MCVP Research Affiliates Program

Dr. Adrianne J Jackson Weaver is a researcher, practitioner and clinician with an expertise in campus sexual assault policy. Adrianne uses her background as a trauma informed clinician to create policies that are not harmful to survivors of sexual assault. Her experience with policy writing spans higher education and the department of defense.

Amelia Meman is an activist, educator, and researcher from Baltimore, MD currently working toward their PhD in clinical and community psychology at UMBC. Amelia's research is on sexual violence prevention and radical pedagogy. Before joining their doctoral program, Amelia led the Women's Center at UMBC for 5 years developing intersectional feminist programming and collaborating with campus community members to cultivate more equitable and inclusive practices.

Ann Schafer (she,her) has over 10 years of experience in student affairs in areas such as housing and residence life, gender and equity centers, and now serves as the Director of the Office of Advocacy & Education at University of Oklahoma. In this role, she oversees critical areas such as sexual assault response and advocacy as well as the campus wide food pantry addressing food insecurity for all staff, faculty and students. She also collaborates with her team in prevention and education efforts around gender-based violence, substance misuse, sexual health and general wellness. Ann is currently pursuing a PhD in the Adult & Higher Education at the University of Oklahoma, focusing on how college women experience violence on dating apps.

Anne Dufault, MS, MEd is a PhD student at Suffolk University in Applied Developmental Psychology. Her research focuses on how examining power and oppression in sexual violence prevention efforts can promote positive development both for young people who show warning signs they may cause harm, and young people involved in preventing harm on their campuses. Her work is informed by nearly a decade as a sexual violence prevention educator for Catharsis Productions, where she traveled the U.S. educating college students and U.S. military service members, and trained new educators how to facilitate interactive and engaging conversations about sexual violence. She is also a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a MEd in Educational Studies.

April currently serves as the Director for Student Accountability in the Office of the Dean of Students at the University of Utah. She serves as the main conduct officer for the University, protecting student rights and working through appropriate resolutions to student accountability cases. Prior to the Office of the Dean of Students, she worked in various student affairs departments at the University of Utah and the University of Georgia, where she received her master's degree in kinesiology while completing a graduate assistantship in the Department of Recreational Sports. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership & Policy at the U. Outside of work and school, she teaches group fitness classes, spends lots of time outdoors, and love snuggling with her cat, Winnie.

Chris Toutain serves as the Martha A. Darling Dean of Students at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where he works to support student success both in and outside the classroom. For more than 12 years Chris has served in multiple student affairs roles, including within housing at Willamette University, the Dean of Students Office at Chapman University, and as Reed College’s Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator. Chris brings over a decade of sexual misconduct investigation and adjudication experience, along with a practitioner lens rooted in a prioritization of student care and a commitment to providing individualized support and equitable educational access. Chris completed his Ph.D. in Education, with an emphasis in Disability Studies, at Chapman University, and his research interests focus on issues of student disability across the co-curriculum.

Clara Wellons holds an MPH from Columbia University's Mailman School, with a specialization in injury and violence prevention. She serves on the Advocacy and Policy Committee of The Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research, is a member of the Men’s Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association, and is a member of North America Men Engage Network. Ms. Wellons' professional background includes experience in research and the mental health sector, gained during her time working at McLean Hospital's Brain Imaging Center. Her master's thesis, "A Methodological Review of National WISQARS Surveillance of Interpersonal Community Level Non-Fatal Assaults", critiqued the standard use of injury data from victims as a proxy for data from those who cause harm. She uses gender theory analysis to identify and understand root causes of perpetration of harm and to develop primary prevention strategies.

Grace Poon Ghaffari, PhD is a motherscholar practitioner, daughter of Chinese immigrants, and embodied healer. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs for the Department of Counselor Education at San Jose State University. Rooted in de/colonial and abolitionist ways of being, Grace’s research and praxis explores healing and harm among student survivors of sexual and relationship violence, as interconnected and shaped by systems of oppression. Grace is also a trauma-informed yoga teacher who facilitates yoga as healing for survivors. Grace also created Asian Women College Survivors to uplift the needs and realities of Asian American women college survivors through Instagram. In her recent past, Grace also served as a sexual violence prevention educator and survivor advocate, and has previously worked in various areas in higher education and student affairs for over a decade. Grace finds joy anytime she is playing with her daughter, connecting with community, and tasting all the foods.

Jacquelyn Mesenbrink, DrPH, MPH, CHES is an assistant professor at Georgia Southern University in the Jiann-Ping HSU College of Public Health. Her research experience includes program development for social justice programming including violence prevention, COVID-19, and mental health. Her subject matter experience includes a well-versed understanding of college campus populations and sexual violence prevention programming. She currently serves as the Rape Crisis Center, Mary's Place, Board Chair in Savannah.

