About Us -
Editors of Volume 6

Susan Blake, Ph.D. - Editor In Chief

Professor Blake is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Prevention & Community Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. She is a Health Psychologist and behavioral scientist by training and former NHLBI research fellow with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health Minnesota Heart Health Program, a three-community cardiovascular risk prevention trial. Her primary interests lie in applying behavioral and ecological theories to prevent adverse health outcomes and disparities, and to promote health and mental health in populations. She has led efforts to design and evaluate health promotion, education and communication programs nationwide.

Previously, Dr. Blake served as Senior Research & Evaluation Officer at the Academy for Educational Development, Inc., Program Area Director for Behavioral Assessments & Interventions at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and Research Manager of HIV/AIDS Education Evaluation at the American National Red Cross. Her research in schools, clinics and communities has focused primarily on women, children, youth and families, on parent-child communications, and on the determinants of, risk for, and interventions to prevent, HIV, STDs and pregnancy, intimate partner violence, tobacco smoke exposure, and obesity. Her publications have appeared in various journals including the American Journal of Public Health, Preventive Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health, Maternal & Child Health, Psychology & Health, and Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Claire E. Boozer, MPH Candidate - Managing Editor

Claire is a first year student in the Health Policy track at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. She also works part-time as the Development Coordinator for OWL-The Voice of Midlife and Older Women. Claire received a B.S. and B.A. in Psychology and Sociology, respectively, in 2008 and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology in 2009 from the University of Georgia where she also worked in both the Social and Developmental Psychology Departments. Claire was a research assistant on the Family Relationships in Late Life project, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging. She has presented posters at Southeastern Student Mentoring Conference in Geriatrics and Gerontology (2007, 2008, 2009) and the Gerontological Society of America annual conference (2010). She worked with the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Georgia to develop a training program for emergency department medical professionals, focusing on the unique issues with treating an older patient through emergency services.

Most recently, she was Outreach Coordinator for the Athens Community Council on Aging in Athens, Ga. In this role, she oversaw the marketing, public relations, and development strategy for the agency for over two years. Claire has a passion for the older adult population and wishes to pursue a career in Health Policy and Aging after graduation.

Priya Gangolly, MPH Candidate - Managing Editor

Priya is a second year student in the Public Health Communications & Marketing track at The George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services. She has worked in many different capacities with organizations such as the United Nations Foundation for HealthUnBound, Samhita Social Ventures in Mumbai, India, the National Business Coalition on Health, the Maternal and Family Health administration at the Department of Health, American Medical Student Association, and the Center for Community Health & Education at Columbia University's School of Public Health. She also worked in New York City as a Client Services Manager for patients at Bayada and conducted research for investors in the Healthcare & Biomedical division at Gerson Lehrman Group.

Priya is a 2007 graduate of the University of California, San Diego, where she was awarded a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Healthcare-Social Issues. She has experience as Editor of an academic journal and newspapers. After graduation, she wishes to pursue her interests in the application of innovative and emerging technology in healthcare. Priya is originally from Los Angeles, CA.

Alison Hunt, MPH Candidate - Managing Editor

Alison is a second year student in the Public Health Communications and Marketing track at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. She currently works as Marketing and Outreach Director for Dell, Services Federal Government on a contract for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH). During her time working with OWH, she has worked on both womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov to expand web traffic, media visibility, strategic partnerships, and social media presence.

Alison is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where she earned B.A. in Communications and minors in Marketing and Spanish. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a career in health communications in the federal government.

Shriya Kothur, MPH Candidate - Managing Editor

Shriya is a first year, full-time student at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in the Public Health Communications and Marketing track. Shriya currently works as the Graduate Student Assistant for the Communication and Marketing track in SPHHS. Previously, Shriya was Project Coordinator at THE GREEN HOUSE(R) Project, an initiative of NCB Capital Impact that is pioneering culture change while is radically transforming nursing homes around the country into small, personal and person-centered models in elder care. Before joining Green House, Shriya worked for The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization in DC, as their Communications Intern.

Shriya graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009 with a B.A. in both Political Science and International Studies. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in health communication and education, with a possible focus in chronic disease prevention. Shriya is originally from Minneapolis, MN and grew up in the Midwest.

Lindsey Toler, MPH Candidate - Managing Editor

Lindsey Toler is a second year student in the Maternal and Child Health track at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Previously, she worked as an intern at the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs in the Adolescent Health division where she created a Youth Document Series to distribute to State Title V/Maternal and Child Health Programs. The information included in the Series serves to help expand states' capacity to address the unique opportunities and challenges facing adolescents and help states enhance their efforts to support young people's growth, development, safety and well-being.

Lindsey is a 2010 graduate of Wellesley College where she earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Africana Studies. After graduating, Lindsey hopes to pursue her career in public health with a focus in child and adolescent mental health. Although Lindsey has lived all over the United States, she considers Tennessee her home.

Janna Van Hoven, MPH Candidate - Managing Editor

Janna is a second year MPH Public Health Communication and Marketing student at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health and Human Services. She is a graduate intern at the International Rescue Committee conducting readability assessments on health guides and formative research for a guide to living with mental illness. Janna recently completed work with Tilly Gurman Dr. P.H on the development of a best practices guide in behavior change communication for malaria that will be disseminated by The Global Fund for use in Round 11 proposals and beyond.

Janna was awarded a BFA in Modern Dance Performance from the University of Michigan in 2001. After her retirement from dance in 2007, she worked in Global Marketing Strategy/Global Branding for Wm. Wrigley Jr and at the American Dental Association's Center for Evidence Based Dentistry. Janna's primary interests lie in bridging the gap between research and practice through strategic frameworks and connecting with hard to reach populations through behavior change communication; she has additional research interests in confirmation bias and stigma. Janna has lived all over the United States, but considers the Michigan's Upper Peninsula to be her home.

Lindsay Wolfe, MPH Candidate - Managing Editor

Lindsay is a second year student in the Public Health Communications and Marketing track at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. She is currently a research assistant within the Center for Health Care Quality housed in the Department of Health Policy at George Washington University where she works on Urgent Matters, a largely communications-based project to improve emergency department quality of care. She completed her practicum as a summer trainee within the Office of Communications at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), where she conducted beta testing for a new, text based, mobile phone service that provides access to SAMHSA's mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities data.

Lindsay holds a BA in English Literature from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. She has served in several volunteer capacities in Public Health initiatives, specifically within women's organizations and as a research assistant for a hospital's orthopedic clinic. She hopes to unite her education with her diverse, practical work and volunteer background toward a rewarding career after graduation with a focus in mental health initiatives. Lindsay is originally from Manchester, New Hampshire.