Scientists and Project Directors

Scientists and Project Directors

Scientists and project directors at Lighthouse Institute have backgrounds and expertise in Addictions, Business, Education, Management Information Systems, Psychology, Public Health, Rehabilitation, Research Methods, Statistics, and Social Work.

Michael L. Dennis Ph.D. (Northwestern University, 1988)
Specialty areas: Methodology, program evaluation, measurement, randomized field experiments, drug abuse treatment, adolescent treatment, Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN), technology transfer, and information dissemination.





Jodie M. Dewey, Ph.D. (Loyola University 2010)
Specialty areas: Qualitative and mixed methods, criminal justice delivery with a focus on police training and practices, history of transgender medicine, transgender medical and therapeutic health care, equity-centered research, and education.





Barbara D. Estrada, M.S. (University of Arizona, 1988)
Specialty areas: Evaluation methodology, cultural adaptations, program planning, software development, and GAIN.







Mark D. Godley Ph.D. (Southern Illinois University, 1984)
Specialty areas: Research administration, health services, and continuing care research in the management of substance use disorders, transfer of evidence-based treatments to community treatment settings.





Susan H. Godley Rh.D. (Southern Illinois University, 1982), Emeritus
Specialty areas: Adolescent treatment, continuing care, development, and implementation of evidence-based treatments.





Christina E. Grella Ph.D. (University of California, Santa Cruz, 1985)
Specialty areas: Organization, delivery, and outcomes of treatment for individuals with substance use disorders, with a focus on those who have co-occurring mental disorders, youth, and women, including those in the criminal justice and child welfare systems.



Lora L. Passetti, M.S. (Illinois State University, 2002)
Specialty areas: Continuing care, peer recovery support, mutual support groups, implementation of evidence-based treatments, and program evaluation.






Casey C. Sarapas, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago, 1998)
Specialty areas: Advanced statistical methods, research design, psychopathology, evidence-based behavioral health interventions, and systems of care.






Christy K. Scott Ph.D. (University of Illinois, 1992),
Director of Lighthouse, Emeritus
Specialty areas: Outcome monitoring, personality measurement, and cognitive psychology, marriage and close relationships, educational research, child welfare, and program development and management.





David A. Sharar Ph.D. (University of Illinois, 2008)
Specialty areas: Mental health and substance abuse in the workplace, evaluation of employee assistance programs (EAPs) and managed behavioral health services, design and delivery of international EAP.





Dennis P. Watson, Ph.D. (Loyola University Chicago, 2011)
Specialty areas: Qualitative and mixed methods, implementation science, co-occurring substance use disorder and serious mental illness, homelessness, recovery supports, harm reduction-oriented services.





William L. White M.A. (Goddard College, 1977), Emeritus
Specialty areas: Addiction studies, recovery support, history of treatment and recovery, training and consultation, ethical issues in treatment.