Dr. Kris Meyer

• Instructor of Professional School Counseling

Dr. Kris Meyer is a teacher, counselor, administrator, and storyteller. She served as a school counselor, community college academic counselor, and adjunct professor for the University of Northern Iowa and Buena Vista University before taking on the role of Director of Graduate Programs in School and Mental Health Counseling at Buena Vista University. Dr. Meyer left that role to serve as an elementary principal for five years before retiring. In 2020, she returned “home” to Buena Vista University as part time faculty in the graduate program for professional school counseling.

Dr. Meyer received her Associate of Arts degree from Waldorf College, her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and also her Master’s degree in professional school counseling from Buena Vista University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Iowa State University. She was selected as a 2020 National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and was a 2020 recipient of the Alumni Distinguished Service Award for Waldorf University. 

Her doctoral research focused on resiliency education. She speaks and presents workshops around the topic, how to help people bounce back from adversity. Meyer serves as a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) facilitator assisting Emergency Medical responders and personnel in trauma debriefing.