Leuty Named Director of USM School of Psychology
Wed, 01/21/2026 - 08:51am | By: Karelia Pitts
Dr. Melanie Leuty
鈥淒r. Sara Jordan has provided thoughtful leadership and steady guidance while directing the School of Psychology for the past seven years. We are grateful for her service and wish her every success as she returns to faculty full time,鈥� said Dr. Trent Gould, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences. 鈥淎s the school looks ahead, Dr. Leuty brings an exceptional combination of scholarly credibility, collaborative leadership and deep institutional knowledge to the role of director. Her record of advancing faculty development and strengthening student success positions the School of Psychology to build on its strong foundation in research and clinical training while continuing to serve the people of Mississippi.鈥�
Dr. Leuty joined the faculty at Southern Miss in 2010 as an assistant professor. She earned her
bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Dr. Leuty graduated from the University of Minnesota with her Ph.D. in counseling
psychology, and her research expertise includes career choice and development, career interventions
and vocational assessment. For the past three years, she directed the University鈥檚 Center for Faculty Development.
鈥淚 am honored to serve as the new director of the School of Psychology,鈥� said Dr. Leuty. 鈥淚 am deeply appreciative of the strong leadership that has guided our school to this point, and I look forward to continuing to advance excellence in research, teaching and service in our school while fostering an environment where faculty, staff and students can thrive.鈥�
The School of Psychology adheres to a scientist-practitioner training model offering firsthand, diverse, educational experiences across both the scientific and applied areas of psychology. Established in 1940, the School has a strong history of supporting the University and surrounding communities through research and psychological services in schools, businesses and through providing low-cost mental health services to residents of South Mississippi through the Center for Behavioral Health and 25 research labs.
The School offers a bachelor's degree in psychology as well as five graduate programs. In addition to a doctoral program in experimental psychology, the School also has Ph.D. programs in clinical, counseling and school psychology that are accredited by the . The master鈥檚 degree in counseling psychology is accredited by the .
For more information about the Southern Miss College of Education and Human Sciences School of Psychology, visit the website. To keep up with the latest news, follow them on and .