CARS - Center for Adolescent Research in Schools | Research Team, Partnerships, PI, Co-PI, Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, Inverstigator, Statistician, Research Faculty, Grant Coordinator, Consultant, Lee Kern, Steve Evans, Tim Lewis, Debra Kamps, Carl Paternite, Terry Scott, Mark Weist, Paras Mehta, Allison Cloth, Lori Newcomer, Talida State, Zewelanji Serpell, Howard Stevenson, Charlayne Hayling

RESEARCH TEAM

Lee Kern, Ph.D. Principal Investigator Lehigh University	Dr. Kern is an Iacocca professor in Special Education and Program Coordinator. Dr. Kern has extensive experience implementing and evaluating school-based interventions with students with EBD. Dr. Kern has served as both a classroom teacher and a school-based mental health consultant. She is currently associate editor of Journal of Behavioral Education. Dr. Kern has experience implementing and managing large-scale grant activities. Dr. Kern will conduct the Development Study, Initial Evaluation, and Intervention Evaluation in Pennsylvania. In addition, she will be responsible for overall management of the project, along with Drs. Evans and Lewis.

Lee Kern, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Lehigh University

Dr. Kern is an Iacocca professor in Special Education and Program Coordinator. Dr. Kern has extensive experience implementing and evaluating school-based interventions with students with EBD. Dr. Kern has served as both a classroom teacher and a school-based mental health consultant. She is currently associate editor of Journal of Behavioral Education. Dr. Kern has experience implementing and managing large-scale grant activities. Dr. Kern will conduct the Development Study, Initial Evaluation, and Intervention Evaluation in Pennsylvania. In addition, she will be responsible for overall management of the project, along with Drs. Evans and Lewis.

Steve Evans, Ph.D. Co-Principal Investigator Ohio University	Dr. Evans will serve as a Co-PI for the project. He is a clinical psychologist and a professor of Psychology in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Ohio University. His work has focused on the development of effective school mental health and academic interventions for adolescents with ADHD and related problems. As a former special education teacher and director of various school mental health projects, he brings a practical and experienced perspective to this project along with a research background. Dr. Evans has served as the editor for two school mental health books, published over 50 articles and book chapters and is the editor of the peer-reviewed journal School Mental Health published by Springer. He will work with Drs. Kern and Lewis to coordinate all aspects of this center. He will take primary responsibility for all activities at the Ohio University site and take a lead role in the development of manuals for the mental health interventions and the assessment core.

Steve Evans, PhD
Steve Evans, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator
Ohio University

Dr. Evans will serve as a Co-PI for the project. He is a clinical psychologist and a professor of Psychology in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Ohio University. His work has focused on the development of effective school mental health and academic interventions for adolescents with ADHD and related problems. As a former special education teacher and director of various school mental health projects, he brings a practical and experienced perspective to this project along with a research background. Dr. Evans has served as the editor for two school mental health books, published over 50 articles and book chapters and is the editor of the peer-reviewed journal School Mental Health published by Springer. He will work with Drs. Kern and Lewis to coordinate all aspects of this center. He will take primary responsibility for all activities at the Ohio University site and take a lead role in the development of manuals for the mental health interventions and the assessment core.

Tim Lewis, Ph.D. Co-Principal Investigator University of Missouri	Dr. Lewis will oversee the Missouri / Kansas and Kentucky sites (Kamps & Scott). He has been involved in special education for 25 years as a teacher and researcher. Dr. Lewis is Professor at the University of Missouri. Dr. Lewis also serves as the Co-Director of the OSEP Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Dr. Lewis is the Co-Editor of the journal Behavioral Disorders, Associate Editor of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions and is a member of nine other editorial boards. Dr Lewis directs the University of Missouri Center for School-wide Positive Behavior Supports and the MU Center for the Prevention of School Violence. Dr. Lewis has directed research, model / demonstration, and personnel preparation grants and currently oversees all grant activity in the College of Education at the University of Missouri. Dr. Lewis will devote 50% time to the project. He will conduct the Development Study, Initial Evaluation and Refinement, and Intervention Evaluation, also overseeing activities in Kansas and Kentucky. He will engage in overall project management with Drs. Evans and Kern.