Jessica Henault, MS, is a PhD student in Prevention Sciences at Kansas State University. Her research explores the impact of reading explicit fanfiction on college students' sexual exploration and political resistance. Prior to joining NASPA's Health, Safety, and Well-being Initiatives, Jessica served as Kansas State University's first Violence Preventionist. Outside of work, she enjoys curling up with her four cats and reading smutty romance novels.

Jessie Lynn Richards, PhD., is an assistant professor/lecturer in the Business School at the University of Utah where she teaches interpersonal and organizational communication and writing. Her research focuses on intersections of trauma, gender, and language in organizational contexts. She started Fight Against Domestic Violence (FADV), a non-profit foundation, to support survivors of domestic violence through business and individual partnerships.

Jordan Jameson is a third-year doctoral student at the University of Utah studying Educational Leadership and Policy with the College of Education. He also is employed with the Office of the Registrar as its Assistant Registrar for National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Student-Athlete compliance. Jordan is a first-generation college student and is passionate about equitable access to higher education for minoritized students and critically analyzing the peripheral effects of education policy. He is excited to work alongside other scholars at the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention and learn more about compliance in a university setting.

Julia Broussard is the Assistant Provost for Title IX Compliance and Education and the Title IX Coordinator at Tulane University. In this role, Julia oversees Tulane’s response to Title IX complaints and maintains initiatives to sustain a safe climate for all university community members free from sexual harassment and sexual violence. Julia previously worked in Case Management and Victim Support Services at Tulane and has been employed with Tulane since 2012. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, a Master’s degree in Social Work from Louisiana State University, and a clinical social work license.

Karen L. Miksch is an Associate Professor of Higher Education and Law at the University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities. She received her J.D. from the University of California, San Francisco in 1989. Prior to joining the faculty, she was a civil rights attorney in California and conducted over 150 trainings nationally on civil rights issues. Her current research focuses on access to higher education policy and law and the transition(s) to college and graduate school. Gender discrimination, Title IX, and sexual misconduct prevention are ongoing areas of policy research and expertise. She co-chaired the University of Minnesota’s President’s Initiative to Prevent Sexual Misconduct that utilized a public health model. Karen has presented her research at the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Public Forum, and at numerous conferences, including the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Karla is a first-gen PhD student, graduate researcher, and confidential survivor advocate in the Higher Education & Organizational Change program at the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies. Her research, scholarship and practice centers students of color impacted by campus sexual violence including their healing, resilience, and persistence in higher education. As a practitioner, Karla has developed and implemented various primary prevention strategies and survivor support efforts across several institutions, organizations, and campus communities. She has held various leadership positions in student affairs focused on creating equitable learning spaces for students, staff and faculty. Intersectionality, healing-centered and trauma-informed frameworks are critical components of her activism, resilience, and joy. She earned a double BA in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies from UC Riverside, a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California, and a MA in Higher Education from UCLA.

Kevin Coe is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Professor Coe’s research employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to better understand political communication, news media, and public opinion. He is the coauthor of two books, The Ubiquitous Presidency: Presidential Communication and Digital Democracy in Tumultuous Times (Oxford, 2021, with Joshua Scacco) and The God Strategy: How Religion Became a Political Weapon in America (Oxford, 2010, with David Domke), as well as numerous research articles. Professor Coe teaches courses on media, strategic communication, political communication, and content analysis. He earned his Ph.D. in speech communication at the University of Illinois.

As a first-generation student growing up in a refugee household, my lived experience, research, and education, have shaped my perspective. I’m passionate about bridging the gap between academia and the realities of marginalized communities like my own. My studies in Psychology, Criminology, and International studies have deepened my understanding of human interactions, behaviors, and the complex influences of culture and society. In these academic pursuits, I've had the opportunity to observe how power dynamics can act as formidable barriers particularly affecting historically underrepresented populations. These dynamics, intertwined with pre-existing cultural biases and the absence of representation and cultural competence in supportive services often exacerbate harm and silencing of these communities. My aspiration is to contribute to education and prevention, recognizing it’s not just about mitigating harm but also empowering individuals within communities to regain control of their lives while fostering safer environments, and confronting concepts that often cause discomfort, but ultimately promote accountability and holistic reintegration into the community we all belong in. Beyond academics, I find solace in pottery, baking, gardening, healing, and being present with those I admire.

