Shaun Ali is a Senior Justice Technical Assistance Specialist currently helping Second Chance Act grantees and state education agencies through the National Reentry Resource Center to Improve Social Emotional Learning and School Safety (CISELSS). Prior to joining WestEd, Ali supported two Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) grants focused on youth violence prevention. Ali started his career in criminal justice as a victim liaison for the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section. After that, he worked with state, local, and tribal justice agencies through the Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center. Ali served as a key consultant for a large-scale transformation project for all the justice agencies of Riverside County, California, and has volunteered in the prevention of radicalization and school discipline reform efforts in his local community. Ali received a master’s in sociology from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s in criminal justice from George Mason University.

Ashley Boal is a Senior Research Associate. She brings experience directing and coordinating complex, multi-year projects that rely on collaboration and coordination with diverse shareholders. Dr. Boal is well-versed in the integration of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and has experience designing and executing mixed-methods projects. She has worked on projects that span diverse content areas, including criminal justice, violence against women, mental and physical health, substance use, and education. Boal is the co-investigator for two studies funded by the National Institute of Justice, one on state school safety centers and the second on law enforcement training related to internet crimes against children. Her work has been published in prominent academic journals, including Psychological Assessment, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, American Journal of Community Psychology, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, and Violence and Victims.

Trevor A. Fronius is the Director of Justice and Prevention at WestEd. He brings more than a decade of experience conducting research and evaluation projects in justice, school safety and climate, violence prevention, and public health sectors. These projects include experimental and quasi-experimental studies focusing on issues such as school-based law enforcement and threat assessment, chronic absenteeism, community-based violence, reentry, and systems-involved and opportunity youth. In addition, his past work includes research on social capital and community violence as well as published research reviews of restorative justice in schools, school-based policing programs, and community-based violence prevention strategies. Fronius received his master of science in criminal justice studies from Bridgewater State University and his PhD in criminology and criminal justice studies from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Sarah Guckenburg, MPH, is a Senior Research Associate. She has led and collaborated on various research and evaluation projects focusing on violence prevention, juvenile justice reform, school safety, and other public health issues. Guckenburg’s current projects include the evaluation of the Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (AWARE) project in Vermont, a grant working to support system-level improvements for school-based mental health services in three school districts, an evaluation of alcohol and drug prevention programs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and case studies of youth advisory councils in juvenile justice settings funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Jessica Keach is Manager of Research and Policy in Public Health and Justice at WestEd’s Justice and Prevention Research Center. In this role she leads applied research, evaluation, policy and planning initiatives across education, public health and justice sectors for local, state, and federal agencies.

Jessica has extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods, program evaluation, data dashboard and visualization development, and stakeholder engagement in research and policy work. Throughout her work, Jessica provides technical assistance and facilitation to demystify data, reflect on findings, and bridge research with practice, resulting in co-created, actionable solutions to pressing needs. Examples of this work include research and policy guidance for the California Adult Education Program, an assessment of substance misuse prevention needs for the state of Idaho, and partnership with Connecticut’s Department of Corrections to understand the impact of their Vocational Village program.

Keach holds a Master of Public Policy from University of California, Los Angeles, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science with distinction in Sociology from Southern Methodist University.

Kerwin Henderson, MS, is a Senior Justice Technical Assistance Specialist specializing in technical assistance in violence prevention and reform of justice systems. He has more than 10 years of experience addressing critical issues and implementing reforms across the criminal justice system. Henderson has managed the implementation of evidence-based programs and practices in juvenile and adult justice systems and addressed issues in reentry, including race and gender disparities in treatment. At national and international conferences, he has presented on juvenile justice and the issues of military veterans. He has also worked directly with state and local leaders to improve decision-making and reduce incarcerated populations. Henderson received his BS from Quincy University, Illinois, and his MS from the University of Cincinnati, both in criminal justice.