Andy Roach

Andy is a Professor in the Department of Counseling & Psychological Services at Georgia State University. He is a school psychologist by training and also taught elementary and middle school for 9 years. Andy serves as core faculty  for the Association for University Centers on Disability (AUCD) Leadership Academy (https://cld.gsu.edu/academy/), a leadership training program that integrates principles and practices developed by the Center for Courage & Renewal. Andy also is interested in the application of mindfulness and other contemplative practices in educational and community contexts. He has conducted and evaluated mindfulness trainings with graduate students, educators, parents of young children, and disability-serving professionals. He currently is co-principal investigator for the Cultivating Awareness in Education (CARE) for Special Educators project (https://care4specialed.com/)–a multi-year grant from the US Department of Education to evaluate the impact of a mindfulness- and compassion-focused professional development program for special education teachers. In addition to being a Courage & Renewal Facilitator, Andy is a certified mindfulness educator with Mindfulness Without Borders—a nonprofit that brings mindfulness and social-emotional learning practices to schools, organizations, and communities around the globe.