Tim Lewis, PhD
Tim Lewis, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator
University of Missouri

Dr. Lewis will oversee the Missouri / Kansas and Kentucky sites (Kamps & Scott). He has been involved in special education for 25 years as a teacher and researcher. Dr. Lewis is Professor at the University of Missouri. Dr. Lewis also serves as the Co-Director of the OSEP Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Dr. Lewis is the Co-Editor of the journal Behavioral Disorders, Associate Editor of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions and is a member of nine other editorial boards. Dr Lewis directs the University of Missouri Center for School-wide Positive Behavior Supports and the MU Center for the Prevention of School Violence. Dr. Lewis has directed research, model / demonstration, and personnel preparation grants and currently oversees all grant activity in the College of Education at the University of Missouri. Dr. Lewis will devote 50% time to the project. He will conduct the Development Study, Initial Evaluation and Refinement, and Intervention Evaluation, also overseeing activities in Kansas and Kentucky. He will engage in overall project management with Drs. Evans and Kern.

Debra Kamps, Ph.D. Investigator University of Kansas, Juniper Gardens Children's Project	Dr. Kamps holds appointments in the Departments of Applied Behavioral Science and Special Education, is a Senior Scientist with the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies-KU, and Associate Director of Juniper Gardens Children's Project. She has been PI for 10 research grants from the DOE. Dr. Kamps' expertise includes a long history of published research. She has conducted three randomized studies including prevention intervention for Head Start children, multi-tiered interventions for academic and behaviors for students with serious behavior problems in K-5th grades in a multi-site randomized trial for the Center for Early Intervention in Reading and Behavior (Co-PI, C. Greenwood). Her accomplishments include two terms as Associate Editor for Four peer reviewed journals. Dr. Kamps will participate on the core research team, in the Intervention Evaluation, years 3-5, in 8 schools in collaboration with Dr. Lewis, and on supplementary studies.

Debra Kamps, Phd
Debra Kamps, Ph.D.
Investigator
University of Kansas, Juniper Gardens Children's Project

Dr. Kamps holds appointments in the Departments of Applied Behavioral Science and Special Education, is a Senior Scientist with the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies-KU, and Associate Director of Juniper Gardens Children's Project. She has been PI for 10 research grants from the DOE. Dr. Kamps' expertise includes a long history of published research. She has conducted three randomized studies including prevention intervention for Head Start children, multi-tiered interventions for academic and behaviors for students with serious behavior problems in K-5th grades in a multi-site randomized trial for the Center for Early Intervention in Reading and Behavior (Co-PI, C. Greenwood). Her accomplishments include two terms as Associate Editor for Four peer reviewed journals. Dr. Kamps will participate on the core research team, in the Intervention Evaluation, years 3-5, in 8 schools in collaboration with Dr. Lewis, and on supplementary studies.

Carl Paternite, Ph.D. Investigator Miami University (Ohio)	Dr. Paternite is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Miami University of Ohio. He is the founding and current director of the Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs in the Department of Psychology. He also directs the Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success, a joint venture of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Ohio Department of Education. Dr. Paternite has particular expertise in approaches to involve educators more fully within school mental health efforts; public policy advocacy and moving policy to action; school mental health workforce development issues; and formative evaluation of school mental health programs. Dr. Paternite also is well known for his research on external validation of diagnostic models for childhood, adolescent, and yound adult ADHD and disruptive disorders. He has published extensively in edited books and prominent journals, and he has presented at many national and international professional meetings. Dr. Paternite will lead a supplemental study and will contribute his expertise in intervention development.

