Trent Baskerville is a Research Associate. He has an extensive background in qualitative analysis, data collection, community outreach, and information synthesis in criminal justice, inequality, and violence prevention. His research covers a diverse background that provides him with an in-depth understanding of the juvenile and adult justice system, school safety, violence prevention, and public health implications. Prior to joining WestEd, Baskerville served 10 years in the United States Army, including multiple tours in Afghanistan. During his tenure, he received various awards for his academic achievements: Commandants List, Basic Leaders Course (2016); Distinguished Leadership Awardee, Advanced Leaders Course (2016); and Commandants List, Recruiting and Retention College (2018). Baskerville graduated summa cum laude with his BA in political science with a concentration in international relations from American Military University. He also holds a master of public policy from the University of California, Riverside, School of Public Policy.

Colleen Carter is a Research Associate contributing to research and program evaluations related to youth voice, juvenile justice, teen pregnancy, crime prevention, and social-emotional health. Carter serves as a liaison to diverse partnerships within juvenile justice agencies and community-based organizations. Her responsibilities include data collection, site visits, survey development, database management, analysis, and product dissemination. Carter received a MS in public health from Tulane University and a BS in wildlife biology from Cal Poly Humboldt.

Curtis Herring, MEd, is a School Safety Technical Assistance Specialist with the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center. He supports local, regional, and state education agencies in their implementation of evidence-based violence prevention strategies. Herring began his work in education in 2013 as a high school science teacher and progressed to the Director of Counseling and Student Support for Comal ISD (Texas) before coming to WestEd. His work has included several notable projects, such as the development of a campus mindfulness room, the introduction of processes and procedures related to Behavioral Threat Assessment, the development of a campus-based mentorship program, and the institution of school counseling data collection and analysis methods. In his more recent role serving as the Director of Counseling and Student Support, Herring oversaw certified school counselors, licensed social workers, and licensed professional counselors at 34 campuses, leading the continual development of a robust school-based mental health framework and comprehensive school counseling program. Curtis received his MEd in educational psychology from Texas A&M University and his BS from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Danielle Munguia is a Research Assistant with the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center. Before joining WestEd, she worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as an assistant on the COVID-19 Response Team serving housing shelters and people experiencing homelessness. At the height of the pandemic, Munguia had a dual position as the COVID-19 Response Specialist for the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, where she worked with the LA County Department of Public Health to facilitate COVID-19 outbreak investigations and quarantine/isolation measures. Munguia also volunteers as a crisis counselor at Didi Hirsch’s Mental Health Services: Suicide Prevention Center. Her research interests align with alleviating the burden of serious mental illnesses amongst marginalized groups. Munguia is excited to be at WestEd and looks forward to sharpening her research skills while continuing to network with diverse researchers. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ericka Muñoz is a Research Associate. Muñoz works on various projects, including Santa Ana Unified School District’s (SAUSD) Conexiónes program funded by Proposition 47. She is also a Lead Research Consultant working on Proposition 47 efforts with the Los Angeles County Office of Diversion and Reentry’s Skills and Experience for the Careers of Tomorrow (SECTOR) program. Muñoz’s roles across both projects include conducting interviews, developing focus group protocols, facilitating focus groups with service providers and/or service recipients, quantitative and qualitative analysis, assisting with report writing, and developing infographics, including ArcGIS maps. Previously, Muñoz was also a Lead Data Analyst on Proposition 47-funded efforts at Project Kinship, a reentry nonprofit. In her role as Lead Data Analyst, Muñoz worked with the Adult and Older Adult Behavioral Health Services division at the Orange County Health Care Agency and the SAUSD to develop the data infrastructure of two behavioral health programs, Safe Haven and Conexiónes, for adults and youth experiencing substance use and mental health issues with the goal of decreasing recidivism. Muñoz’s passion for social justice and criminal justice reform stems from her experience as a first-generation Mexican American system-impacted individual.

Sarah Russo is a Research Associate. Ms. Russo leads and conducts a variety of research and program and evaluation activities in the areas of justice, education, and healthy communities. Responsibilities include but are not limited to project management, qualitative and quantitative data collection, data analysis, and reporting. Her projects include evaluations of teen pregnancy prevention and other initiatives for justice-involved youth, programs addressing human trafficking among transition-aged youth, training for law enforcement investigating technology-facilitated crimes against children, and state school safety centers. Prior to her work at WestEd, Ms. Russo served as the lead data analyst for the Community-Based Crime Reduction grant initiative in Los Angeles to develop violent crime prevention and reduction strategies in MacArthur Park. Ms. Russo earned a BA in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.