Position: Director, Center for Global Health & Development at Boston University,
Professor and Chair of the Department of International Health

Background: Jonathon Lee Simon, MPH, DSc, Director of the Center for Global Health & Development, leads scientific and strategic efforts of the CGHD. Dr. Simon is also Chair of the Department of International Health and Professor of International Health at Boston University School of Public Health. He received his Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California at Berkeley; his MPH is also from UC Berkeley. Dr. Simon received his Doctorate of Science from the Harvard University School of Public Health, having completed dissertation research on the changing demography of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Dr. Simon has had extensive experience working in Africa and South Asia, particularly on issues including child survival, infectious diseases, and capacity strengthening. For the past seven years, he has been part of a core research team at the CGHD evaluating the social and economic impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic while maintaining an active role in the center’s ongoing child survival research work. He serves as Principal Investigator (PI) of an applied research project on orphans and vulnerable children. He remains involved in the technical work on HIV economics and program evaluation studies. Dr. Simon teaches a master’s-level course on the history of the public health movement and advises doctoral students.

Dr. Simon has been involved in applied child health research activities for 25 years, working in more than 20 developing countries. Before joining Boston University in 2001, Dr. Simon was a tenured Fellow of the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID), and Director of the HIID Health Office. During his tenure at HIID, he was resident in Pakistan for two years as the regional advisor. He worked extensively on strengthening institutional and individual research capacity.

Contact Information: 617-414-1260  jonsimon@bu.edu

Position: Dean of Faculty of Law at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Background:

Julia Sloth-Nielsen is senior professor and currently Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

During the 1990s, she managed the Children’s Rights Project of the Community Law Centre at the University of the Western Cape. She served on the South African Law Reform Commission’s Project Committee on Juvenile Justice, which developed the initial versions of what was eventually the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008. She also served on the SALRC Project Committee, which developed the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. Since then she has worked widely on child law reform in the region, including in Southern Sudan, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho and Zanzibar.

Author of more than 50 accredited journal articles, she has also presented numerous conference papers on themes such as children’s socio-economic rights, juvenile justice, child abuse and registers, and intercountry adoption. She has an extensive record of supervision of post graduate students at both LLM and LLD level, particularly in fields related to children’s rights in an African context. Her students are drawn from countries throughout  Africa, and much effort is made to raise funds from various donor sources for their studies at the University, without which their academic progress cannot be secured.

Her book, Children’s Rights in African context: a legal perspective, was published by Ashgate in 2008.

She is an acknowledged expert on the work of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, having published regularly on meetings of that committee and on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, now ratified by 45 African member states. On two occasions she has been invited to give an expert presentation to the Comittee: on the duties of the child under the Charter, and on the meaning of the best interests of the child standard in the Charter. She developed and presented an induction workshop for incoming and existing members of the Committee in November 2010.

She teaches nationally and internationally on child rights topics, including on the African child rights system.

She is currently working on a book on the Child Justice Act, on several academic articles, and on a book relating to the African Children’s Charter.

Contact Information:

021-959-3757

jsloth-nielsen@uwc.ac.za

Position: Associate Professor of Social Work and International Affairs at Columbia University School of Social Work; a Global Thought Fellow with Columbia University; and a Senior Research Fellow with New America Foundation

Background: Dr. Ssewamala has several years of practice in the International Social Development field. His practice experience includes serving at the Red Cross (Uganda), where he acted in several programmatic positions related to designing projects and programs for poverty alleviation and community development, and at Justine Petersen Housing and Reinvestment Corporation a 501(c) (3) Missouri (USA) not-for-profit corporation that assists low-to-moderate income individuals and families become homeowners, access financial institutions, start their own micro-businesses, and accumulate assets.

His current research on Africa is funded by a consortium of organizations, including the National Institute of Health, the MasterCard Foundation, and New America Foundation. This research focuses on asset-ownership development, financial management, and creating life options through economic empowerment and innovative financial inclusion models for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in sub-Saharan Africa. Professor Ssewamala is also currently researching the acceptability and feasibility of economic empowerment interventions in poor African immigrant communities in the urban U.S.

Contact Information:

fs2114@columbia.edu
(212) 851-2250

OVC Wellbeing Content:

A family-based economic empowerment model for orphaned children in Uganda

Position: Associate Professor at the University of British Colombia School of Social Work

Background: Dr. Sullivan is a family and children’s services social worker who has worked in family counseling, child protective services, residential treatment settings, juvenile correctional services, and employee assistance services.

His research focuses on interagency coordination and the development of service strategies with respect to high risk and marginalized groups, the development of operational measures for social service evaluation, the relationship between social policy and the developmental experience of families and children. He is currently working on several articles and projects related to adoption. The first article will examine the history of adoption from Korea to Canada and the second article will explore the relationship between openness in adoption and birth mother resolution of grief and loss.

