Research Staff
University of Michigan
Lisa wexler
Lisa Wexler, PhD, MSW is co-creator and Primary Investigator supporting PC CARES. Lisa has been working in and with northwestern Alaska as a therapist, community organizer, and researcher for over 20 years. Dr. Wexler is Professor of Social Work and a Research Professor for the Research Center on Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Dr. Wexler’s participatory and applied research program aims to (1) translate research into strategic, self-determined community action; (2) describe and amplify sources of strength and resilience in rural Indigenous communities that promote youth wellness; and (3) develop feasible upstream youth suicide prevention models.
Lauren White
Lauren is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a graduate student of Social Work and Psychology at the University of Michigan.
Her research focus is community driven approaches to mental wellness for rural and indigenous peoples. She has been involved with the PC CARES project since 2018 and is interesting in identifying successful strategies to support facilitators and community members as they host learning circles and implement wellness practices in their communities.
Tara Schmidt
Tara Schmidt, MPH is a PC CARES coordinator, providing program support based in Alaska. Raised in Nome and based in Homer, Tara communicates with project partners and community leaders to support coordination of research efforts and contracted work in Alaska. She also organizes data collection activities, public relations, communication, and product development for PC CARES.
Elizabeth Evans
Dr. Evans is a community-engaged researcher with over 20 years of experience working with tribal communities and managing program initiatives aimed at health and wellness. She holds a Doctorate in Health Administration and a Master’s in Social Work, focusing on macro and mezzo systems. Dr. Evans serves as a Research Investigator at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research- Research Center for Group Dynamics, where she is dedicated to research initiatives that enhance health outcomes, promotes cultural relevance, and fosters community engagement. She has also served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and has extensive experience in program evaluation, strategic planning, and community collaboration.
Guiying (Angel) Zhong
Angel (she/they) came to the PC CARES team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she worked as a Research Analyst at the Center for Health Disparities Research after graduating from the University of the Pacific in 2023. As a pre-doctoral research associate, they are taking a participatory, strengths based-approach to suicide prevention and helping translate research into actionable products and takeaways for community members.
Miriam Midoun
Bio to come.
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)
Kuskokwim Campus
Diane McEachern
Dr. Diane McEachern is PC CARES developer and Co-PI with Dr. Lisa Wexler. She has been a social worker and University of Alaska Assistant Professor in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region of Alaska for over 23 years. Currently she is Program Head for the Rural Human Service (RHS) and HUMS AAS degree programs at the University of Alaska, Kuskokwim Campus, in Bethel, Alaska.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Holly Laws
Dr. Laws joined the Center for Research on Families Methodology Program as Co-Director in Fall 2017. Her research focuses on using novel statistical methodologies to examine processes within close relationships implicated in mental and physical health.
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Patrick Habecker
Dr. Habecker is a research assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has a PhD in sociology and a minor in survey research and methodology. Today he works on projects that focus on social networks, community health, and substance misuse. For the PC CARES project, Patrick works with the social network data in order to show how social positions in communities interact with each other.
McGill University (Montreal, Canada)
Caroline Wells (Bec)
Caroline Wells, MS is a graduate student in mental health at McGill University. Caroline uses ethnography and participatory research to study how community-driven programs adapt curriculum, implementation and delivery to different communities. Her research focuses on mental health promotion and suicide prevention for Indigenous Peoples. She has been involved with PC CARES since 2020.