College of Education Award Recipients
Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Achievement Award
DR. MARK D. RUSCH, GRAD '78, '84
Waukesha, Wis.
As an associate professor and psychologist in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Dr. Mark Rusch truly embraces the Jesuit mission of cura personalis, or care for the whole person. Working annually with several hundred individuals, he helps them through a variety of adverse life experiences. According to Mark, who has been in his position since 1995, these patients “demonstrate determination, strength and resilience, and they let me help them achieve their goals.”
With a variety of patient care emphases ranging from health psychology and neurological and sleep disorders to head trauma and weight loss, he also is chair of one of the institutional review boards at Froedtert Hospital and MCW. What Mark most appreciates about his work is the opportunity to be part of a highly regarded health care system.
And when it comes to his Marquette education and experience, he also acknowledges a great appreciation for his alma mater and the clinical psychology and educational/counseling psychology faculty.
“These professors immersed us in academics and training experiences,” he says. “They understood the challenges that we would confront as future clinicians, and they made sure we were well-prepared.”
Mark is a second-generation Marquette alumnus — his father graduated in 1951 — and his appreciation for the university continues: He provides clinical supervision to psychology practicum students from the counseling psychology and clinical psychology programs.
Fun fact: Mark advises young professionals to regularly review at least four relevant professional journals to stay informed of developments in the field, especially evidence-based practice, and to read good literature from any corner of the world to truly understand the human experience.
