Dr. Luke is the CTPR Director and a professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also a member of the research faculty at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University. His research interests include prevention and policy program evaluation in tobacco, substance abuse, and mental illness, including recent work in the areas of evaluation of state tobacco control programs, tobacco billboard advertising, teen perceptions of smoking, and the relationship between tobacco control policies and smoking. He has extensive expertise in the use of innovative quantitative and qualitative analytic methods, with particular emphasis on cluster analysis and network analysis. His research has been funded by the CDC, American Legacy Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute.

Education:
MA, Psychology, University of Illinois, 1988
Ph.D., Psychology, University of Illinois, 1990

Nancy Mueller
Associate Director

Nancy Mueller is the Associate Director for the Center for Tobacco Policy Research at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Nancy has been an investigator for several projects, including the evaluation of 18 state tobacco control programs across the U.S. and the development and testing of a school tobacco policy rating system. She also leads the training and technical assistance component of the evaluation for the Missouri Foundation for Health's nine-year Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative. Nancy holds masters degree in public health with an emphasis on Health Education/Health Promotion from the University of Texas School of Public Health. She has over 12 years of experience in program evaluation. Her knowledge and skills encompass qualitative methods and analysis, program and policy evaluation, needs assessment, survey development, and formative research.

Education:
BS, Social Science, Michigan State University, 1994
MPH, Health Education/Health Promotion, University of Texas School of Public Health, 1996

Jenine Harris
Assistant Director of Research

Dr. Harris serves as the Assistant Director of Research for CTPR. Her primary responsibilities include grant development, study design, statistical analysis, and development of presentations and manuscripts. Jenine completed the Biostatistics Ph.D. program at Saint Louis University in January, 2008. Her primary research interests are in network theory and analysis.

Education:
BA, French Language & Literature, University of Oregon, 1993
MA, Journalism & Communication, University of Oregon, 1996
MAT, Teaching Math & Technology, Pacific University, 1997
PhD, Public Health Studies/Biostatistics, Saint Louis University, 2008

Stephanie Herbers
Assistant Director of Evaluation

Stephanie Herbers is the Assistant Director of Evaluation for the Center for Tobacco Policy Research at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work. Stephanie currently serves as an evaluation lead on several CTPR projects including the Missouri Foundation for Health's nine-year Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative and a multi-state evaluation of the use of evidence-based guidelines by tobacco control programs. Stephanie holds masters degrees in public health and social work.

Her research and evaluation interests include mixed method approaches, program sustainability, capacity-building for evaluation, and translation and dissemination of results. In addition to her experience in tobacco prevention and control, Stephanie has been involved in the implementation and evaluation of community-based programs for older adults.

Education:
BA, Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002
MPH/MSW, Saint Louis University, 2006

Bobbi Carothers
Project Coordinator

Bobbi is the Project Coordinator for CTPR's evaluation of the National Networks Initiative. Her responsibilities include survey development, implementation of online data collection and phone interviews, statistical analysis, and development of presentations and publications. Her current research interests are in tobacco disparities in ethnic minority, low socioeconomic status, and LGBT populations.

Education:
BA, Psychology, SUNY Geneseo, 1997
MA, Personality & Social Psychology, University of Rochester, 2000
PhD, Personality & Social Psychology, University of Rochester, 2003

Kendre Israel
Research Assistant

Kendre is a Research Assistant for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Best Practices Project conducted by CTPR. She is helping with the development of a series of user guides on specific topics within the State and Community Interventions category of the CDC 2007 Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. She is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, with a focus on health and management.

Education:
BSW, Valparaiso University, 2008
MSW, Washington University in St. Louis, 2009

Laura Brossart
Research Assistant

Laura is a Research Assistant for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Best Practices Project conducted by CTPR. She is helping with the development of a series of user guides on specific topics within the State and Community Interventions category of the CDC 2007 Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs.

Education:
BA, Psychology, Washington University, 1992

Anneke Mohr
Research Assistant

Anneke is a Research Assistant for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Best Practices Project conducted by CTPR. She is helping with the development of a series of user guides on specific topics within the State and Community Interventions category of the CDC 2007 Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. She is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, with a focus on health and comorbidities.

Education:
BA, Comparative Sociology and Spanish, University of Puget Sound, 2003
MSW, Washington University, 2010

Tanya Montgomery
Technology and Dissemination Coordinator

Tanya is responsible for managing CTPR's information systems and developing project-specific databases. Tanya played a major role in the evaluation of Project LEaP funded by National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD). In addition, she has assisted in online survey development and management for various CTPR projects. Tanya's research interests include the evaluation of public health programs and health care among the uninsured and underinsured and qualitative research methods.