Contact Information:
School of Social Work
University of British Columbia
RM 343 – 2080 West Mall
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2
Phone: 604-822-4278
Fax: 604-822-8656
Richard.Sullivan@ubc.ca

Position: Professor at the McGill School of Social Work

Background: Nico Trocmé is a professor of social work at McGill University where he holds the Philip Fisher Chair in Social Work and directs the Centre for Research on Children and Families. Dr. Trocmé is the principle investigator for the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (1998, 2003 & 2008), the Scientific Director of the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare, and the lead researcher for a Federal-Provincial-Territorial initiative to develop a common set of National Outcomes Measures in child welfare. He is currently leading the evaluation of a family support program for African Canadian families, the evaluation of a family-group conferencing model, analyses of the over-representation of First Nations children in foster care, and the evaluation of a social paediatric community program.

Dr. Trocmé is actively involved in supporting research based child welfare policy and practice. He is the Senior Advisor for Knowledge Integration at Bathshaw Youth and Family Services, the co-Chair of the Alberta Child Intervention Review, provides research and policy advice to the governments of Québec and Ontario, has presented expert evidence at several inquests and is a member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Child and Youth Advisory Committee and Statistics Canada’s National Statistics Council. Prior to completing his Ph.D., Dr. Trocmé worked for five years as a child welfare and children’s mental health social worker.

Contact Information:

3506 University Street
Room 106
Montreal, Québec
Canada
H3A 2A7

(514) 398-5399 or (514) 398-4864
nico.trocme@mcgill.ca

OVC Wellbeing Content:

Factors impacting on antiretroviral therapy compliance in HIV positive adolescents

Position: Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University

Background: Dr. Thielman’s research focuses on a range of clinical and social issues that affect persons living with or at risk for HIV infection in resource-poor regions in the rural southeastern U.S. and in sub-Saharan Africa. Internationally, he is working with colleagues in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Duke Global Health Institute to understand the acceptability and impact of HIV voluntary counseling and testing services in rural parts of the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania and how psychosocial, demographic, and economic characteristics affect the health outcomes of those found to be HIV-infected. Domestically, he is the Clinical Site Leader for Duke’s Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, and non-clinical trials research focuses on health disparities in HIV care in the rural southeastern U.S.

Contact Information: n.thielman@duke.edu (919)668.5158

OVC Wellbeing Content:

Correlates of Poor Health among Orphans and Abandoned Children in Less Wealthy Countries: The Importance of Caregiver Health

More than the loss of a parent: Potentially traumatic events among orphaned and abandoned children

Child work and labour among orphaned and abandoned children in five low and middle income countries

Prevalence and predictors of HIV-related stigma among institutional- and community-based caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children living in five less-wealthy countries

A Comparison of the Wellbeing of Orphans and Abandoned Children Ages 6–12 in Institutional and Community-Based Care Settings in 5 Less Wealthy Nations

A Brief Assessment of Learning for Orphaned and Abandoned Children in Low and Middle Income Countries

Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO): Longitudinal study of orphaned and abandoned children (OAC) from ages 6-12 to ages 15-21 living in 6 diverse settings

News articles:

Duke study recently released finds orphans in need of protection

Study finds orphanages are viable option for some children

Protective mental health services critical for orphans worldwide

DGHI study finds child labour is prevalent among orphans

Study finds less reported HIV-related stigma against orphans in institutional care

New study finds caregiver’s health is a strong predictor of orphan health

Position: Lecturer, Faculty of Social Sciences at Makere University (Uganda)

Background:

Dr. Walakira is a lecturer at Makerere University, Faculty of Social Sciences. He holds a PhD from the the University of Vienna in Social and Cultural Anthropology. He is a researcher on issues of children and youth. He has offered advisory services to several international organisations and local NGOs in East Africa (Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda) working with children. He holds a Masters in Development Studies (Human resources and Employment) from Erasmus Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands, A post graduate Diploma in Children and Youth (ISS) and A Bachelors Degree in Social Work and Social Administration, Makerere University. His research interests include: children and youth, children’s rights, child labour, HIV/AIDS, OVC, policy analysis, and micro projects analysis.

Contact Information:

ewalakira@ss.mak.ac.ug

Position: Director of the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research (CHPIR)

Background: Kathryn Whetten, PhD, is the director of the Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research, as well as Professor of Public Policy, Global Health, Nursing and Community and Family Medicine at Duke University. Her research interests include understanding of health-related issues for the poor, the disenfranchised and chronically ill; HIV/AIDS in the Deep South and in less wealthy countries.

Whetten’s research examines the health behaviors and outcomes of disadvantaged communities and individuals. She seeks to understand the interrelationships among individual and community psychosocial dynamics, health behaviors, health, provider characteristics and public policies. Whetten views these relationships as multidirectional. She examines and clarifies underlying group characteristics that can be addressing to improve individual and community well-being. Whetten is one of a small group of researchers examining adult health outcomes as they relate to a life-course of events and influences starting with childhood experiences within families and communities and continuing through present-day conditions that may be manipulated through intervention. All of Whetten’s research is grounded in the idea that public policies can make a difference in people’s lives. Whetten has led 18 federally funded research grants and is the author of 3 books and over 60 peer reviewed articles. Currently Whetten and her intervention, service and research team have research projects that address issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, mental health, substance abuse, being orphaned or abandoned, social justice, and poverty in the US Deep South and in less wealthy nations. She and her team work with colleagues in: the US Deep South; Tanzania; Kenya; Ethiopia; Cameroon; Malawi; India; Cambodia; and Russia conducting research and interventions.

