Dr. Laurie Krom, EdD, serves as the Director of the Center for Systems Change (ICUDDR-CSC) within the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR). In this role, she leads international initiatives to enhance substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services through the integration of systems thinking and sustainable practices.
Dr. Krom oversees the Global Office for the International Technology Transfer Center (ITTC) Network, where she fosters global collaboration across 12 country-specific centers, driving evidence-based, culturally relevant approaches to drug demand reduction. With over 20 years of experience in grant development and health services leadership,
Dr. Krom previously co-founded the Collaborative Center to Advance Health Services at UMKC, where she guided innovative federal projects to strengthen public health outcomes across the United States. An expert in grant writing and network-building, Dr. Krom has been recognized for securing significant federal awards and advancing interorganizational networks in substance use and health care services. Dr. Krom holds degrees from Vassar College, Kansas State University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Missouri.
Dianna brings with her a master’s degree in Public Administration, from Appalachian State University and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Mountain State University. She has 20 years’ experience in business administration and oversight, with a passion for the nonprofit sector. Dianna has been involved with economic impact services since 1998, assisting in the development and implementation of a national nonprofit for women.
Dr. Clancy, PhD, RGN, RMN, PGCertHE, FPH, ICAP III, is the current Director for the ICUDDR Center for Credentialing & Accreditation (ICUDDR-CCA). She is the Dean Emeritus at the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Middlesex University, London, UK. She earned her doctorate from St Georges Medical School, of London, UK, and is currently registered with the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) as a mental health and adult nurse and has over 30 years’ experience in delivering nursing education at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, including curriculum development, specifically in the area of addiction; and was the course developer of the first Masters in co-morbidity (dual diagnosis) in Europe. In 2014 with funding from Health Education England, Dr. Clancy established My Care Academy – a knowledge building community in partnership with Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, and is currently the Project Director. Between 2020-2023 Carmel held the office of President of the International Nurses Society on Addiction (IntNSA).
Dr. Clancy was appointed as the Chair of the Research Advisory Panel (RAP) in 2022 for a new Universities UK (UUK) Task Force on Student Drug Use. This Taskforce was set up to help universities understand and address drug-use and is due to publish evidence-led sector guidance – developed with students, staff, and wider stakeholders – including recommendations that are firmly based on harm reduction, in the summer of 2024. She has written extensively in this area and in 2017 co-chaired a Public Health England working group on the nurses’ role in the treatment and recovery addiction pathways. Dr. Clancy has also served as a Member of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)(2002 -2011) – a Standing Committee which advises the UK Government on drug issues and policies.
In 2015 in recognition of her contribution to addiction practice, she was awarded a Fellowship by Distinction and entered onto the membership register for the UK Faculty of Public Health. She has provided training to addiction professionals throughout the world and is a member of The International Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP) and holds credentials ICAP-III from the Center for Credentialing & Accreditation (formerly GCCC).
Dr. Kevin Mulvey is an Applied Sociologist with over 30 years of experience in the prevention and treatment of Substance Use Disorders. He had been with SAMHSA for 22 years and has experience working as a Senior Technical Advisor for HIV and Drug Use Prevention and Treatment Interventions.
Since 2020, he has been a Senior Public Health Advisor within SAMHSA. His last position was as the Program Development Lead in the Office of Prevention Innovation within the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. His focus was on policy, data strategies, performance monitoring and evaluation for the office and CSAP leadership. He has held positions with the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Division of Systems Development as the Acting Division Director, and the Chief of the Performance and Technical Assistance Branch. His previous projects at CSAP involve the development and implementation of sound prevention programming through training and technical assistance, materials development and dissemination, and program monitoring and evaluation. From 2007 to 2020, he worked in the SAMHSA PEPFAR Program. His last assignment was to Hanoi where he was the Regional Substance Abuse Treatment Advisor. He also had assignments in the Ukraine and Central Asia Republic Region (August 2016-August 2018). He has done prevention, treatment and recovery work in Viet Nam, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar/Burma, and Ukraine.
