Expert on culture and adolescent substance use to lecture at SU April 13

Expert on culture and adolescent substance use to lecture at SU April 13April 01, 2004Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

Michael Hecht, professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State University, will lecture at Syracuse University on April 13 at 4 p.m.The lecture, titled, “Drug Resistance Strategies Project: A communication and cultural approach to understanding and preventing adolescent drug use,” will take place in 331 Sims Hall. It is free and open to the public.

Hecht has published widely on issues related to culture and identity and how those factors relate to adolescent substance use, including the books “African American Communication” and “Communicating Prejudice.” He founded the Drug Resistance Strategies project, which has developed successful, multicultural school-based interventions for high school and middle school students; the work from this project is summarized in his recent book, “Adolescent Relationships and Drug Use.”

Videotapes produced for his project have won numerous international and national awards, including a series of 2000 regional Emmy Awards for student productions. The multicultural “keepin’ it REAL” curriculum was recently selected as a model drug prevention program for middle school students by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Hecht has also served as a consultant to numerous private corporations, including Xerox, ARCO and Jackson National Life Insurance Company, as well as nonprofits including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Parking is offered on a space-available basis in the Irving and University Avenue garages.