Debby White, Ph.D.

Debby White, Ph.D., joined the Clifton Strengths School as a faculty member in 2010. She teaches courses in the Strengths Advocate and Certificate in Strengths-Based Education programs. Debby was introduced to the strengths philosophy by Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., and Chip Anderson, Ph.D., at Gallup in 1998. Inspired by Don's vision and Chip's passion, the strengths philosophy brought core values and deep meaning to her mission to teach and learn and to inspire others to do the same.

Debby has used a strengths-based approach in many different professional assignments, including as a faculty member, academic vice president at a liberal arts college, strengths coordinator at a community college, and as the director of a Lilly Endowment grant and director of the Center for Calling & Career at Lee University. From 2003 to 2010, Debby implemented a campuswide strengths program at Lee University that encompassed faculty and staff development; faculty strengths advising; and opportunities for strengths engagement for students from freshmen orientation through senior capstone experiences.

Debby has also used strengths in leadership development, working with scholarship students on Lee's campus, providing team coaching to college administrative groups, and offering individual strengths coaching to participants in the Women's Leadership Development Institute, a program of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

Since 2005, Debby has presented StrengthsQuest programs at many public and private universities and community colleges throughout the United States. She was recognized by Gallup in 2005 with the Strengths Architect Award for her work with strengths in higher education. Lee University also received Gallup's premier Clifton Compass Award for 2008-2009 for the comprehensive strengths program she helped develop.

Debby earned her bachelor's degree in piano performance from Northwest University and her master's degree and doctorate in psychomusicology from the University of Washington. She now resides in northern New Jersey, where she serves as a higher education consultant and as an instructor with the Clifton Strengths School.