Bill Text: VA HJR5025 | 2013 | 1st Special Session | Enrolled


Bill Title: Commending Dr. Rita Chi-Ying Chung.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)

Status: (Passed) 2013-04-03 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ5025ER) [HJR5025 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2013-HJR5025-Enrolled.html

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5025
Commending Dr. Rita Chi-Ying Chung.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, April 3, 2013
Agreed to by the Senate, April 3, 2013

WHEREAS, Dr. Rita Chi-Ying Chung, a professor of counseling and development at George Mason University, was honored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia with a 2013 Outstanding Faculty Award; and

WHEREAS, only the best of the Commonwealth's faculty at public and private colleges and universities receive the prestigious Outstanding Faculty Award, which recognizes superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and public service; and

WHEREAS, as a young woman, Rita Chung traveled the world, witnessing extreme poverty and human suffering; she realized that in order to play a role in preventing human rights violations and helping those who had been victims of human rights abuses that she would need more education; and

WHEREAS, Rita Chung persevered and obtained two bachelor's degrees, a master's degree, and a doctorate from the Victoria University of Wellington; and

WHEREAS, herself the daughter of Chinese immigrants in New Zealand, Rita Chung worked with Southeast Asian refugees from the Vietnam War during her doctoral studies and realized that many of the Western psychological theories and interventions did not work well with the Asian culture of the refugees; and

WHEREAS, Rita Chung drew upon her own growing up experience, heritage, and training in the martial arts to help these refugees and began to study and teach other professionals how more effectively to assist those from other cultures; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chung was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship in public health and traveled to the University of California, Los Angeles, to continue her work on immigrant groups and multicultural social justice issues in psychology; and

WHEREAS, in 2000, Dr. Chung joined the faculty of George Mason University and provided strong leadership in the transformation of the Counseling and Development Program into a program that has been recognized as one of the top three innovative counseling programs in the country by the American Counseling Association; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chung has provided postdisaster counselor training; given workshops to such organizations as the United States Department of State and the World Bank; presented at major international conferences; and spoken twice at the United Nations at its invitation; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chung's groundbreaking scholarship in culturally responsive prevention and intervention strategies resulted in her co-developing and publishing two culturally sensitive models of psychotherapy and has had a direct impact in theory, training, and practice in her field; and

WHEREAS, a renowned scholar, counselor, and educator, Dr. Chung is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the 2012 Kitty Cole Human Rights Award from the American Counseling Association; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chung has not only made substantial and lasting contributions to her field but strongly influenced its rising leaders; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Dr. Rita Chi-Ying Chung on her selection as a 2013 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award recipient; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Dr. Rita Chi-Ying Chung as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and respect and admiration for her significant contributions to her profession and service to those in need.

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