
In a recent President's message, Pearson stated that Pacifica's students "are pioneers co-creating a better future for humankind. Ahead of their time, they understand that connecting to the deeper wisdom inherent within can awaken their imaginative potential, so that they can live and work in ways that are fulfilling, creative, and filled with meaning. As they say yes to their authentic callings, their actions have ripple effects that usher in a better future for us all."
Pacifica also is pleased to announce that Founding President, Stephen Aizenstat, will continue to serve the Institute in the newly-established position of Chancellor. In this role, he will support the school's alumni outreach programs and the Opus Archives and Research Center on the campuses of Pacifica Graduate Institute. As Chancellor, he will also expand the Institute's advocacy on behalf of depth psychology, mythological studies, and Pacifica's aspirations and core values in the world.
"Over the last 40 years, Dr. Aizenstat's visionary leadership has taken the school from a Counseling Skills Certificate Center in a two-room office in Isla Vista to the premier Institute of depth psychology with two extraordinary campuses in Santa Barbara," said Dr. Russ Revlin, Pacifica Board Member. "For the thousands of graduates, students, and employees, we are thankful for his stewardship and are excited about the role of the Chancellor, which will inspire others who carry the spirit of the Pacifica dream."
Stephen Aizenstat has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, is a Marriage and Family Therapist, and a credentialed public school teacher. He is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and expert in the field of dream work. Dr. Aizenstat will build on the Institute's proud legacy and further advocate Pacifica Graduate Institute's mission as expressed in its motto, Animae Mundi Colendae Gratia, for the sake of tending the soul of the world. The installation of the Chancellor will take place in spring 2012.
Pacifica Graduate Institute, founded in 1976, is an accredited graduate school offering master's and doctoral degree programs framed in the traditions in depth psychology. The Institute has established an educational environment that nourishes respect for cultural diversity and individual differences, and an academic community that fosters a spirit of free and open inquiry. Students have access to an impressive array of educational resources on Pacifica's two campuses, both of which are located between the coastal foothills and the Pacific Ocean a few miles south of Santa Barbara, CA.
