Dr. Suzanne Dugger is a lifelong counselor and counselor educator. For more than 30 years, she has worked as a counselor educator dedicated to preparing students at the master’s, specialist, and doctoral level with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to thrive as counselors and – at the doctoral level – counselor educators. Her clinical experience includes 5 years an elementary school counselor, 3 years as a college counselor, and 7 years in private practice. These varied experiences have informed her work as a counselor educator, allowing her to tailor assignments and examples to students in different specialization tracks.

In addition to serving her clients and students, Dr. Dugger’s career has been marked by service to the profession of counseling at the state, regional and national levels. In 2021, Dr. Dugger was honored to be named a Fellow in the American Counseling Association in recognition of the service, advocacy, and scholarly contributions she has made to the profession of counseling. Currently, she serves as on the Florida Counseling Association’s Public Policy and Legislation committee. Dr. Dugger is also chair of the CACREP Advocacy and Marketing Council.

Dr. Dugger’s scholarship includes publication of 2 books, 17 journal articles, and 15 book chapters. She has also served as a journal editor, special issue co-editor, and on two editorial boards. Currently, she is hard at work on the second edition of her text Foundations of Career Counseling: A Case Based Approach, publication of which is anticipated for 2024.

As an instructor, Dr. Dugger has taught 39 different courses across 4 institutions, has fully developed 9 new courses and two post-master’s certificate programs, and has been recognized by universities with awards for innovative teaching and outstanding advising.

As she looks toward the final decade of her career, Dr. Dugger intends to continue serving the profession of counseling at the state and national levels while also serving Florida Gulf Coast University and local southwest Florida community. As professor and chair of the FGCU Department of Counseling, Dr. Dugger continues to teach while also managing the department, supporting the faculty, collaborating with community partners, and leading curriculum and program development.