Brad Richardson, Ph.D., is Research Scientist/Engineer & Adjunct Associate Professor in The University of Iowa School of Social Work. As Research Director of the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice, he also serves as co-Director of the Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation and is Coordinator of the DMC Resource Center and Minority Youth and Families Initiative. Dr. Richardson’s areas of expertise include research methods and statistics, social psychology, social network analysis; law, deviance and control, outcome measurement and evidence based case management tools including the Family Development Matrix and the Life Skills Progression: Outcome and Intervention Planning Instrument for Use with Families at Risk. He has written extensively on racial and ethnic disparities and is currently working on research and evaluation to improve service systems for children, youth and families including public health programs, the mental health system and educational systems. Dr. Richardson also conducts research on substance use disorders, aging and cancer, and is currently the immediate past chair of the American Public Health Association's Cancer Forum.

Elisa Childs, PhD, MSW, LCSW is Assistant Research Scientist for The University of Iowa School of Social Work's, National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice in The Center for Public Health Evaluation and Research. Dr. Child's conducts research and evaluation for CDC-funded public health programs focusing on health promotion, chronic disease prevention, mental health evidence-based practices, and has special interest and expertise in research and evaluation of expanding rural health care access and eliminating disparities related to social determinants of health, emphasizing medically underserved areas with high older adult populations. Prior to coming to Iowa, Elisa worked in the health care field as a hospice social worker and Director of Social Services for one of the largest skilled nursing facilities in Southern California. Recognized for her potential to influence older adults’ health outcomes and quality of life through her research, Elisa was awarded the national honor of Pre-Dissertation Fellow by the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work, where she is continues as an active member. Dr. Childs earned her PhD in Social Work from the University of Georgia in Athens, GA specializing in qualitative and quantitative methods, public health and aging, and Bachelor and Master of Social Work degrees from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN.

Xueying (Sherry) Gao, PhD, is Assistant Research Scientist and Program Evaluator for the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice in the Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. Dr. Gao earned a Ph.D. in Methodology, Measurement, and Analysis at the University of Central Florida, and a Master of Arts in Research Methods Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Gao's areas of expertise include quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to design and execute research studies in Public Health Program Evaluation, Assessment, Educational Technology Evaluation, Instructional Design, and Counselor Education. Her expertise extends to proficiently employing data analytics and statistical techniques, with proficiency in R, SQL, Python, and simulation modeling. Additionally, Dr. Gao is skilled in utilizing machine learning techniques, Bayesian statistics, network analysis, nonparametric statistics, multilevel modeling, item response theory, longitudinal data analysis, and other advanced methods in her research and analysis endeavors.

Kseniya Garcia, B.S., is Research Assistant for The University of Iowa School of Social Work's, National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice in The Center for Public Health Evaluation and Research and for the Consortium on Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. Kseniya assists with research and evaluation for CDC-funded public health programs, substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery programs and other programs of study where she utilizes her special expertise in cross-cultural studies and as a multilingual professional, fluent in English, Ukrainian, Russian and Spanish. Ms. Garcia earned the Bachelor of Science in Communication, and Regional Planning and Environmental Studies at Iowa State University in Ames, IA.

Audrey Penningroth is a Master of Public Health student specializing in Epidemiology, currently completing her practicum at the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice. Her research interests include chronic diseases, breast cancer, the gastrointestinal microbiome, and equitable healthcare for marginalized communities. With a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health, Audrey is on track to complete her MPH in May 2024 at the University of Iowa.

Haley Schneider, MPH, is Research Associate at The Center for Public Health Evaluation and Research located in the University of Iowa National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice. Her research and evaluation focus is on chronic disease, nutrition-incentive programs, traumatic brain injury and its intersection with child welfare, health issues of older adults and statewide efforts to reduce cancer. Her previous research and evaluation has included work in the areas of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia, focusing on caregiver health and wellbeing, and cultural adaptation of the KAER (Kickstart, Assess, Evaluate, Refer) toolkit for physician education on supporting Native patients with cognitive impairments. Haley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health, and Master of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health at the University of Iowa where she also earned distinction as a Maternal Child Health scholar and earned certificates in Aging and Longevity Studies, and Injury and Violence Prevention Research from the University of Washington Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center.

As Program Director at The Center for Public Health Evaluation and Research in the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice, Sarah is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program of research and evaluation carried out by the Center currently focusing on studies of chronic disease prevention, health management and health equity. She previously served as a Laboratory Manager at the University of Iowa Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences carrying out studies of bio-behavioral oncology.  Sarah earned her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, and Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with minors in Chemistry and Theatre Arts. She completed Undergraduate Research Fellowships with the American Society of Microbiology and Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates as well as the Iowa International Summer Institute on International Relations in Paris, France.