Education

• University of Texas at Houston Health Sciences Center at Houston School of Public Health, M.P.H., Dr. P.H. candidate
• Harvard Divinity School, M. Div. (June 1996)
• University of Texas at Austin, B.A. (December 1992)

Cancer Prevention and Control Pre-doctoral Fellow
Dr. P.H. Candidate (University of Texas Houston Health Science Center)

Norfolk County Sheriff's Office and Correctional Center
HIV Program Coordinator, Dedham, MA (May 1998-November 1999)

• Provided program planning, implementation, evaluation, and administration for all aspects of this Mass. Dept. of Public Health (HIV/AIDS Bureau) funded project. Supervised community-based volunteers and subcontracted vendors responsible for providing translation services, counseling and testing support, and curriculum development and training assistance. Maintained relevant program data and submitted requisite reports to MDPH in a timely manner. Managed and maximized program budget (53K for contract year one). Proposed, negotiated, and secured substantial funding increase (15k annually) from the MDPH to meet designated performance measures.
• Developed, coordinated, and/or facilitated comprehensive communicable disease awareness and HIV prevention education programs for inmates, including weekly communicable disease orientation for all new inmates, monthly HIV Awareness Course available for the general inmate population, bi-monthly HIV/Hepatitis modules for inmates in our Substance Abuse Treatment Unit, and quarterly HIV Peer Educator Training for select inmates. Collaborated with the N.C.S.O. Training Department to provide monthly modules on HIV, Hepatitis, and Tuberculosis, increasing quantity and scope of communicable disease training for staff.
• Interfaced regularly with Health Services Unit to maintain community treatment standards for HIV-infected inmates and ensure continuity of care, to arrange monthly infectious disease clinic and bi-annual MDPH medical audits, and to manage HIV-medication costs through utilization of the Mass. HIV Drug Assistance Plan. Designed and implemented strategies for increasing HIV-antibody testing, including initiation of OMT/Orasure pilot project. Provided HIV antibody testing and pre-and post-test counseling. Provided medical case management and discharge/reintegration planning for inmates living with HIV.

• Assisted the Director in the recruitment and training of persons living with HIV from across the state to facilitate treatment education in their own regions and communities in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community health centers, HIV/AIDS service organizations, substance abuse treatment centers, and correctional facilities.
• Provided administrative support and program development assistance to the Program Director and Peer Educators in developing, coordinating, and facilitating treatment education and decision making discussion groups, workshops, panel discussions, and conferences, with special emphasis on traditionally underserved or difficult to reach populations.
• Supervised and coordinated all aspects of production for semi-annual, bilingual (Spanish/English) treatment journal, including article development, selection, revision, and translation, layout and graphics design, printing and distribution.
• Secured funding for the program through state, corporate, and foundation grants, and documented and reported appropriate data for public funding sources and private donors.

• Community Research Associate, Sage Associates, Inc. (01/02-present). Conduct literature reviews, focus groups, and interviews to supplement evaluations and consultations for non-profit health service organizations and government health agencies.
• Graduate Teaching Assistant I (8/01-12/01). Provided complete administrative assistance to instructors for Health Promotion Theory and Methods I, including but not limited to scheduling professor presentations, ensuring accessibility of course materials for students, overseeing technical (web-based) aspects of the course, coordinating student problem-based learning groups, and facilitating one of the problem-based learning groups.
• Graduate Research Assistant II (2/01-8/01). Tracked and interviewed study participants for Project Success, an evaluation study of a program designed to reduce risks related to fetal alcohol syndrome births among recently incarcerated women. Developed and maintained a database for documenting all tracking and follow-up activities.

• Harzke, A., Williams, M., Nilsson-Schönnesson, L., Ross, M., Timpson, S., Keel, K. (2002).
  Factors associated with adherence with antiretroviral medications in a sample of HIV-positive African American drug users. Submitted to AIDS Care, February 2003.
• Springer, Ross, Mizwa, Scott, & Harzke. Evaluation of an HIV peer education program in a Texas prisons. Submitted to Journal of Correctional Health, April 2002.