2021 Award Winners

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award 

Honors an individual who has aided in the advancement of equity, inclusion, and social justice in the field of collegiate recovery for BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ student or has displayed a strong commitment to these populations in the wider recovery communities.

Kristine De Jesus

Dr Kristine De Jesus is Coordinator of Alcohol and Other Drug Program, and Advisor to the Red Hawk Recovery program at Montclair State University.  Dr. De Jesus is an author, entrepreneur, and activist. She is co-host of the Engage Recovery: Meeting at the Intersection Podcast and founder of The Wellness Cooperative, a wellness center dedicated to supporting BIPOC folx in recovery from Substance Use Disorder.  Dr De Jesus attended Rutgers University where she earned a BA in Psychology and Puerto Rican Studies. She holds a Masters in Organizational Behavior from Alliant International University, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology where she specialized in Cross Cultural and Health Psychology. Dr De Jesus’s area of expertise is recovery, equity, intersectionality and strategies for reducing health disparities.

ARHE Lifetime Achievement Award 

Honors a faculty member or professional staff member who has displayed excellence in service and leadership and has made significant contributions to the field above and beyond designated work responsibilities. The nominee’s contributions to ARHE and the field of recovery in higher education should reflect a high degree of commitment and service to the Association and should extend well beyond regular involvement.

M. Dolores Cimini

Dr. M. Dolores Cimini is a New York State licensed psychologist and Director of the Center for Behavioral Health Promotion and Applied Research at the University at Albany, SUNY. She is also the Director of the nationally recognized Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program, one of the first campus-based hotline services established to address the needs of students in recovery in the United States. Dr. Cimini has led comprehensive efforts in research-to-practice translation at the University at Albany for the past 28 years with over $9 million in support from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, and New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. Dr. Cimini has demonstrated a career-long commitment to collegiate recovery through the development and enhancement of comprehensive support services for students that promote access to opportunities and success in college and career.

Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year 

Honors an undergraduate or graduate student who has displayed excellence in academics and leadership to the field above and beyond designated work/study responsibilities.

Maysa Mohmoud

Maysa Mohmoud is a student in long term recovery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Psychology, Maysa has continued her education in a Masters of Clinical/Medical Social Work program. She works as a graduate associate in UAB’s Wellness Promotion department and advocates for mental health access and recovery services!

Collegiate Recovery Staff Member of the Year 

Honors a college or university staff member who has displayed support and commitment to a collegiate recovery program beyond the designated level of expectation.

Jennifer Cervi

Jennifer hails from the University of Michigan where she launched a Collegiate Recovery Program while obtaining a Masters in Social Work degree. She has also launched programs at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Jennifer’s motivation to help others is a direct result of her personally being an individual in recovery. Her passion is to engage with students who are actively in recovery or seeking recovery while thriving academically and vigorously sustaining the authentic college experience. Jen seeks to reduce stigma around addiction and recovery on campus and heighten the awareness of the Collegiate Recovery Program, while preserving the anonymity of the students who seek it. She is also a Basic Paramedic and a Firefighter, who enjoys playing soccer in her free time.

ARHE Community Member of the Year 

Honors an individual who has aided in the advancement of the field and/or to the specific development of a community, area, resource or topic related to recovery in higher education.

Sazha Alexandra Layugan Ramos

Sazha Alexandra Ramos is a Navy Veteran and product of collegiate recovery. Through Sazha Alexandra’s own personal recovery journey and professional experience, she leads Recovery Organization Resources to shift the paradigm of power by providing education and information to those that are seeking resources. Her professional experience includes working at the highest levels of government, recovery organizing with expertise in recovery housing.

She is a living testimony to multiple pathways to recovery after being on Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and currently utilizing the technology of Kundalini Yoga as her primary pathway to recovery. She works with women one on one to take them to the next level of their spiritual and entrepreneurial life. This May she will complete her Masters in Social Work at Rutgers University. Sazha Alexandra sits on numerous boards both locally and nationally. Recently, she partnered with a global organization to launch RA MA Recovery, an intentional wellness platform with over 5 million views to provide free yoga, meditation and community sharing for those seeking liberation.

Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year 

Honors an individual who has tirelessly advocated for the implementation, advancement, and sustainability of collegiate recovery at a local or national level.

Susie Mullens

Susie Mullens is a licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor, certified advanced alcohol & drug counselor, master addiction counselor & supervisor. She has been working in the mental health & substance use disorder field for over 29 years and has worked in all aspects of the continuum of care. She is currently the program coordinator for the WV Collegiate Recovery Network which is housed at Marshall University Research Corp. Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern WV,  to help expand collegiate recovery efforts on 7 campuses in southern WV. She was formerly the Interim Director of the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP). While at ODCP she was responsible for securing the seed money (100K) for 5 collegiate recovery programs in WV.

She hosts a show on the WV Library Commission Network called Solutions, Service & Serenity which helps raise awareness about programs around West Virginia who are working across the continuum of care (prevention, early intervention, treatment & recovery).

ARHE Cornerstone Award for Student Support 

Honors an individual or organization who has gone above and beyond to support students in recovery. The Cornerstone Award recognizes and celebrates the core of what the field is about: supporting students in recovery.

Anna Lee Trevino

Anna L. Treviño is the Assistant Director of Texas Tech’s Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities (CCRC) since April 2015. She is also an alumni of the program. She received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas Tech University in Dec. 2014. She is a woman in long-term recovery and has been a strong pillar in the Lubbock recovery community for over sixteen years. Anna also has a private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor specializing in addiction/recovery, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. Anna also has a child named, Zachary who is the love of her life.

Collegiate Recovery Philanthropist of the Year 

Honors an individual or organization who has made extraordinary and significant contributions to collegiate recovery. This award recognizes the generous giving, either financial or in-kind, that directly enables collegiate recovery to grow and thrive.

Kathy and Ray Hayes

Ray and Kathy are Mississippi natives, receiving college degrees from Mississippi State University. The Hayes’ professional lives have included opportunities in Mississippi, Texas and Alabama.

Ray, Chancellor Emeritus of The University of Alabama System, actively worked to assist all UA campuses and communities to advance Behavioral Health services. His focus was on the collaborative efforts of academia, research and service. Currently, all three campuses of the University of Alabama System have active and ongoing Collegiate Recovery programs. Additionally, specialized Research and Intervention Services are of major focus at UAB and UA. The UA system represents and serves over 70,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

The Hayes’ have two children, Nick and Sarah (Abe Yellen) and are the proud grandparents of Jackson Owen Hayes.

Collegiate Recovery Champion Award

Honors an individual or organization who has championed collegiate recovery in a transformative and astounding manner. The Collegiate Recovery Champion Award is the highest annual honor recognized by ARHE.

Independence Blue Cross Foundation