Education:
BS, Biology, Xavier University of New Orleans, 1994
MPH, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1996

Sarah Moreland-Russell
Project Manager

Sarah is a Program Coordinator for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Best Practices Project conducted by CTPR. This project aims to develop a series of user guides on specific topics within the Statewide and Community category of the CDC 2007 Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs.

Her research interests include health policy analysis and evaluation, the development and implementation of public health policies, research ethics, and health communication among minority and non-English speaking populations. Sarah is pursuing her Doctorate in Public Policy and Administration at the Saint Louis University School of Public Policy.

Education:
BA, Biology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2001
MPH, Kansas University Medical Center, 2004
PhD, Public Policy and Administration, Saint Louis University, 2010

Laura Piper
Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator

Laura is the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator for the Missouri Foundation for Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative (TPCI) evaluation conducted by CTPR. She manages the implementation of training opportunities (e.g., Summer Training Institute), the Missouri Evaluation Connection, and technical assistance for grantees' evaluation activities.

Education:
BA, Communication, University of Missouri, 2006
MEd, Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, 2008

Carson Smith
Research Assistant

Carson is a Research Assistant for the Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Among Bar/Nightclub and Restaurant Employees and Tobacco Marketing at Point-of Sale. She is helping with the day-to-day activities, including recruiting sites, collecting data and specimens, and disseminating results for both projects.

Education:
BA, Anthropology, Washington University, 2009

Nicole Leacock
Research Assistant

Nicole is a Research Assistant for the Missouri Foundation for Health's Healthy and Active Communities evaluation. Her responsibilities include assisting with the evaluation planning, data collection, and dissemination.

Education:
BSW, Florida State University, 2007
MSW, Washington University in St. Louis, 2009

Sarah Schell
Research Assistant

Sarah is a Research Assistant for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Best Practices Project conducted by CTPR. She is helping with the development of a series of user guides on specific topics within the State and Community Interventions category of the CDC 2007 Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs.

Education:
BA, Anthropology, Washington University, 2007

Sarah Shelton
Evaluation Coordinator, Senior Data Analyst

Sarah is the Evaluation Coordinator for the Missouri Foundation for Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative (TPCI) evaluation conducted by CTPR. Her primary responsibility is to coordinate the implementation of the evaluation plan for the overall Initiative, including data collection and analysis and report development. Sarah also assists with grant development, statistical analysis, and presentation and manuscript development for the Center. Sarah has been involved in several CTPR projects, including managing a project that identified and analyzed tobacco control funding in Missouri and designing and implementing an evaluation of the CDC Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention's Stroke Prevention Networks.

Education:
BS, Health Science, Truman State University, 2006
MPH, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Saint Louis University, 2008

Max Bryant
Project Coordinator

Max is the Project Coordinator for the Implementation of Evidence-based Guidelines by State Tobacco Control Programs evaluation funded by CDC OSH. His responsibilities include managing the day to day activities of the project and conducting and analyzing the evaluation of state tobacco control programs.

Education:
BA, Psychology, University of Missouri, 2005
MHA, University of Missouri, 2007

Amy Sorg
Senior Research Assistant

Amy is a Senior Research Assistant for CTPR's evaluation of the Missouri Foundation for Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative evaluation. Her primary responsibilities include assisting with training and technical assistance activities related to the Initiative. Amy is also pursuing her Masters of Public Health at Saint Louis University with a joint concentration in Behavioral Science and Epidemiology.

Education:
BS, Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1997
MPH, Behavioral Science and Epidemiology, Saint Louis University, 2010

Eric Ndichu
Research Assistant

Eric is a Research Assistant for the National Networks project. He is helping with qualitative analysis of the six national networks working with tobacco control among priority populations. His responsibilities include reviewing the networks reports, newsletters and websites, conducting interviews with key informants from the networks, and transcribing and assisting in analyzing the results.

He is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University specializing in Research. His main interest is in youth issues, especially drug and substance abuse, delinquency and mental health.

Education:
BA (Social Work), University of Nairobi-Kenya, 2005
IMSSW (International Masters of Science in Social Work), University of Gothenburg-Sweden, 2008
MSW (Masters of Social Work), Washington University in St. Louis, 2010

Virginia Houmes
Evaluation Coordinator

Virginia is the Evaluation Coordinator for the Missouri Foundation for Health's Healthy and Active Communities Model Practice Building evaluation. The evaluation focuses on nutrition and physical activity programs and policies throughout the state of Missouri. Virginia coordinates the implementation of the evaluation plan, including data collection and analysis and report development.

