

Dr. Julie Herbstrith
I received my Ph.D. in School Psychology from Illinois State University in 2010. I am an Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program at Mississippi State University. I have an active research program. In addition, I am a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Across my career, I have maintained my school psychology practice in area school districts, typically providing assessment and consultation services every school year.
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In addition to my active professional life, I have a busy personal life full of adventures. My favorite pastime is cycling of almost any kind. I enjoy getting on one of my bikes whenever I can, and my goals are to get in a few organized century rides (100 miles) every year. I also try to do charity events like Bike MS. My most recent bike purchase was a ridiculous Salsa Fargo fat bike that I bought sight unseen from a nice guy in Canada. So far it's done nothing but make me feel like a kid again. This bike will take on ANYTHING. That doesn't mean I don't need another one, however. The established formula for how many bikes one should have is n + 1, where n represents the number of bikes one currently has.
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Another part of my life that brings me great joy has been my wiener dog, Lucky. He died in August 2025, just after he turned 15. He was truly enigmatic. Lucky appeared to hate going anywhere and doing anything; yet, he demanded that I take him along. Thus, he hiked, boated, went four-wheeling, swam in the lake, and attended the occasional thesis defense or class. Lucky's favorite things to hate were going to the post office, stopping at Casey's Convenience Store, and hitting the drive-thru for chicken nuggets. Lucky was by far the strangest creature I've ever known. Having him in my life made me weirder, and my life immensely more interesting. I've been sketching out ideas for a book about Lucky for a few years. I'm glad I waited until he was gone, though; that's when the magnitude of his influence on me came into focus. All along, I thought I was saving him. But I had it backwards.

EDUCATION
2010
Illinois State University
Ph.D. in School Psychology (APA accredited, NASP approved)
1992
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Master's Degree in Psychology
1990
Marian University
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
Summa Cum Laude
Credentials and Licenses
Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Supervision Credential - Illinois School Psychologists Association