A new director of UF’s Counseling and Wellness Center has been selected after a thorough nationwide search.
Dr. Ernesto R. Escoto is currently the director of the counseling center at the University of Miami, where he works with staff to meet the mental health needs of students, said Mary Kay Carodine, UF Student Affairs assistant vice president. He oversees areas such as psychology, counseling, social work and psychiatry. He will start June 1 with a $170,000 salary.
The search was intensive, said Jen Day Shaw, UF dean of students and associate vice president.
“Whenever we do a search like this for such a vital role on campus, it is always difficult because there are many amazing people out there,” Day Shaw said.
Day Shaw said his current directorship at UM helped him stand out. Prior to that position, he worked as the clinical director at Ohio State University.
His experience working at these two large campuses made him suitable for the diversity and complexity at UF, Carodine said.
Escoto’s presentation to the board showed an understanding of a range of counseling and wellness issues and showed he was able to dissect and address different student issues, Carodine said.
“He will provide counseling to all students regardless of their situations and make sure that the counseling center will serve the whole student body,” she said.
Escoto’s current research focuses on domestic violence and supporting diverse populations. He is bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish, and co-founded the Ohio Latino Mental Health Network.
“He has very broad and diverse skill sets, along with his national leadership in the field and visibility to build a strong team and be supportive to staff and students,” Shaw said. “We are very excited about our new colleague.”
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 2/10/2015 under the headline “Wellness center finds new director"]
