Meet Our Staff

Nancy L. Harper, Ph.D.

Executive Director of the ALERT Laboratories
Professor of Organizational and Health Communication (ret.)
Former Dean of Social Sciences at Grand Valley State University

Dr. Harper has 34 years experience as a university faculty member, including 17 years in university administration. She has served as Director of Human and Mass Communication at Rutgers University, Assistant and Associate Dean for Outreach and Finance at the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts, Chair of the Department of Communication at Duquesne University, Dean of Social Sciences and Director of Alcohol Education, Research, and Training at Grand Valley State University. She has authored books on communication theory and on applied communication, e.g., the unique "clusters" approach to academic and career advising.

Dr. Harper has also conducted research and published monographs on these topics and on applied organizational and health communication. She specializes in the study of persuasive communication, especially in preventing underage drinking and drug use, intervention and recovery from Substance Use Disorders, including Addiction.

Shannon Welsh

Communications Consultant
Masters of Education from Grand Valley State University (GVSU)
Masters of Communication (pending thesis completion) from GVSU

Mr. Welsh has been active in the prevention and wellness field since 2003. He specializes in prevention programming, media development and writing for all mediums.

Donald "Tex" Bryant

Project Evaluator
Masters of Education from Michigan State University
Masters of Applied Statistics from Western Michigan University
Certified Quality Engineer from American Society of Quality

Mr. Bryant retired from teaching high school mathematics in 2004. Wanting to make a difference in his environment using mathematics, he now offers consulting to healthcare providers who want to dramatically improve patient health, improve the bottom line, and make work more rewarding. Bryant Statistical Consulting

Geoff Stevens, LMSW

STARR Program Coordinator
Masters of Social Work from Western Michigan University

Mr. Steven's focuses on adolescent and family therapy. His training is founded on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with an emphasis on enhancing motivation to change. He facilitates the STARR (screening, testing, and referral for recovery) program of the ALERT Labs.

Carla Jackson

Outreach Theatre Director
B.A. in Music and Theatre from Olivet College

Ms. Jackson has nine years of secondary public school teaching experience with a focus on Theatre Arts, Music, and Peer Education.

Her professional experience includes working with Peer Educators re. mentoring and listening for a Safe Schools and Healthy Students grant, Language Arts instruction, Radio-Television, Speech, and Film, and Directing Musical/Theatrical Performances.

ALERT Labs' Video Posted

This student-produced 17-minute video, "College and Alcohol: Students Speak," features interviews with 12 students on seven topics common to college life, e.g., "What do women think about drunk men? and vice versa? It was an effective part of the alcohol and other drugs prevention program of ALERT Labs at Grand Valley State University. It was shown to thousands of new entering students, primarily through the Freshman Seminar classes until 2005. It was also a part of the Passport Mentoring Program, which provided support and prevention services for up to 500 new students per year, who chose "to not make drinking alcohol an important part of their college experience." More videos from the Passport program will be posted in the next month or so.

Go to www.alertlabs.org/media.php

Jan 28, 2010

January 2010 "Parents Are Heroes" Newsletter Posted.

Go to About Us > Newsletters>January 2010 Newsletter.

Addiction, and most alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems, can be prevented if parents or community members can stop teen use of AOD at the first sign, preferably before the teens begin to get in trouble at school, home, or in the community.

Every teenager who drinks or uses other drugs needs a Prevention Intervention. See www.alertlabs.org/programs.php?program_id=4

In this issue:

� Most Americans have struggled with alcohol problems: 63% of Families and 30% of Individuals

� Addiction starts in adolescence and is an inherited Brain Disease � it is chronic and fatal, but with abstinence it goes into remission

Dec 28, 2009

December "Parents Are Heroes" Newsletter Posted.

Go to About Us > Newsletters>December 2009 Newsletter.

There are Two Misperceptions responsible for leading people to drink more and more often than is healthy: (1) The false belief that "everybody drinks," and (2) the false believe that "alcohol is harmless." The fact is that 40% of American adults did not drink last year, and 35% drank moderately or lightly: 75% do NOT drink dangerously.

More Facts: 90% of teenagers who believe that their parents disapprove of underage drinking, DO NOT drink.

Does everybody get drunk once in a while? NO, 75% of adults do not drink enough to become intoxicated.

"Heavy Drinking" causes cancers of the digestive system, from throat (remember that burning feeling) to the colon and anus (remember that burning feeling!), and is defined as 7 or more drinks per week for women and 14 or more drinks per week for men.

That much alcohol also shrinks your brain and slows down your thinking and is a prime cause of heart attacks.

Even one drink per day for women increases the risk of breast cancer.

Dec 11, 2009

See the newly updated report, with data, on the outcomes of the MSA Project for 2009.

Summaries and detailed tables are included for each of the three schools MSA has been working with since 2005/2006.

Go to About Us>Accomplishments and scroll down to the bottom of the page:MSA Outcome Report on Core Measures in 3 Schools (2009).

Nov 28, 2009

November "Parents Are Heroes" Newsletter Posted.

Go to About Us > Newsletters>November 2009 Newsletter.