Title: Director of the Substance Abuse Prevention Program
Company: University of Oregon
Location: Eugene, OR United States

Ruth Bichsel’s only goal in life is to help make the world a better place. That’s why she joined the University of Oregon; her positions there have enabled her to give back to the community, students, and other instructors. Dr. Bichsel was promoted to her current role as the director of the substance abuse prevention program in 2013, which allows her to utilize her more than three decades of experience in teaching, clinical care, and research in the areas of substance abuse, mental health, and integrated health care. She is noted among her peers for designing curricula that is informative, meaningful and practical, and proud of her ability to help those others in her field can’t reach, such as the homeless population. In recognition of her achievements, Dr. Bichsel was honored with the Diversity Award by the Oregon Psychological Association in 2014. She hopes to continue with her work moving forward, and find a way to get more non-credited classes offered so that people who normally wouldn’t be able to attend, can.

The biggest challenge Dr. Bichsel faced along the way was being raised on a reservation in a poor Native American community and finding a way to get an education. Inspired by her mom, who has overcome so much in her life, however, Dr. Bichsel also found a way to succeed. She is currently a licensed psychologist, and holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology.

When Dr. Bichsel isn’t working to advance her program at the University of Oregon, she is either serving as the president of the Lane County Psychologists Association or running her own private practice in psychology, where she helps individuals, groups and families by appointment only. She also supports the missions of pet rescue organizations, and enjoys rescuing dogs and cats. As a member of The International Women’s Leadership Association, Dr. Bichsel would advise the younger generation to find a strong female mentor and not to get discouraged.

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