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BOSTON - August 15, 2007 - Outside The Classroom, the nation's leading provider of online prevention programs, today announced that William DeJong, Ph.D., has joined the company as Director of Program Research and Development. In this role, Dr. DeJong will oversee development of Outside The Classroom's online prevention programs, including AlcoholEdu®, SexualAssaultEdu™, and the company's newest program, MentalHealthEdu™ (please see accompanying press release), as well as heading the company's research division.
"Dr. DeJong's work in prevention has been instrumental in helping move the field forward. I'm not sure there's anyone whose name is more recognized or highly regarded for developing effective public health campaigns, public policy, and interventions for high-risk drinking in higher education," said Brandon Busteed, Founder and CEO of Outside The Classroom. "We couldn't be more pleased to have a person of his expertise join us as we continue to strive toward serving colleges and universities with the most cutting-edge, effective prevention programs in the world."
Dr. DeJong is a Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), where he teaches courses in intervention planning, program evaluation, and health communications. In 2007, Dr. DeJong was awarded the School's Norman A. Scotch Award for Excellence in Teaching.
"Outside The Classroom now defines the cutting edge in prevention work," said Dr. DeJong. "I've long admired the company's innovative work in prevention education, but as a public health practitioner, I am equally excited about the opportunities that new technologies are opening up to change student culture."
Dr. DeJong served as director of the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention (HEC) from 1995-2004. Under his direction, the HEC emerged as the nation's primary training and technical assistance resource for helping institutions of higher education develop, implement, and evaluate programs and policies for alcohol and other drug prevention on campus. He also served as director of the Center for College Health and Safety (CCHS), based at Education Development Center, Inc., in Newton, MA, from 2000-2005. He continues to serve as a senior advisor to both centers. In recognition of this body of work, he was awarded the first College Leadership Award by the American Public Health Association's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Section in 2000.
Today's news comes as the company hits a major milestone: more than one million students have now completed AlcoholEdu, the company's online alcohol prevention program. Outside The Classroom also announced today that it will launch a new online program aimed at helping higher education administrators, faculty, and staff identify and refer students who may be struggling with mental health issues.
About Outside The Classroom
The leader in online prevention, Outside The Classroom has spent seven years focused on tackling high-risk drinking and the related epidemic-level health issues by delivering programs 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).
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