I am currently serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor for the Administration of Higher Education programs at Auburn University. Recently I graduated from Texas A&M University with my Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, with graduate certificates in Women and Gender Studies as well as College Teaching. I have experience teaching graduate level courses on college student development, social justice, higher education policy, higher education leadership, and qualitative methods. Previously I worked in student affairs as a Health Promotion Specialist. My research areas of expertise include sexual violence in higher education contexts, college students and allyship, and critical frameworks such as intersectionality.

Megan Karbley, Ph.D. (she, her, hers) is a practitioner and scholar in higher education student affairs (HESA). She currently serves as the Director of Compliance and Title IX Coordinator at Elon University in North Carolina. In Megan’s dissertation research, she sought to bring the experiences of HESA practitioners engaged in bias response to the forefront of institutional consciousness, with attention to their precarity as agents of institutional policies. With respect to Megan’s publications and research contributions, she focuses primarily on HESA practitioner experiences, including white DEIA educators and New Professionals in Higher Education and has published three book chapters in addition to this project. As a Title IX administrator, Megan is engaged in research projects and practices highlighting restorative justice’s application in sexual misconduct adjudication and respondent experiences.

Dr. Paul G. Rubin (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah. Dr. Rubin’s research examines the intersections of higher education policy, governance, and the use of empirical research in the policy-making process. His research and interest in higher education draws on a professional career that includes stints in traditional and non-traditional areas of the field, including undergraduate and graduate admissions and financial aid, executive search, and policy. Dr. Rubin’s recent projects consider how distinct state and institutional contexts influence policy approaches and outcomes related to postsecondary education degree attainment.

Robert has been involved with Title IX work for over 10 years in higher education as an investigator, deputy coordinator, and coordinator, with a broad background in student affairs. His research has centered around understanding and framing sexual assault and rape culture on college campuses. He is currently the Director of Title IX, EEO & Employee Relations at the Art Institute of Chicago/ School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has previously worked at North Park University, Loyola -University Chicago, Dominican University, and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He has a bachelor and master’s degree from Indiana University, and a doctoral degree from Northern Illinois University. Additionally, Robert has also worked with a non-profit specializing in gender-based violence prevention since 1999.

Robin Berman, LSW, serves as the Assistant Dean of Student Support in the College at the University of Chicago, where she provides specialized services, supports, advocacy, and referrals for students who are navigating complex challenges and triages student crisis cases. She is the owner of Robin Berman Training and Consulting, an LLC that provides training and consulting on sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, consent, bystander intervention, and healthy relationships. She has worked with non-profits, as well as several NFL teams. Robin has been working in sexual and relationship violence prevention, advocacy, and response for over a decade, and has worked in Higher Education for nearly a decade. Previous to this role, she served as the Associate Director for Response & Support Services and a Deputy Title IX Coordinator, where she was responsible for assisting with the University’s response to sexual misconduct, including support services for students, faculty, and staff, and training initiatives. She previously served as the Senior Health Educator and Advocacy Coordinator at Loyola University Chicago, where she coordinated and implemented gender-based violence prevention education for students, faculty, and staff. She also served as the primary confidential advocate.

Sapna Naik earned her PhD in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University. Her dissertation research was a qualitative interview study of women of color international graduate students' perceptions and experiences of safety and violence while studying in the United States. She currently serves as a staff member at a public higher education institution in Texas.

Dr. Sarah Socorro Hurtado (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. As a critical scholar, she engages in work that examines how institutions maintain inequity that contributes to the perpetuation of interpersonal violence and identifies strategies for transformative change. In her research, she has investigated federal and institutional policies, structures, and procedures, and calls attention to the ways they have caused more harm and have not been successful in preventing violence. Additionally, she challenges the historical bifurcation of responsibility for eliminating sexual violence and calls on those with institutional power, with a particular focus on faculty members to leverage their power to engage in efforts to eliminate sexual violence.

Swati Sah (she/her) is pursuing a PhD in Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland. She is also the Graduate Coordinator for Sexual Assault Prevention for the Dept of Fraternity & Sorority Life and a research assistant with the Community THRIVES lab. Swati completed her undergraduate coursework at New York University where she also received her Master of Public Health degree. Her primary research focus is understanding power-based violence as it relates to structural policies.

Whitney is a first generation PhD student, a full-time staff student affairs educator, and a parent to a sassy 12 year old! Whitney has been involved in MCVP research projects to understand the impact of Clery Alerts on a college campus, content analysis regarding sexual violence prevention, and understanding where students learn about dating and sexual relationships. Whitney approaches situations through a critical feminist framework and enjoys conversation with others about what higher education COULD BE. Outside of all things academics Whitney enjoys banter and exploring SLC with their partner.