Team Members

For four decades, Dr. Thruston has been committed to health and education equity and the reduction of disparities among children, adolescents, young adults and families. She has over 30 years of experience designing and implementing programming for youth in schools and in the community.

Dr. Barbara Pierce, Associate Professor of Social Work, has over 37 years of experience working with youth and adults with trauma and over 20 years of experience in higher education. She is an active program and project researcher and evaluator and teaches community engaged scholarship and implementation science. 

Megan Carlson is a pediatric nurse practitioner and Health Services Director for Indianapolis Public Schools. Her internal knowledge of pediatrics, school nursing, and management are critical to the success of this project. In addition, she possesses technical skills to produce professional documents and presentations.