Faculty

Her research interests include (a) cultural diversity and multiculturalism, (b) rehabilitation counselor preparation, and (c) organizational behavioral practices in state vocational rehabilitation agencies. Dr. Pitt has provided service in numerous capacities on the nominations, awards, and scholarship committees of the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA), the National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns (NAMRC), and the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA). She is presently serving on the Disability Advisory Commission for the City of Fresno.

He was born in Santa Barbara California and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Science and a Master of Arts degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Fresno State. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree at Walden University in Minneapolis. The focus of his dissertation research was analyzing the effects of workers’ compensation litigation on injured workers receiving rehabilitation counseling services in California.

Dr. Koobatian has worked with thousands of consumers and employers and he brings a wealth of hands-on clinical and consulting experiences to our Fresno State students. His passion that “Rehabilitation Counselors can do virtually any job in human services!” results from his testimony of actual experience in the vocational rehabilitation industry.
Dr. K’s major accomplishments and services since 1981 include:

• Developing highly efficient rehabilitation counseling and job placement strategies for persons with a wide range of disabilities to rapidly return to the work force.
• Establishing in 1984 a private vocational rehabilitation corporation, Vocational Designs, Inc. where he has provided employees, students, and graduate interns with clinical and consulting skills in human services.
• Cutting-edge disability management programs and consulting services to businesses, government entities, and large corporations in ergonomics and safety; job analysis; modified duty and work-hardening; and pre-employment ADA ability/agility testing.
• Mediation and interactive services between employees, management, unions, and attorneys to develop job accommodations to achieve employment and reduce litigation.
• Securing full service vocational rehabilitation contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help our veteran heroes with physical and psychological disabilities achieve independence and gainful employment.
• Transferring rehabilitation counseling skills to create marketable services in career counseling for high school & college students, mid-life career changers, and retirement planning.
• “Outplacement” and job seeking skills services to employees undergoing layoffs and job terminations.
• Creating unique resumes and cover letters including social media electronic resumes for consumers.
• Providing job search strategies for junior college students with disabilities.
• Extensive participation in Forensic Vocational Rehabilitation involving complex litigation in California Superior and Federal Courts.  Dr. Koobatian has provided expert testimony in hundreds of personal injury; death; pediatric; wrongful termination; disability, race, sexual discrimination; and spousal support cases.

On a personal note, Dr. K is passionate about serving our local San Joaquin Valley and international communities through volunteer service.  
With Rotary International he created an on-the-job mentoring program for 500+ at-risk middle school students to receive guidance and inspiration from business leaders. He also coordinated a community network of Rotarians in business to volunteer their services to help displaced employees regain work after termination.
His interests in international service focus on clean water, agriculture, education, child development, creating micro enterprises to reduce poverty, and providing wheel chairs in third world countries.
Through a joint project with World Vision and Rotary, Dr. Koobatian was the “Champion Fund Raiser” for Angola where he led a team to raise one-million US dollars to end poverty through community rehabilitation, farming technology, and small business development.
In 2012, Dr. K returned to his Armenian ancestry home to lay his parents ashes to rest and travel throughout Armenia to examine successful micro enterprise businesses facilitated by World Vision teams.
Dr. Koobatian’s greatest joys in life are his spiritual walk with God; spending time with his wife Karin and children Dustin, Evy and Robin; and jazz and blues drumming.  
He is truly grateful for the opportunity to help train our next generation of awesome rehabilitation counselors at Fresno State!

Dr. Becton had the opportunity to work in state/federal agencies including Vocational Rehabilitation Services and private agencies where she found her niche, working with individuals of highly stigmatized groups. Cultural competency has always been an essential component of her background. As a mentor for adolescent females in the school system, Ms. Becton was driven to impact individuals on an even larger scale by educating, motivating and promoting self-sufficiency among minority students. Recent presentations at national conferences consist of “Trauma and Recovery among African Americans,” “Factors Leading Latino Americans with Disabilities to Employment,” and “Empirical Study: The Influence of Personality on Students’ Engagement in Online Learning.” Additionally, Dr. Becton has presented on special topics related to counselor implications for dual diagnosis, student veterans and transition issues, and the effects of disability on the family system. Her current research focuses on multicultural competency, dual diagnosis, family systems, and effective treatment modalities for special populations.