Our Leadership

CSCH facilitates opportunities for interested researchers to collaborate on projects of common interest as related to school and child health topics. As such, CCSH provides a valuable role in recognizing existing work conducted across and within other groups, organizations, and agencies, and connecting partnerships that can enhance individual efforts.

Primary coordination of CSCH occurs through the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) and the Neag School of Education in collaboration with other University of Connecticut schools and departments.

CSCH leadership includes co-director(s) and a steering committee comprised of university researchers and community stakeholders engaged in school and child health efforts with focus on research partnerships. The steering committee is comprised of no more than 12 university-based members and no more than 3 community-based members. Each steering committee member agrees to serve a two-year term, which may be renewable. New steering committee members are nominated by current members. The co-directors invite new members based on review of the overall composition of the committee to ensure adequate balance across WSCC domains.

Sandra Chafouleas

SANDRA M. CHAFOULEAS

CSCH Co-Director

Professor of Educational Psychology
in the Neag School of Education

Expertise: behavior assessment, school mental health,
coordinated school health

E. CAROL POLIFRONI

CSCH Co-Director

Professor of Nursing

 

Expertise: learning communities, nursing education,
community partnerships

STEERING COMMITTEE 2018-19

Jeana Bracey

 

JEANA BRACEY

Director of School and Community Initiatives, CHDI, Inc.

Expertise: school-based mental and behavioral health, school-family-community partnerships, juvenile justice diversion

Deborah Cornman

 

DEBORAH CORNMAN

Associate Director of InCHIP

Expertise: health behavior change
and team science

Lindsay DiStefano

 

LINDSAY DISTEFANO

Associate Professor in Kinesiology

Expertise: physical health,
injury prevention in children

michele Femc-bagwell

 

MICHELE FEMC-BAGWELL

Associate Professor in Residence in Educational Leadership

Expertise: community schools collaborative, family-school partnerships

aliceforrester

 

ALICE FORRESTER

CEO, Clifford Beers Clinic
Director, New Haven Trauma Coalition
Member, Sandy Hook Commission

Expertise: mental health in children, families, and communities in Connecticut

kahryn libal

 

KATHRYN LIBAL

Associate Professor in Social Work
and Director of the
Human Rights Institute

Expertise: social welfare, children’s rights movements, human rights, social work

ruth lucas

 

RUTH LUCAS

Assistant Professor
in Nursing

Expertise: pediatrics, neonatal care
with focus on atypical
developmental trajectories

jennifer mcgarry

 

JENNIFER MCGARRY

Professor and Department Head
in Educational Leadership
Executive Director
of Husky Sport

Expertise: sport-based youth development

Beth Russell

 

BETH RUSSELL

Associate Professor in HDFS and Director of the Center for Applied Research in Human Development

Expertise: community partnerships, program evaluation, parent-child relationships, development of
emotion regulation

lisa sanetti

 

LISA H. SANETTI

Associate Professor in
Educational Psychology

Expertise: educators’ wellness, implementation of effective practices, educator-student relationships

marlene schwartz

 

MARLENE SCHWARTZ

Professor in HDFS and
Director of the Rudd Center

Expertise: food policy, obesity prevention

helene marcy

 

HELENE MARCY

CSCH Program Manager

Interests: poverty-related issues and policies, community partnerships,
survey research