Dr. Joel Erion didn’t set out to change the world.

And yet, for the thousands of students he’s impacted throughout his 42-year tenure as a school psychologist, educator and researcher, that’s exactly what he’s done.

The western Pennsylvania native joined Edinboro’s school psychology faculty in 1997 after 16 years of providing therapeutic support to children struggling with academic, behavioral and/or mental health issues in the Oil City School District.

“I enjoy working with students, and watching them grow professionally is incredibly satisfying,” said Erion, who was named the 1993 School Psychologist of the Year by the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania. “Being in academia was a lifelong goal. Having the opportunity to teach and conduct research is pretty cool.”

Inspired by his family’s belief in the transformative power of education, Erion began making regular gifts to student scholarships soon after accepting a position at Edinboro.

With the support of his wife, Janet, a faculty member at Waynesburg University, he established the Ted and Carolyn Erion Scholarship in 2011 to honor his parents for their influence in his life and service to others.

“My parents are hard-working and caring individuals who passed along a strong work ethic to their children and stressed the value of education,” said Erion, who earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in psychology from then Clarion State College and both a master’s in education psychology with school psychology certification and an Ed.D. in school psychology with an emphasis on neuropsychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

At Edinboro, Erion has led undergraduate and graduate classes in special education and school psychology and regularly partners with students and colleagues on scholarly articles. His research interests include parent tutoring, response to instruction and intervention.

To further encourage student scholarship, he recently created the School Psychology National Convention Annual Award. The award funds expenses related to presenting at the National Association of School Psychologists annual conference.

“It’s really good for students to make that connection to the larger professional community, and conference attendance is a great way to do that,” he said. “In my family – and for me personally – it was always pretty important to give back and make those kinds of financial contributions.”

Beyond the classroom, he serves as the faculty advisor to the Alpha Epsilon Lambda National Honor Society of Graduate and Professional School Students and the School Psychology Club. The father of four has also held several leadership roles, including seven years as department chairperson.

“Dr. Erion understands that giving is not just about making a donation; it’s about making a difference,” said Jon Pulice, PennWest’s director of Development. “He has gone over and above – inside and outside of the classroom – to provide life-changing opportunities for our students, and he does so without seeking gratitude or recognition.”

For Erion, the joy his parents feel when reading about scholarship recipients in their yearly donor notification is thanks enough.

“I found my work as a school psychologist and practitioner intellectually and personally satisfying. And I find the same thing to be true about being in academia,” he said.