Dr. William DeJong Receives Accolade for Excellence in Alcohol Prevention
11/20/2008
Outside The Classroom's prevention expert honored for outstanding contribution to the field
BOSTON, MA - November 20, 2008 - Dr. William DeJong, Professor at Boston University's School of Public Health and Executive Director of Program Research and Analysis at Outside The Classroom, was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to the Field Award on Sunday, November 16, 2008 at the 22nd Annual U.S. Department of Education's National Meeting on Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Violence Prevention in Higher Education. Dr. DeJong is the seventh recipient of the award, which recognizes professionals in the alcohol and other drug prevention field who have gone above and beyond the context of their position to impact the work of many individuals.
Dr. DeJong is a recognized expert in alcohol and other drug prevention inside and outside the profession for 30 years. He is known throughout the public health community for his personal integrity and commitment to developing evidence-based approaches that address substance use among college students. He is the author of over 350 publications in the diverse fields of social psychology, criminal justice, public health communications, and alcohol and other drug prevention. Bill's research on effective prevention strategies and his numerous publications have been instrumental in creating the expectation that prevention practices are both congruent with theoretical constructs and supported by evidence of effectiveness.
"On behalf of Outside The Classroom, I want to congratulate Dr. DeJong for this prestigious award," said Brandon Busteed, Founder and CEO of Outside The Classroom. "Bill's efforts and dedication to this issue changed the field of alcohol prevention, helping campuses nationwide create communities that are less defined by alcohol. Bill's research findings brought visibility to the high-risk drinking issue and inspired institutions to take steps to decrease alcohol-related incidents on campus."
Outside The Classroom also announced today that its online alcohol prevention program, AlcoholEdu® for College, created under the leadership of Dr. DeJong, was a finalist in the Education and Learning Category for the 13th Annual MITX Awards. Held annually by the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange, the MITX Awards recognize excellence in the creation of Web innovations designed, produced, or developed in New England.
About Outside The Classroom
The leader in online prevention, Outside The Classroom has spent eight years focused on tackling high-risk drinking and related epidemic-level health issues by delivering programs and services designed for population-level application. The company offers a variety of programs, including AlcoholEdu, SexualAssaultEdu™, and MentalHealthEdu™, developed for students, parents, and higher education faculty and staff. All of Outside The Classroom's programs take a non-opinionated, science- and evidence-based approach, helping to support safe and healthy campus communities. Led by William DeJong, Ph.D., the company's development team includes prevention professionals, assessment and evaluation experts, experienced educators, and leading scientists. Outside The Classroom collaborates with many prominent organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). For more information please visit www.outsidetheclassroom.com.