Pa Her (she/her) is a Clinical Professor of Counseling Psychology and the Director of the Counseling Psychology Training Clinic at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed her Ph.D. in counseling psychology at UW-Madison and completed her clinical internship at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests centered on underrepresented college students, particularly students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation college students, and students of color. She has explored students’ educational and vocational development using quantitative and qualitative research methodology. Pa is also interested in understanding HMong parents’ support of their college students. More recently, she has been looking to expand her research to examine mental health among the Southeast Asian American community. In addition, her clinical interests focus on trauma-informed care for historically underrepresented students in higher education, particularly at PWI.
Education
- PhD Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2020
- MA Counseling, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2011
- BS Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2008
Select Publications
- Her, P., Gloria, A. M., Chang, S. Y., & Thao, P. (2022). HMong parent day/Hnub txhawb nqa niam txiv: Implementing psychosiocultural educational programming to honor rau siab. Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, 17(1)
- Her, P., Gloria, A. M., Chang, S., & Thao, P. Hmong Parent’s Day/Hnub Txhawb Nqa Niam Txiv: Implementing psychosociocultural educational programming to honor rau siab.
- Hora, M., Parrott, E., & Her, P. (2020). How do students conceptualise the college internship experience? Towards a student-centered approach to designing and implementing internships. Journal of Education and Work, 33(1), 48-66.
- Hora, M., Parrott, E., & Her, P. (2020). How do students conceptualise the college internship experience? Towards a student-centered approach to designing and implementing internships. Journal of Education and Work, 33(1), 48-66.
- Thompson, M. N., Her, P., Fetter, A., & Perez-Chavez, J. G. (2019). College Student Psychological Distress: Relationship to Self‐Esteem and Career Decision Self‐Efficacy Beliefs. The Career Development Quarterly, 67(4), 282-297. Online Publication/Abstract.
- Her, P., & Gloria, A. M. (2016). Kev txhawb siab: Hmong parents’ educational encouragement of their undergraduate daughter/son. Journal of Family Diversity in Education
Select Presentations
- Her, P., & Nguyen, T. What does it mean to be Southeast Asian Americans. presented at the A courageous conversation presented at the Asian American Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA.
- Her, P., Ho, Y. C. S., & Floro, M. (2022, September - 2022, October). Intersectionality and Cultural Nuances across Asians and Asian American Communities. Oral Presentation presented at the Asian American Psychological Association Convention, Virtual.
- Her, P., & Thompson, M. N. (2019, August - 2019, August). Relationships of intrapersonal factors and self-focused perceptions on persistence intentions. Symposium Presentation presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
- Her, P., Parrott, E., & Hora, M. (2019, August - 2019, August). Understanding the ways that students, educators, and employers understand and conceptualize internship: results from a free list study. Symposium Presentation presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
- Thompson, M. N., Nitzarim, R. S., Her, P., & Dahling, J. (2013, July - 2013, August). Ending the Cycle: Grounded Theory Exploration of Undergraduate Experiences of Vicarious Unemployment. Symposium Presentation presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, Honolulu, HI.
Select Awards and Honors
- Wisconsin Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (WAEOPP) TRIO Achievers, WAEOPP, 2025
- Outstanding Early Career Professional Supervisor/Trainer, American Psychological Association (APA), 2023
- Post-Doctoral Leadership Fellow, Asian American Psychological Assocation (AAPA), 2020