Salem's Elisa Castillo Asst. Dean at Salem State University

From Salem State University: Elisa Castillo, PhD, of Salem, has been promoted to Assistant Dean of Students for Wellness at Salem State University. In this role, Dr. Castillo works across the university to ensure the safety, wellbeing and overall development of students through prevention programs, advocacy and treatment, and consultation with faculty and staff. She oversees the counseling and health services office, the student advocacy office, and the grant-funded Prevention Education Advocacy and Response (PEAR) program. Dr. Castillo is the primary investigator for the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women Grant to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking on Campus Program awarded to Salem State University in 2015.

Dr. Castillo joined Salem State in 2005 and has served in the roles of director of counseling and health services, assistant director and training director for counseling and health services, psychologist, and adjunct faculty member. Prior to that, Dr. Castillo was a staff psychologist and multicultural specialist at Northeastern University.

Dr. Castillo is a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts. She received her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Wisconsin—Madison and graduated with a BS in psychology from the University of Puerto Rico—Mayaguez with an interest in working with adolescents. After receiving her MA in counseling from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Dr. Castillo spent two years working in out-patient mental health with children and families in the North Shore area. She was hired as a bilingual therapist and served a recent immigrant population. She then returned to Madison and completed her doctoral work focused on cultural competence and college mental health. Her dissertation focused on psycho-socio-cultural factors that impact academic persistence for Latino adolescents.

Photo courtesy of Salem State University