CAPS welcomes new senior director

Purdue has recently welcomed Chris Hanes as the new senior director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Hanes’ appointment began on July 9.

Hanes joins Purdue after serving as the director of Student Counseling Services at Iowa State University. Before his tenure at Iowa, Hanes held associate director positions at the student counseling centers of both the University of Cincinnati and University of Central Florida.

“Joining us from Iowa State University, a fellow land-grant university, Chris brings with him a wealth of experience in leadership, innovative practices and a holistic, student-centered approach to well-being,” says Katherine Sermersheim, associate vice provost and dean of students. “His experience with a variety of other state universities and counseling centers will serve Purdue and our students well.”

Hanes completed his doctoral work in counseling psychology at Indiana University, during which he worked with counseling programs throughout the area, including Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University and his master’s degree in counseling from the University of New Hampshire.

“Purdue’s culture of innovation and impressive commitment to student-centered and holistic approaches to well-being have really stood out to me during my first few weeks here at Purdue,” says Hanes. “I strongly believe in the importance of utilizing these values as a framework for serving our students and promoting a community of care on campus. I am deeply honored by the opportunity to be here and look forward to being an active member in our community and supporting the amazing team at CAPS.”

Purdue’s Counseling and Psychological Services is a team of multiculturally sensitive professionals delivering comprehensive psychological services to the students of Purdue. More on CAPS is available here. To learn more about Hanes and the rest of the CAPS team, visit the CAPS staff page.

Writer: Christy McCarter, mccarter@purdue.edu