Connect Leadership
Shareefah N. Al’Uqdah, Ph.D.(she/her), has a long-standing commitment to improving the lives of minorities through mental health initiatives. At North Carolina Central University, she found her passion for psychology, earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Following NCCU, she attended and graduated from Howard University with a Ph.D. in Counseling psychology. Continuing her tenure at Howard, she serves as an Associate Professor in the APA accredited Counseling Psychology program. Dr. Shareefah not only educates future psychologists, but she also conducts national and international workshops for educators, professionals, and community members on wellness. Her published research examines issues that impact urban families, urban schools, and African American Muslims. She has received over two million dollars in grant funding to help decrease mental health disparities within underserved communities. Outside of the academy, Dr. Shareefah serves as the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Your Neighborhood Clinic, a not-for-profit organization that provides low cost and insurance-based mental health services. As a loving wife and mother of four wonderful sons, Dr. Shareefah affectionately coined Your Neighborhood Psychologist on social media to highlight her commitment to healing every hood everywhere through mental health awareness.
Kavitha D. Venkateswaran, Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Training Coordinator at Marquette University in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology. She has extensive experience providing clinical services within an integrated care setting at a VA medical center and currently sees clients within a private practice setting. Her clinical and research interests include health psychology, perinatal and reproductive health, race-based stress and trauma, and vocational psychology. Dr. Venkateswaran currently serves as the Chair-Elect for Division 17’s Health Psychology Section and serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Psychological Association. |
Shareefah Al'Uqdah, PhD (She/Her)
Kavitha D. Venkateswaran, Ph.D. (She/Her)