As an Applied Sociologist, he has held positions with the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Division of Services Improvement and the Division of Pharmacological Treatments as Sr. Public Health Advisor. His previous projects at CSAT involved the development and implementation of sound treatment programming through training and technical assistance, materials development and dissemination, and program monitoring and evaluation.
He is a program evaluator, having directed several research programs in the field of Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention. He has worked in clinical programs as a counselor and intake staff particularly in Boston. Prior to Federal Service, Dr. Mulvey worked in the Massachusetts Department of Health within the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services and the Boston Public Health Commission within the Office of Health, Research and Data Systems. He has a Graduate Certificate in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, a PhD from Northeastern University in Sociology, a MA in Applied Sociology and a BA in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
He is a Senior Lecturer in Liberal Arts at Northeastern University where he received the 1998 Garth Pittman Award for Teaching Excellence and currently teaches distance learning hybrid courses in the Opioid Crisis, Alcoholism: Etiology and Epidemiology, Alcoholism: Treatment and Prevention, Sociology of AIDS, Drugs and Society, Research Methods, Techniques of Data Analysis and Statistics.
Samitha Gunasekera is a Senior Program Officer for the ICUDDR Center for Credentialing & Accreditation (ICUDDR-CCA). She began her career with the Colombo Plan in 1998, serving as Programme Secretary for the Public Administration and Drug Advisory Programmes until 2009, when she received the “Best Employee of the Year” award. Before joining GCCC (now the Center for Credentialing & Accreditation) in 2014 as Credentialing Programme Officer, Samitha worked with the Asian Development Bank, UNOCHA, and UNDP in Sri Lanka, coordinating with government agencies to implement UN projects. For the Center for Credentialing & Accreditation, she manages the global credentialing and certification process and works with the Commission on related matters. Promoted to Senior Programme Officer (Credentialing) in 2022, she is dedicated to advancing the professionalization of the drug demand reduction workforce. Samitha holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from University College Dublin and a Master of Science in Project Management from Asia-e-University, Malaysia.
Sungjoo Park, MPH is a Program Officer for the Credentialing & Accreditation (formerly GCCC). He interned for ICUDDR this past summer, and recently joined full-time in August 2024. He has a master's degree in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health from George Mason University. He also has a dual Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Human Development from Virginia Tech. Prior to his current role, he has had clinical experience in a pediatric primary care setting as a Medical Assistant. Sungjoo currently lives in Northern Virginia about 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. in the U.S.
Veronica Felipe has a rich and diverse background in the field of Substance Use Disorders (SUD). Her extensive qualifications and experience make her a vital asset to the ICUDDR team.
Verna's career has been marked by her remarkable contributions to the Asia Pacific region, where she has played a pivotal role in advancing the Drug Demand Reduction field as former Director of the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program. Her work as a UTC Global Master Trainer further underscores her proficiency in training and educating professionals in the field, ensuring the highest standards of care and support are maintained. With over 20 years of experience as an academic practitioner, she prepares the future workforce by teaching and mentoring her students, and at the same time helping rehabilitation centers, civic societies, and local government units, design and implement their treatment programs.
With a Master's in Clinical Psychology, she possesses a deep understanding of the intricate nuances of substance use and mental health. She is a Registered Psychologist and a Licensed Professional Teacher in the Philippines and has ICAP I. Verna is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Addictive Disorders and Recovery Studies at Texas Tech University and is working on program evaluation and understanding the barriers and facilitators for implementing EBPs in low and middle-income countries.
Taylor Cook is an instructional designer passionate about developing and sharing resources to support the field of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment education. She has a bachelor's in Health Promotion and Education and a Master of Education degree in Instructional Design. These two worlds help her develop palatable and engaging resources for Substance Use Disorder professionals.
