Indiana Prevention Resource Center Celebrates 25 Years: Receives Ninth Annual Sharon Brehm Award for Outstanding Service and School of Public Health Ingenuity Grant

The Indiana Prevention Resource Center at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington received the ninth annual Sharon Brehm award on Thursday April 18 at the Indiana Memorial Union’s University Club for their work in preventing underage drinking on Indiana University campuses. The Brehm award is an annual award given to an individual or a program that exemplifies best efforts to reduce underage and dangerous drinking on campus and in the community. 

Since 2004, the award has gone to a person or program demonstrating outstanding leadership to reduce underage and dangerous drinking on the IU campus and surrounding community.

“Integral to our mission at the School of Public Health-Bloomington is the spectrum of excellent work recognized here through this wonderful award. Public health is our collective health, and the IPRC again is front and center at making a difference. I sincerely extend my congratulations to the exceptional people who continue to do such amazing things at the IPRC,” noted Mohammad Torabi, chancellor’s professor and founding dean of the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington.

Brehm, who served as a professor of psychology at IU-Bloomington, served as Chancellor from 2001 to 2003 in addition to serving as the past President of the American Psychological Association.

 “OASIS – The University’s Office of Screening and Intervention Services within the Division of Student Affairs nominated the IPRC for this award. It is an honor to receive this recognition in conjunction with our center’s celebration this month of our 25th anniversary. I am proud of the IPRC’s efforts to prevent underage drinking at Indiana University through our services, including a web-based search engine of resources for college students and our active partnership in supporting the prevention interventions of OASIS,” said Dr. Ruth Gassman, Executive Director for the IPRC.   

 

In 2009, the IPRC’s Merrill Hatlen-Grant Consultant, won the Brehm award for his role in securing $1.5 million in federal funds for the State of Indiana for the prevention of alcohol and other drug problems.  

The IPRC also recently received funding from the School of Public Health-Bloomington Research Committee for their ingenuity grant proposal entitled “Development of a trans-disciplinary research center in alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and addictive behaviors.” The new Center of Research on Addictive Behaviors (CRAB) aims to support a research foundation based on collaboration and research in the field of substance use and addictive behaviors.

“We are very excited to move forward with both of these opportunities especially in light of our celebrating 25 years of service to the state of Indiana,” said Courtney Stewart, Research Associate with the IPRC.