Todd K. Whitman, Ph.D.

Dr. Whitman received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology and French Literature from Colgate University in 1990. After stints in the corporate business world in San Francisco and Syracuse, Todd decided that he wanted to consider other vocations. He took some time off to ride his bike across North America, during which he covered 4,260 miles in two months of ascetic existence (i.e. living in a tent). Somewhere between the Canadian Rockies and the Oregon coast, Todd discovered that his future was in education. The journey thus began… In 1997 he completed his Master's degree in Counseling Services from the State University of New York (SUNY) – college at Oswego. He immediately began employment as a school counselor for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Alexandria, VA. After working three years as a high school counselor and as an assistant coach for cross-country, track, and swimming, he left FCPS to pursue his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Virginia. While earning his doctorate, he further honed his craft as a food-server in Charlottesville's trendy eateries and competed as an ultrarunner and endurance cyclist. After completing his coursework and doctoral internships, Todd returned to FCPS to continue employment as a school counselor while he finished his dissertation, which addressed the supervision of school counseling interns. He successfully defended his dissertation and graduated in January, 2005. During this time, in addition to working as a school counselor, he supervised a school counseling intern, was a selected member of the FCPS school counseling leadership cohort, and worked as adjunct faculty for George Washington University.

Dr. Whitman started his employment as a tenure-track faculty member at Shippensburg University in the Fall of 2005. He currently teaches in the school counseling and clinical mental health specializations, and his roster of courses includes Quantitative Statistics and Research Methods, Assessment and Appraisal, Psychopathology/DSM-5, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, Counseling Practicum, and Field/Internship in Counseling. His research and professional interests include collaborative, interdisciplinary projects with department faculty and faculty from other departments who have investigated binge drinking in first-year students, recidivism rates among juvenile offenders, placement challenges for student teachers, and treatment effects for the bereaved, among others. He also serves the community and regional mental health service-providers by providing workshops that address updates on various psychiatric diagnoses and treatments. Dr. Whitman happily describes himself as a “data geek” and a lover of all things numerical, but appreciates the subtleties of qualitative approaches too.

Todd lives in Frederick, MD with his wife Sandy and their very spoiled cat, “Annie.” Todd's primary recreational passion is bicycling on the roads or trails in the mountains and watershed areas around Frederick. Todd is known to say “a good sweat can be a transcendental experience.” In addition to bicycling, Todd also enjoys hiking, golf, body-surfing waves in the ocean, and skiing (alpine & Nordic). When he's not outside, Todd likes to read, do crossword puzzles, listen to music, and cook—especially spicy and Cajun foods. “I like to mix an active lifestyle with moments of stillness. The juxtaposition brings clarity and purpose."