Sarah Mart named director of prevention services at Syracuse University

Sarah Mart named director of prevention services at Syracuse UniversityApril 26, 2007Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

Sarah Mart, director of health promotion and services at the University of San Francisco, has been named the director of prevention services at Syracuse University.

In her new position within the University’s Division of Student Affairs, Mart will lead the Office of Prevention Services, which oversees the Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Enhancement (S.A.P.H.E.) Program and the University Rape: Advocacy, Prevention, and Education (R.A.P.E.) Center. She will build on the success of the division’s award-winning Twelve-Point Plan for Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Enhancement, and work to create an integrated environmental management approach to prevention of substance abuse and related violence — including sexual violence.

Mart will lead a staff of two associate directors, two certified substance abuse counselors, one sexual health educator, one graduate assistant and an office coordinator in the delivery of research-based prevention education programs, clinical intervention, crisis response and advocacy.

“Sarah’s training and experience in public health offer us an exciting opportunity to take the past excellence of the programs comprising the Office of Prevention Services to a new level,” says Anastasia L. Urtz, associate vice president and dean of students. “Sarah’s expertise in coalition building and knowledge of the current prevention literature will allow her to make effective and lasting contributions to student well-being.”

Mart has held her current position since 2004. She has also served as an associate at the Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Other Drug and Violence Prevention in Newton, Mass., since 2001. She previously was the director of health enhancement and associate director of the Curry Health Center at the University of Montana; an adjunct faculty member of health and human performance in the College of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Montana; a certified HIV prevention counselor and trainer; and a program advisor and grant reviewer.

Mart holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies (with honors) from the University of Montana-Missoula; a master’s degree in women’s studies from Minnesota State University-Mankato and a master’s degree in public health/ community health education from the University of Northern Colorado.

The Office of Prevention Services is dedicated to fostering a culture of wellness and respect for oneself and others by promoting prevention of substance abuse and sexual assault. The S.A.P.H.E. Program offers education, resources and short-term substance abuse education, counseling and referral for students. The University R.A.P.E. Center provides comprehensive sexual assault prevention programs and 24-hour crisis response, support and advocacy for students who have been sexually assaulted and all who are affected by sexual violence.