Academic Leadership

Barbara Lipinski, PhD, JD

Dean, School of counseling, psychology, and therapy

Barbara Lipinski, PhD, JD, is an academic leader, psychologist, and educator, with more than four decades of experience in higher education, clinical and forensic psychology, academic administration, and community service. As Dean of the School of Counseling, Psychology, and Therapy, she provides leadership for academic programs, faculty development, student success, and strategic initiatives across the school.

Dr. Lipinski has held senior academic leadership positions at Antioch University, including Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs for Academic Personnel and Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Antioch University Santa Barbara, where she served as Chief Academic Officer. She has also directed graduate and doctoral psychology programs and served extensively as a professor, dissertation and thesis chair, advisor, and mentor.

A licensed psychologist, licensed professional clinical counselor, and licensed marriage and family therapist, Dr. Lipinski has extensive clinical, forensic, and consultation experience. Her professional background includes service as a police psychologist with the Los Angeles Police Department, forensic program evaluator and principal investigator for Ventura County, and mental health patients’ rights advocate for Santa Barbara County. Dr. Lipinski holds a Juris Doctorate, a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern California, an MA and MFCC from the University of California Santa Barbara, and a BSW from the University of Illinois. Her scholarship and professional interests include psychological assessment, trauma, forensic psychology, law and ethics, family violence, social justice, mediation, and the intersection of psychology and law. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence, equity and inclusion, ethical professional practice, interdisciplinary education, and student and faculty success.

Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, MPH

Dean, School of interdisciplinary and professional studies

Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, MPH is a highly collaborative leader, seasoned educator, and interdisciplinary scholar. Her current research activities focus on Women’s Leadership in Higher Education, Trauma-informed Leadership, and girls’ and emerging adult women’s development.

Prior to joining the Graduate School of Leadership and Change, for the past eighteen years, she has served in a number of roles at Lesley University, including Director of the PhD Specialization in Adult Learning and Development, Dean of the Faculty, Chair of the PhD in Education Studies, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, and, most recently, Associate Provost of Academic Affairs.

Diane White, PhD

Dean, Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions

As the Founding Dean of the Antioch Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions, Diane White holds a lifelong belief in access to high-quality healthcare education and a deep commitment to healthcare for all. As a nurse by training, a lifelong educator, and a practitioner, she is committed to re-imagining healthcare in the United States, transforming it into a system that works for all. She believes in preparing graduates to transform healthcare and play a pivotal role in advocating for health equity and access for all humanity.

Before beginning her academic career, White was a full-time nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta in the surgical intensive care unit, where she cared for and about under-resourced individuals, families, and communities. Her mentor encouraged her to pursue an academic career, and she soon realized the impact she could make by helping more future nurses understand the social impacts that are affecting healthcare so that they, too, could care about their patients.

Before joining Antioch, White was most recently the Founding Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Georgia Gwinnett College, and her prior experience includes professor, department chair, and dean. She has a record of success in securing funds, creating programs, and building productive teams.

Among her many accomplishments, White founded the School of Health Sciences based on a culture of care, developed the first total prelicensure conceptual curriculum in Georgia, demonstrated expertise in experiential learning modalities, and engaged in remote and applied learning. She has designed simulation and clinical practice laboratories, led accreditation efforts, developed Health Science degrees, and collaborated with external partners.

White has a doctorate degree in nursing from Georgia State University and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing as well. Her most recent publications and presentations focus on areas such as emotional intelligence in nursing, creating a culture of care in nursing education, and fostering DEI in the nursing curriculum.