Education:
BA, Psychology, Auburn University, 2001
MEd, Counseling, Vanderbilt University, 2003

Aimee Webb
Research Assistant

Aimee is a Research Assistant for CTPR's evaluation of the Missouri Foundation for Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative. Her main responsibilities include assisting with training, technical assistance, and evaluation activities related to the Initiative. Aimee is also pursuing her Master of Public Health at Saint Louis University with a joint concentration in Behavioral Science/Health Education and Epidemiology.

Education:
BS, Dental Hygiene, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2005
MPH, Behavioral Science/Health Education and Epidemiology, Saint Louis University, 2010

Jennifer Hobson
Research Assistant

Jennifer is a Research Assistant for the Implementation of Evidence-based Guidelines by State Tobacco Control Programs evaluation funded by CDC OSH. She is assisting with the pilot evaluation and developing and implementing a dissemination plan for the project.

Education:
BA, Psychology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2002
MS, Applied Psychology, Montana State University, 2005

Gina Banks
Data Analyst

Gina Banks is the Data Analyst for the Missouri Foundation for Health's Healthy & Active Communities evaluation. She has worked in the area of program evaluation and research for two years and has extensive experience in clinical research within the areas of rheumatology (lupus), obstetrics and gynecology, epidemiology, and general medical sciences.

Education:
BA, Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 2002
MPH, Epidemiology, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, 2005

Emily Luten
Research Assistant

Emily Luten is a Research Assistant with CTPR. Her primary duties include assisting with the Healthy and Active Communities evaluation. She also assists with other projects as needed.

Education:
BS, Exercise Science, The George Washington University, 2009
MPH, Washington University, 2011

Megan Multack
Research Assistant

Megan is a Research Assistant for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Best Practices Project conducted by CTPR. She is helping with the development of a series of user guides on specific topics within the State and Community Interventions category of the CDC 2007 Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. She has experience working on cancer communication research, clinical research, and psychology research. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, with a focus on health policy.

Education:
BA, Psychology, Bucknell University, 2006
MPH, Washington University, 2011

Sarah Li Zhao
Research Assistant

Sarah is a Research Assistant for the National Networks project. Her responsibilities include coding and analyzing in-depth interviews of the six national networks working with tobacco control among priority populations.

Sarah is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, with concentrations in health and gerontology. Sarah’s research interests include health disparities among Asian Americans, health behavior of Chinese American and Chinese immigrant elder adults, health policy analysis, and social work response models in disaster management and preparedness.

Education:
BA, Teaching Chinese, Beijing Foreign Studies University, 1997
MA, Southeast Asian Studies, National University in Singapore, 2002
MSW, Washington University in St. Louis, 2010

Lana Wald
Data Analyst

Lana is the Data Analyst for the Implementation of Evidence-based Guidelines by State Tobacco Control Programs evaluation funded by CDC OSH. She received her clinical training in cognitive behavioral therapy working with individuals with opioid dependence. She has also done research in the fields of substance abuse, eating disorders, and cost utility analysis. Lana's primary research interest is in substance abuse disorders.

Education:
BA, Psychology and Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 2006
MA, Clinical Psychology, University of Hartford, 2009

Ross Brownson
Chair Department of Community Health
Prevention Research Center Director and Investigator

Dr. Brownson is the Director of the Prevention Research Center and a professor at Washington University's School of Medicine and School of Social Work. He serves as Co-Investigator of the Best Practices Project and the Economic Impact Project. Dr. Brownson's research interests include chronic disease epidemiology, tobacco use prevention, promotion of physical activity, and evaluation of community-level interventions. His tobacco policy research focuses on environmental tobacco smoke and he is a member of the Guide to Community Preventive Services Task Force.

Education:
BA, Cellular Biology/Chemistry, University of Montana, 1979
PhD, Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Colorado State University, 1985

Daniel Gentry, PhD, MHA
Professor of Health Management and Policy
Director of the Health Systems Management Program

Dan Gentry, PhD, MHA, is Professor and Director of the Health Systems Management Program at Rush University. His research and evaluation interests are focused on the financing, organization, and delivery of community-based prevention and care services; capacity building; prevention and care outcomes research; and health policy analysis. The majority of his funded projects over the past 12 years have focused on process and outcome evaluations of health policies or programs at the national, state, and local levels.

Education:
MHA, Medical University of South Carolina, 1990
PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 1996