Current projects: Dr. Whetten’s research focuses on global health disparities. She is currently working on at variety of different research project at CHPIR, including: Positive Outcomes for Orphaned Children (POFO) , Coping with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania (CHAT), Cambodia Orphan Project Evaluation (COPE), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Orphans (CBT), Monitoring and Evaluation in Malawi (MOVE), Adapting a Depression Treatment Intervention for HIV Patients in Cameroon (ADEPT), North Carolina Community AIDS Fund (NCCAF)

Education: PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1994

Contact Information: (919) 613-5430
k.whetten@duke.edu

OVC Wellbeing Content:

Correlates of Poor Health among Orphans and Abandoned Children in Less Wealthy Countries: The Importance of Caregiver Health

More than the loss of a parent: Potentially traumatic events among orphaned and abandoned children

Child work and labour among orphaned and abandoned children in five low and middle income countries

Prevalence and predictors of HIV-related stigma among institutional- and community-based caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children living in five less-wealthy countries

A Comparison of the Wellbeing of Orphans and Abandoned Children Ages 6–12 in Institutional and Community-Based Care Settings in 5 Less Wealthy Nations

A conceptual framework for the targeting and evaluation of UNICEF-supported pro-equity programmes

A Brief Assessment of Learning for Orphaned and Abandoned Children in Low and Middle Income Countries

Malawi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Evaluation (MOVE)

Cambodia Orphan Project Evaluation (COPE)

Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO): Longitudinal study of orphaned and abandoned children (OAC) from ages 6-12 to ages 15-21 living in 6 diverse settings

Child transitions from residential facilities to other communities: predictors of child wellbeing

 Pathways to health and well-being: social networks of orphans and abandoned youth

Randomized Controlled Trial of Ways to Improve OVC HIV Prevention and Well-Being (Zambia CBT)

Improving Outcomes for Orphaned Youth: Implementation of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Traumatic Grief

Explaining the Expansion of Institutions in Battambang Province

News articles:

Duke study recently released finds orphans in need of protection

Study finds orphanages are viable option for some children

Protective mental health services critical for orphans worldwide

DGHI study finds child labour is prevalent among orphans

Study finds less reported HIV-related stigma against orphans in institutional care

Position: International Sector Director at the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research (CHPIR)

Education: MPH, Health Behavior/International Health; 2001, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. BA, Anthropology; 1996, State University of New York at New Paltz, NY.

Current Projects: Rachel is currently working on at variety of different research project at CHPIR. Her current project include: Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO), Coping with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania (CHAT), Tearfund Evaluation (Child Sexual Abuse Evaluation in Russia), and  Coping with HIV/AIDS in Russia (CHAR), among many

Background: Rachel directs all research activities within the International Sector of the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research (CHPIR) at Duke University. She is interested in international public health and health disparities research with a focus orphans and children, mental health, substance use and trauma. She has a particular interest in the cultures and people of the former Soviet Republic and Eastern Bloc countries.

Contact:

• Email: rachel.whetten@duke.edu
• Mail: 2812 Erwin Road, Suite 403; Durham, NC 27705

OVC Wellbeing Content:

Correlates of Poor Health among Orphans and Abandoned Children in Less Wealthy Countries: The Importance of Caregiver Health

More than the loss of a parent: Potentially traumatic events among orphaned and abandoned children

Child work and labour among orphaned and abandoned children in five low and middle income countries

Prevalence and predictors of HIV-related stigma among institutional- and community-based caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children living in five less-wealthy countries

A Comparison of the Wellbeing of Orphans and Abandoned Children Ages 6–12 in Institutional and Community-Based Care Settings in 5 Less Wealthy Nations

A conceptual framework for the targeting and evaluation of UNICEF-supported pro-equity programmes

A Brief Assessment of Learning for Orphaned and Abandoned Children in Low and Middle Income Countries

Malawi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Evaluation (MOVE)

Cambodia Orphan Project Evaluation (COPE)

Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO): Longitudinal study of orphaned and abandoned children (OAC) from ages 6-12 to ages 15-21 living in 6 diverse settings

Child transitions from residential facilities to other communities: predictors of child wellbeing

 Pathways to health and well-being: social networks of orphans and abandoned youth

News articles:

Duke study recently released finds orphans in need of protection

Study finds orphanages are viable option for some children

Protective mental health services critical for orphans worldwide

DGHI study finds child labour is prevalent among orphans

Study finds less reported HIV-related stigma against orphans in institutional care