Faculty and Staff Highlights: Bruce, Cables, Chakaryan, George, LaCubbert, Martin, McAllister, Musangali, Rockwell, Smith

Webster University faculty and staff highlights offer a roundup of recent Webster faculty and staff activity and achievements. 

Bruce Gives Talk at Law Enforcement Academy 

Madeline Bruce, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the Webster Groves campus, recently gave a talk to the cadets of the Jefferson College Law Enforcement Academy in Hillsboro, Missouri. The talk, which occurred in April, provided cadets with information about PTSD, its evidence-based treatment and how to identify and redress institutional betrayal in policing.  

LaCubbert Elected Chair of SCAMFT 

Julie LaCubbert, professor in the Department of Professional Counseling at the Columbia, South Carolina campus, was elected as the incoming chair of the South Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (SCAMFT). She will serve as the chair elect for 2025 and 2026 and the chair of the association 2027 and 2028. 

“I have been elected as chair for a professional association I have been participating in since graduate school, and I am very excited for the opportunity to connect my South Carolina colleagues in the marriage and family therapists’ field with colleagues from Webster University,” LaCubbert shared. “I believe that my professional development has enhanced my role as a counselor educator and supervisor in our Professional Counseling department.” 

Martin, Musangali, Chakaryan, Cables, George, Smith, and Students Present at Social Justice Conference

Claire Martin, professor in the Professional Counseling Department at the Webster Groves campus, was part of a team of Webster Institute for Clinical Scholarship (WICS) faculty and scholars who presented at Counselors for Social Justice Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in April. 

Faculty from the WICS who presented along with Martin were Muthoni Musangali and Hasmik Chakaryan, along with WICS scholars Maribeth Wagganer and Leticia P. S. Telles. 

Their session, “Advancing Mental Health Equity in Rural and Underserved Communities through a Counselor Trainee Program Using an Ecological Model as a Counseling Approach,” addressed the mental health crisis in underserved areas. They highlighted WICS’ efforts to close service gaps by training counselors using an ecological model that promotes cultural competence, systemic awareness and social justice. 

The team shared how mentorship, site and research engagement and culturally responsive training foster counselor identity development. Waggoner and Telles reflected on how the experience deepened their growth and expressed gratitude for the opportunity. 

Martin also teamed up with Alexanderia T. Smith, Ericka Cables and Rebecca George, along with colleague, Jennifer Culver, from Slippery Rock University, to deliver another powerful session titled “Radical Rest: Community-Care for Counselor Advocates and Activists.”  

This experiential workshop focused on the wellness of counselors from the global majority, introducing radical rest and community-care as essential, liberatory practices. Grounded in African-centered and ancestral healing traditions, participants engaged in reflective and embodied activities to reconnect with themselves and each other. The session served as a reminder that healing, rest, and connection are vital to sustaining liberatory and justice work. Participants left feeling grounded, inspired and reconnected to their purpose and community. 

McAllister Receives Grant For American Musicological Conference 

Kimberly McAllister, adjunct faculty in the Department of Music, received a grant from the American Musicological Society to attend the 2025 Teaching Music History Conference at New York University in June. 

The K-12 Educators Grant in American Music allows McAllister to attend the full conference covering a range of musicological topics, including networking opportunities and special focus in their featured Many Musics of America forum. 

The Teaching Music History Conference, hosted by the AMS Pedagogy Study Group, brings together people who are interested in teaching and learning about music history. The conference presents special opportunities to connect educators, researchers, and members of the public who are invested in music education across all grade levels. 

Rockwell Publishes New Latin America Book 

Professor Emeritus Rick Rockwell recently wrote a new book, The History of Journalism in Latin America. Routledge published the new book, which traces the history of journalism and communication throughout the hemisphere from the deserts of northern Mexico all the way south to Argentina, and many points in between. 

Rockwell relied upon his many years of travels throughout the region as part of his research process for the book, which is a good primer for those who are new to the various issues affecting journalism and communication in Latin America. 

In his time at Webster, Rockwell served as chief communications officer and as a member of both the chancellor's cabinet and president's council. Rockwell first came to Webster in 2014, as professor and associate dean in the School of Communications. He taught courses in the Department of Media Arts and the Department of Communications and Journalism, and was a member of the Media Arts Department at the Webster Groves main campus. Rockwell also taught graduate courses in multimedia production and undergraduate courses in global media.