Carl Paternite, Phd
Carl Paternite, Ph.D.
Investigator
Miami University (Ohio)

Dr. Paternite is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Miami University of Ohio. He is the founding and current director of the Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs in the Department of Psychology. He also directs the Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success, a joint venture of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Ohio Department of Education. Dr. Paternite has particular expertise in approaches to involve educators more fully within school mental health efforts; public policy advocacy and moving policy to action; school mental health workforce development issues; and formative evaluation of school mental health programs. Dr. Paternite also is well known for his research on external validation of diagnostic models for childhood, adolescent, and yound adult ADHD and disruptive disorders. He has published extensively in edited books and prominent journals, and he has presented at many national and international professional meetings. Dr. Paternite will lead a supplemental study and will contribute his expertise in intervention development.

Mark Weist, Ph.D. Investigator University of South Carolina	Mark D. Weist received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Virginia Tech in 1991 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. He was on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSM) for 19 years where he helped to found and direct the Center for School Mental Health (http://csmh.umaryland.edu), one of two national centers providing leadership to the advancement of school mental health (SMH) policies and programs in the United States. He has led a number of federally funded research grants, has advised national research and policy oriented committees, has testified before Congress, and presented to the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. He helped to found the International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools (INTERCAMHS). Dr. Weist has edited four books and has published and presented widely in the SMH field and in the areas of trauma, violence and youth, evidence-based practice, and cognitive behavioral therapy. With colleagues from the Clifford Beers Foundation and the UMSM, he has started the new journal -- Advances in School Mental Health Promotion (see www.schoolmentalhealth.co.uk). Dr. Weist will serve on the core research team, as a primary investigator of the intervention evaluation in South Carolina schools, Years 3-5, as well as conducting supplemental research. In addition, he will facilitate dissemination of grant reports and products.

Mark Weist, PhD
Mark Weist, Ph.D.
Investigator
University of South Carolina

Mark D. Weist received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Virginia Tech in 1991 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. He was on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSM) for 19 years where he helped to found and direct the Center for School Mental Health (http://csmh.umaryland.edu), one of two national centers providing leadership to the advancement of school mental health (SMH) policies and programs in the United States. He has led a number of federally funded research grants, has advised national research and policy oriented committees, has testified before Congress, and presented to the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. He helped to found the International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools (INTERCAMHS). Dr. Weist has edited four books and has published and presented widely in the SMH field and in the areas of trauma, violence and youth, evidence-based practice, and cognitive behavioral therapy. With colleagues from the Clifford Beers Foundation and the UMSM, he has started the new journal -- Advances in School Mental Health Promotion (see www.schoolmentalhealth.co.uk). Dr. Weist will serve on the core research team, as a primary investigator of the intervention evaluation in South Carolina schools, Years 3-5, as well as conducting supplemental research. In addition, he will facilitate dissemination of grant reports and products.

Paras Mehta, Ph.D. Statistician University of Houston	Paras Mehta, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston in the Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and Statistics. He will be managing all data management and statistical analyses for CARS.

Paras Mehta, Ph.D.
Statistician
University of Houston

Paras Mehta, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston in the Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and Statistics. He will be managing all data management and statistical analyses for CARS.

Talida State, Ph.D. Grant Coordinator Lehigh University	Talida State, Ph.D. serves as a Grant Coordinator for the Center for Adolescent Research in Schools (CARS). As a part of her CARS involvement, Talida will supervise all research staff at the Lehigh site, assist in the development of the intervention manual, coordinate national research activities, develop supplemental research and work closely with the principal investigators to carry-out administrative duties.

Talida State, Ph.D.
Grant Coordinator
Lehigh University

Talida State, Ph.D. serves as a Grant Coordinator for the Center for Adolescent Research in Schools (CARS). As a part of her CARS involvement, Talida will supervise all research staff at the Lehigh site, assist in the development of the intervention manual, coordinate national research activities, develop supplemental research and work closely with the principal investigators to carry-out administrative duties.