Eric’s journey as a first-generation student began with the United States Army, proudly serving in the 82nd Airborne Division, with a combat tour in Afghanistan as a team leader. After separating from the military, he went on to earn an associate degree in Paralegal Studies from Columbus State Community College, followed by completing a bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies from Kent State University. Not long ago earning a master’s degree in social work and starting his Ph.D. journey at the Ohio State University. Eric has been working in the Veterans Treatment Court arena for over six years. There he learned veterans are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. Because of this, he is researching the criminal justice system’s veteran population and how to address recidivism rates. Specifically, he wants to develop evidence-based recommendations to build upon the veterans’ specialized treatment dockets in the court system, which addresses veterans’ criminogenic risk factors by incorporating unique mental health and substance abuse treatment plans into criminal justice objectives. Eric also advocates for legislation that will benefit the veterans he serves. Much of his recent work has been incorporating whole health and resilience applications to provide combat veterans with a long-term means to overcome their challenges through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and fitness training. Ultimately, his research aims to positively impact veterans with their transition into civilian life, helping them remain in good legal standing, empowering them to become leaders within their communities, and preserving their dignity.

Cindy Clouner has served as the Managing Director of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery since 2017, where she oversees the day-to-day operations of the Center. She joined HECAOD in January of 2015 as a prevention specialist, providing support for Generation Rx and serving as the Program Manager for the Ohio College Initiative. Before transitioning to HECAOD, Cindy spent eight years coordinating school and community-based prevention in Ohio. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Bowling Green State University and her Master of Public Health from The Ohio State University. Cindy is a licensed social worker and an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist.

Melanie Wehmeyer is currently the Chief Development Officer for The Ohio State University, College of Social Work. She has been at Ohio State for almost 5 years, first starting at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as a Leadership Annual Giving Officer. In June 2018, she received a promotion to Director of Development at the College of Social Work and in January 2022 received a promotion as Chief Development Officer. Before Ohio State, she worked at the Dan Beard Council, Boy Scouts of America in Cincinnati, OH for 3.5 years and then at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, IN for 1 year. When she worked for the Boys Scouts, she found her passion for fundraising. She has now been fundraising for 9 years as a career.

Dr. Freisthler is a professor and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development at the Ohio State University in the College of Social Work. Dr. Freisthler runs a research program focusing on the role of substance use in physical abuse and neglect, use of GIS and spatial analysis to understand the spatial dimension of maltreatment, and how technology can improve the resource and referral process in the child welfare system. She is an expert in the application of population-based geospatial research methods in understanding alcohol and drug-related problems (e.g., crime, child abuse and neglect) related to the availability of substances through drug various distribution systems.

David A. Jenkins, PhD, LCSW is Professor and Dean of the College of Social Work. He formerly served as Dean at the University of Louisville from 2016 until 2022. He began his career at Texas Christian University in 1991 where he worked for 25 years. During that time, he served as an Associate Dean, Department Chair, and MSW Program Director. Much of his more recent scholarship focuses on understanding the lived experiences of individuals and family forms suffering from marginalization with specific interests in the lives of sexual minorities. He received his BS and MSW from Louisiana State University and his PhD from Florida State University.

Dr. Ayaz Hyder is an Assistant Professor in the College of Public Health and Core Faculty in the Translational Data Analytics Institute at The Ohio State University. Dr. Hyder received his Ph.D. in modeling pandemics and health disparities at McGill University and completed postdoctoral training at Yale University and the University of Toronto. Dr. Hyder combines modeling and data analytics with community engagement methods to conduct research in the areas of birth and infant outcomes, opioid addiction, and food insecurity. Recently, Dr. Hyder has partnered with local health departments in various COVID-19 response efforts, including surveillance, modeling, and mapping vaccine access.