Doctoral Candidate, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership

Tony’s research is focused on adolescent recovery from substance use disorder, with an emphasis on predictors associated with continued attendance and engagement among students who choose to enroll in a recovery high school.  Knowing sustained enrollment is associated with a variety of positive recovery related outcomes, Tony hopes to add to the research informing RHS practitioners as they create and sustain effective learning environments.

As a K-12 superintendent with experience leading schools and districts in rural, suburban, and urban communities, Tony found a calling serving adolescents in recovery from substance use disorder based on his professional and personal experience.  As co-founder of Oregon Recovery High School Initiative and Harmony Academy, Oregon’s first recovery high school, Tony worked to affect practice and policy at local and state levels.  As practitioner, he believes it is critical educators use data and research to inform practice in the pursuit of high-quality outcomes for all students.

Philanthropically, Tony is proud of his work leading the recovery high school movement in Oregon. His work set the stage for recent passage of legislation expanding recovery high school services across Oregon.  Sometime in the future, Tony hopes to transition his career trajectory from practitioner and advocate to academic leader and policy expert, influencing the landscape for adolescent recovery nationally.

Doctoral Candidate, Counseling Psychology

Frank was first exposed to applied psychology in a small criminal justice seminar that focused on the benefits of therapeutic jurisprudence and alternative adjudication programs. This experience ignited his interest in understanding how psychological research is used within the criminal justice system and adjacent sociopolitical structures. With the Applied Research Methods and Statistics lab, he has participated in NIJ-funded investigations of treatment court effectiveness and investigations of psychological factors that impact gun ownership. His research interests are also represented in his clinical positions. Frank works with a forensic psychology practice in Lane County, where he assists in evaluations of competency to stand trial, psychosexual risk, and eligibility for Guilty Except Insanity pleas. Concurrently, he works within a practice that specializes in the evidence-based treatment of anxiety and stress disorders, where he provides individual therapy to clients who receive Medicaid benefits. In this role, he also develops initiatives to improve culturally sensitive mental health training and service provision.

Doctoral Candidate, Counseling Psychology

As a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology, Lindsey’s training has been a blend of research and clinical work across various settings. Broadly, her research interests include understanding substance use behaviors and mental health among young people. Lindsey conducts research aimed at understanding variability in substance use treatment and intervention effects by identifying salient risk and protective factors as well as promoting treatment outcomes and improving continuing care supports. She uses a variety of research methods to address her research questions and also has a secondary interest in research synthesis methods. Her dissertation project focuses on studying post-substance use treatment trajectories among youth, with a specific focus on their mental health and levels of social support at treatment discharge. Lindsey hopes that this work will inform holistic clinical assessment practices for substance use disorders among young people. Outside of school, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her pup (Ruth), trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and lounging around her house reading or watching TV shows.

Doctoral Student, Counseling Psychology

Andrew is a doctoral student in UO’s Counseling Psychology program. He recently completed his M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri and previously earned a B.A. in Sociology at Swarthmore College. Andrew‘s background in clinical practice includes serving young men at a New Orleans residential program and facilitating brief motivational interventions with college students. Inspired by the latter experience, Andrew‘s research interests center on substance use prevention and recovery among emerging adults; he has presented work on Missouri collegiate recovery programs at the NASPA Strategies Conference and the 2023 ARHE meeting. Ultimately, Andrew intends to pursue a career in academia to further explore the efficacy of positive psychology approaches and integrative mental health care in recovery. Andrew is also passionate about connecting with communities through participatory action and learning alongside students through his present role as a TA. In Andrew‘s free time, he runs long distances, cooks elaborate meals, and shouts at the TV during Philadelphia 76ers games.