November 4, 2022
Following a nationwide search, Campus Life has announced that Emily Teague Palmieri, PhD, will join the Emory community on January 1, 2023, as director of the Office of Respect. Palmieri brings more than a decade of experience in counseling, supervision, teaching, leadership, and advocacy to her new position.
As director of the Office of Respect, Palmieri will provide clinical and administrative supervision for Respect staff and lead Emory’s efforts to respond to and prevent sexual and relationship violence and stalking. Additional responsibilities include supporting and advocating for affected students and closely partnering with Emory’s Title IX Office and other relevant campus groups and professionals.
Palmieri will report to James Raper, PhD, associate vice president for health, well-being, access, and prevention. Raper, who joined Emory in June as the first person to hold the position, oversees Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) and Student Health Services (SHS), including psychiatry – as well as the Office of Respect. The creation of Raper’s position and portfolio is part of Campus Life’s strategic realignment, which places related areas in the same portfolio to enhance their synergy and overall support for Emory’s holistic approach to student health and well-being, which is vital to Student Flourishing.
“Emily is an exceptional addition to our outstanding Campus Life staff and an established leader who has been a strong voice for how universities should care for survivors of sexual and relationship violence,” said Raper. “Her clinical expertise and background will help us grow the Office of Respect to a place where survivors of sexual or relationship trauma can receive both clinical mental health care and the continued high quality advocacy already provided by the office.”
Palmieri served most recently as both director of the Safe Office and assistant director for specialized services with the University Counseling Center at Wake Forest University. At WFU, she created and implemented several interdisciplinary approaches to aid trauma-informed, health-equity-focused programming. This included the Embodied Initiative, in collaboration with Student Health Service, Campus Recreation, and the Office of Wellbeing. Palmieri also co-led the Culture of Respect coalition in conjunction with leaders from the Women’s Center, the Office of Wellbeing, the Title IX Office, and other partners campus-wide.
Among her contributions at Wake Forest, Palmieri led implementation of prevention and outreach, clinical service, and crisis response initiatives to support survivors of sexual assault and relationship violence, as well as the general student population. Earlier in her career, she worked in community mental health in hospitals and group private practice settings.
Palmieri has made more than a dozen presentations at the international, national, state, and local levels, as well as authored or co-authored numerous book chapters, journal articles, and other publications. She holds a PhD in counselor education and supervision with a multicultural cognate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and dual master’s degrees in community mental health and couples and family counseling from UNC at Greensboro. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor in North Carolina and will obtain her license in Georgia.
Outside of work, Palmieri loves outdoor adventures with her family – spouse Evan, daughter Ava, and dog Molly – playing music, DIY construction projects, and quality time with friends and family.