2023 Award Recipient
Dr. Ijeoma Opara is this year’s recipient of the Community Impact Award. Dr. Opara stands as an Associate Professor of Public Health within the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences at Yale University's School of Public Health. She holds the mantle as the visionary founder and director of the renowned Substance Abuse & Sexual Health Lab, a pioneering hub that drives innovation and transformation in the realm of public health.
At the heart of her academic journey lies an unwavering commitment to advancing the frontiers of knowledge in critical domains. Dr. Opara's research pursuits orbit around paramount themes, including the relentless fight against HIV/AIDS and STIs, alongside the imperative task of substance use prevention for urban youth. Dr. Opara maintains a resolute dedication to crafting racial and gender-specific prevention interventions, with a focal lens on empowering and safeguarding Black girls.
Embedded within her scholarly endeavors is the ethos of community-based participatory research, a dynamic approach that underscores her genuine connection with urban youth. This authentic engagement translates into tangible impact, effecting positive change in the lives of the communities she touches. Dr. Opara was awarded the 2023 National Institute on Drug Abuse Pioneer Award, a 5-year grant that will allow her to lead a community-based participatory research project integrating data science to prevent youth substance misuse among youth of color in Paterson and East Orange, New Jersey.
In her early career, Dr. Opara was awarded the 2020 National Institutes of Health Director's Early Independence Award that catalyzed her 5-year community-based study based in Paterson, New Jersey. Dr. Opara’s trajectory of accomplishment is underscored by a remarkable ability to traverse the frontier of independent research, embarking on intellectual expeditions that yield substantive contributions to the public health discourse. Her legacy is defined not only by exceptional expertise and achievements, but also by her capacity to harness the power of knowledge for the betterment of society at large.
2021 Award Recipient
Dr. Jessica Yang is an assistant professor in the Social Work Department at Winthrop University. She began her social work educational journey at Appalachian State, where she earned her BSW and MSW before moving on to the University of Denver, where she earned her doctorate.Dr. Yang is a student-focused social justice scholar with a passion for diversity and difference, and she has devoted her career to improving outcomes for marginalized youths by examining and improving oppressive and marginalizing systems. Currently, Dr. Yang is working on multiple projects throughout her community. She is working collaboratively with the local school district to understand disproportionate discipline practices affecting students of color and other marginalized student groups. As part of this project, she is also working to implement restorative practices by providing professional development, training, and support to educators and administrators. As part of this partnership, she provides ongoing professional development to educators, district employees, and parents in the areas of school discipline, child behavior, mental health and illness, and parenting strategies. Yang also is part of a team that includes all school districts in the county and the local substance use provider. She is working to design, deliver, and evaluate a substance use prevention program and treatment options for youths with substance use disorders. Finally, Yang is working to understand the pedagogy of teaching about diversity, equity, and inclusion through the piloting of a novel teaching intervention.
When not engaging in community-based research, Dr. Yang teaches courses in the BSW and MSW programs at Winthrop University. Primarily she teaches human behavior and mental health-related courses helping students to explore the bounds of normal and the consequences of abnormality across systems. Dr. Yang is licensed in the state of South Carolina as an independent social worker specializing in clinical practice.