In just over a year, the Barnes Center at The Arch has not only changed the landscape of campus but has quickly enhanced the student experience through bolstered health and wellness services. Behind the scenes of these pioneering efforts is a holistic health and wellness team, combining Health Care, Counseling, Recreation and Health Promotion. Leadership of these efforts now includes two newly appointed directors, Kathleen Coughlin, director of health service operations and administration, and Carrie Brown, counseling clinical director.
“As pillars of our health and wellness team, I congratulate both Kathleen and Carrie,” says Cory Wallack, Barnes Center at The Arch executive director of health and wellness. “They are talented and dedicated professionals, and we are lucky to have them as colleagues and members of our leadership team.”
Kathleen Coughlin, M.P.A.
Kathleen Coughlin
Coughlin has worked to build a career supportive of health and wellness for almost two decades. Prior to joining Syracuse University professionally, she spent 14 years in public health with the Onondaga County Health Department, where she served as director of the Bureau of Disease Control. Previous to working in disease control, Coughlin was director of Healthy Start, focusing on racial disparities in pregnancy and birth outcomes.
“Inspired by my professional experiences, I look forward to further enhancing Barnes Center at The Arch Health Care and creating a welcoming space for all students,” she says.
As a graduate of the Maxwell School’s Master of Public Administration Program, Coughlin returned to Syracuse University professionally in 2016 as associate director of health services, where she oversaw the implementation of the Student Health Insurance Plan and led all health compliance efforts. In 2019, with the opening of the Barnes Center, she was named director of operations for health and wellness, overseeing the administrative functions of the Barnes Center, as well as business and operational initiatives.
Now as director of health service operations and administration, Coughlin will continue to support the Barnes Center in all health-related services, including Health Care, Pharmacy, Syracuse University Ambulance, health insurance and infectious disease management, as well as implementation of health policies and procedures and management of public health issues.
Carrie Brown, Ph.D.
Carrie Brown
As a dedicated member of the health and wellness team, Brown has helped grow a variety of student services and resources throughout her nine years at Syracuse University. She has served as a staff therapist, a member of the Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team and group therapy coordinator. Most recently, she has been the assistant director of counseling, bolstering crisis response services and many of the day-to-day operations.
Brown has a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Kentucky and clinical specialties in LGBTQ concerns, relationship violence and trauma, identity development and substance abuse. Through her continuous dedication to the campus community, Brown received the Awareness Recognition Award from the LGBT Center in 2014 and most recently has supported the coordination of the Barnes Center Trans Health and Wellness Team.
“I look forward to further connecting students to existing resources and services, while I also dedicate my work to discovering opportunities to strengthen connections and enhance the student experience,” Brown says.
As counseling clinical director, she will oversee and coordinate clinical coverage and emergency and drop-in systems, and supervise clinical services. And by supervising the dedicated work of the coordinator team, she will help support services surrounding alcohol, other drugs and tobacco, sexual and relationship violence and clinical case management services.
Learn more by visiting the Barnes Center at The Arch website, calling 315.443.8000 or emailing BarnesCenter@syr.edu.
