Appalachian State University faculty member Dr. John Paul “JP” Jameson has earned the 2025 Gov. James E. Holshouser Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service from the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors. The award recognizes Jameson for his efforts to improve access to quality mental health care services for rural communities across Western North Carolina.
Established in 2007 and named for North Carolina’s 68th governor, the Holshouser Award recognizes faculty members across the UNC System’s 17 institutions who demonstrate sustained, distinguished and superb achievement in public service and outreach that improves the quality of life for North Carolinians. Jameson — a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher and professor of psychology — accepted the award, presented by UNC System President Peter Hans, at the board’s Feb. 26 meeting in Raleigh.
“Dr. Jameson embodies the spirit of the Holshouser Award, putting service at the center of his commitment to our university and our people,” said Hans. “He has improved the quality of mental health care for his fellow citizens in Northwestern North Carolina while inspiring his students to take up the mission of service.”
UNC Board of Governors Chair Wendy Murphy shared Hans’ sentiment, adding, “Dr. Jameson has a heart for service, and we couldn’t be prouder to honor him today. His work has had an impact on children and young people across the mountain region, and we are thankful for his dedication.”
For more than a decade, Jameson has focused on improving access to mental health care in rural Appalachia and advancing practical strategies to prevent firearm suicides. This has included the creation of essential clinical infrastructure in the region to ensure reliable, accessible crisis care for children and families, along with leadership in suicide prevention and intervention training and a strong dedication to mentoring the next generation of highly competent clinicians through his teaching and research at App State.
“Dr. Jameson’s dedication to bridging the gap in mental health care, particularly in rural areas in the western region of our state, has meant more people are living healthier lives today who might otherwise not have been, and more people are enjoying a greater quality of life,” said App State Chancellor Heather Norris. “It’s hard to imagine a greater contribution to our state and region than that.”
Jameson expressed his gratitude for the award — and for the opportunity to serve the Western North Carolina region.
“Public Service has always been central to my work and to my identity as an App State faculty member,” said Jameson. “The mission of our university is truly fulfilled when our teaching and research improve the lives of the people in the communities we serve.”
He added, “If we can affect a student’s trajectory now, even slightly, that change could result in a huge difference in where they land well into the future.”
Jameson is one of two recipients of the 2025 Holshouser Award. Dr. Carol Durham, professor emeritus in UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing and former director of the school’s Education-Innovation-Simulation Learning Environment, was also recognized with the honor.
Collaborating with local county health departments, schools districts and community organizations, Jameson helped pioneer the development of school-based mental health clinics — or Assessment, Support and Counseling (ASC) Centers — in Alleghany and Ashe counties, which he works to sustain.
Through a university–community partnership, the centers provide evidence-based assessment, therapy and crisis services for K–12 students and family members and serve as training clinics for master’s- and doctoral-level clinical psychology students at App State. The centers have served hundreds of students over the years, Jameson shared, and have become trusted resources for families seeking help.
“The students we serve in these schools face many real challenges — from poverty, to instability at home, to limited opportunities. And in recent years, those difficulties have been further complicated by the pandemic and by the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene,” Jameson said. “There is no intervention that can erase those realities, but we can work to equip students with two things that can help them navigate their world — skills to help them with their psychological well-being, and hope that the future can be better.”
As director of the ASC Centers, Jameson provides administrative, training and clinical leadership for comprehensive school-based mental health programs in rural Western North Carolina. He also delivers evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapy to hundreds of rural adolescents, free of cost to their families. And, he has implemented systematic suicide risk assessment and prevention protocols.
Elizabeth Kerley Dunbar, ASC Center program coordinator and school mental health program coordinator at Ashe County High School, described Jameson as a great advocate for others and a consistent source of guidance and support.
“Dr. Jameson’s leadership directly benefits our most vulnerable children facing mental health challenges,” she said. “Serving in this capacity is a choice, which requires a significant amount of time and energy, and without him, we would lose this crucial resource.”
Jameson stressed that the work he and his graduate clinical trainees engage in through the ASC Centers — work that continues to make a positive difference in the lives of regional students and families — would not be possible without the support and collaboration of the districts’ student services personnel.
According to the NC Center on the Workforce for Health, 94 of the state’s 100 counties are designated as mental health professional shortage areas, and North Carolina ranks 38th nationally in access to mental health care.
