The University announced Monday that it has hired John Kolligian to fill the vacant director of counseling and psychological services post.
Marvin Geller retired from the position in 2003 after 35 years on the job.
In January, the University created a committee chaired by Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson to search for a suitable replacement, University Chief Medical Officer and selection committee member Daniel Silverman said.
A consulting firm was also hired to aid in the search. Of the roughly 50 applicants the firm suggested, 10 were brought to campus for interviews, Silverman said.
"[Kolligian] was the candidate who emerged as our first choice," Silverman said. "We thought he brought the right experience, the right training and the right vision to the role."
Kolligian, who started Monday, had been the director of counseling and psychiatric services at Georgetown University since 2003.
"[Kolligian] really thought the sort of very broad vision for health and wellbeing was an exciting development at Princeton," Silverman said.
As part of that vision, Kolligian plans on increasing counseling outreach services for students before they make an appointment.
"I'm talking about offering an informal talk on stress and college life, or conversations around different types of depression, or what's the boundary between being homesick and being really depressed," he said. "[These are] things I think some students might relate to and are struggling with."
Despite Kolligian's work to transform Georgetown's counseling services, he said he does not plan on revolutionizing Princeton's program.
"I'd gone to Georgetown to make a major shift in the way care is delivered there," he said. "I didn't come to Princeton with that plan or mandate. It's more about trying to enhance some of the strengths here, and not such a drastic change in the way treatment is delivered."
Though Monday was his first day on the job, Kolligian said he was optimistic about his future at the University.
"I anticipate being here for a good long time," he said. "I really want this move to be the one where I can have my kids grow up. I have pretty high expectations for myself and just want to be able to really make a productive difference."
Before his stint at Georgetown, Kolligian was senior psychologist and coordinator of psychology training at Columbia University for nine years. He also has served as program director and assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University, where he received his doctorate degree in clinical and developmental psychology.
The University currently offers a range of counseling services to student, including crisis intervention, individual and group psychotherapy, group psychotherapy and prevention ??? "in a holistic approach that really meets the specific needs of the individual," Silverman said.
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