As a university center, the Center for HOPES’s operations and budget are overseen by a board of faculty from across the university. Our Oversight Committee meets 4 times per year but provides guidance to the Center’s Director on a continual basis. We are grateful for their service and commitment to excellence at the Center and the university at large.
Current Members
Ashley Felix | College of Public Health
Ashley Felix is Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health and a member of the Cancer Control Program at the James Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on racial disparities that occur along the endometrial cancer control continuum, with a particular focus on identifying determinants at the individual, provider, and structural levels that contribute to treatment and survival disparities. She has co-authored numerous articles in well-respected publications, including Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, International Journal of Cancer and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Laura Justice | College of Education and Human Ecology
Laura Justice is EHE Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology and Executive Director of the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy and the Schoenbaum Family Center. An expert in early cognitive development and disabilities, her research focuses on enhancing the well-being and life potential of young children. She is the recipient of a Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, two Fulbright Awards, and numerous scientific merit awards for her published research. Dr. Justice serves as Editor-in-Chief of Early Childhood Research Quarterly and as principal investigator for more than $55,000,000 in federal research funding over the last decade.
Micah Berman | Moritz College of Law, College of Public Health
Associate Professor Micah Berman holds a joint appointment with The Ohio State University College of Public Health and Moritz College of Law. His scholarship examines the intersection between public health research and legal doctrine, with a focus on tobacco policy. He has published articles in a number of leading journals, including the Georgetown Law Journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Journal of Public Health, and is co-author of The New Public Health Law: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Practice and Advocacy.
Lauren Jones | College of Education and Human Ecology, Glenn College of Public Affairs
Associate Professor Lauren Jones holds a joint appointment in the College of Education and Human Ecology and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Her research focuses on understanding the impact of structural factors on child and family well-being, especially in the areas of health and social policy and household economics. In ongoing work on the Affordable Care Act, Jones is exploring how families adjusted marital behavior in response to ACA incentives. Her work has been featured in the Journal of Health Economics and the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, as well as the popular press.
Carol Smathers | College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
Carol Smathers is Associate Professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and a Field Specialist for OSU Extension. Her research involves the application of community-based participatory research principles to include community members in determining priorities, developing and implementing program and research strategies, evaluating progress, disseminating results, and ultimately finding sustainable approaches to common food access and nutrition issues. She provides leadership on projects that involve creating healthier environments through policy, system, and environment changes, including obesity prevention initiatives, Ohio Farm to School, and Ohio 4-H Health Living Advocates.
Rob Greenbaum | Glenn College of Public Affairs
Robert Greenbaum is Professor and Associate Dean for Curriculum at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. His research focuses on economic development, including the resilience of local economies to adverse events such as terrorism, crime, natural disasters and recessions. He has advised state and local governments on issues related to economic development and has engaged with policymakers in research projects that have examined factors such as the development of the Arena District in Columbus and the implications of changes in Medicaid expenditures in Ohio. Dr. Greenbaum’s work was recognized with the Donald Robertson Memorial Prize for the best paper published in Urban Studies in 2004 and the Health Policy Institute of Ohio’s award for the best published applied Ohio health policy paper in 2009.
Jennifer Beard | College of Public Health
Ex officio member
Jennifer Beard serves as the College of Public Health’s Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives. Jennifer applies her expertise in policy, advocacy, and strategic planning to collaborate with partners within the CPH and beyond to advance the college’s mission. She works closely with community partners to build political, community, and public-health relationships in Ohio, the nation, and internationally and supports the translation of evidence for public and political audiences.