About ACEs Task Force

The UL Lafayette ACEs Task Force was organized in 2019 as a group of faculty members from diverse disciplines working on a grant to support faculty development about adverse childhood experiences.

Members discovered shared and complementary interests in teaching, research, and service aimed at creating deeper knowledge and best practices for identifying and addressing ACEs among our students, our community, and our state. Although the grant was not funded, encouragement from community members led to the continuation and expansion of the Task Force.

Currently, members are working hard to further awareness of ACEs, to develop research and practices that inform education and service, and to build collaborative efforts within the Acadiana community to improve the health and well-being of our children and families.

See our task force's recent publications and presentations.

Task Force Members

	Paula Zeanah, Ph.D., MSN, RN Director of Research, Picard Center LGMC/OLOL Endowed Chair and Professor of Nursing, College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions Paula.zeanah@louisiana.edu Dr. Zeanah’s interests include ACE education in the community and within the university, prevention, and interventions particularly aimed at infants, young children, and their caregivers.
	Cynthia Suire, DNP, MSN, RN Assistant Professor University of Louisiana, College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions Special Projects Consultant Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health Dr. Suire’s interests include advancing awareness of the population level manifestations of ACEs; and health promotion and prevention efforts that effectively address ACEs at the individual, family, community and system level.
	Pastor John P. Newman CEO of New Hope Community Development of Acadiana & President of Lafayette Public Education Stakeholders Council (LaPESC) John@NewhopeLafayette.org John’s interests include the correlation between ACEs and social equity and systemic mitigation and prevention measures for ACEs that involve faith, the family, and the larger community.
	Roxanne Bourque, Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction Teacher Preparation Faculty Early Childhood Developmental Specialist College of Education roxannebourque@louisiana.edu Dr. Bourque’s interests include trauma-informed practices applicable to ACE’s education, autoethnography and qualitative studies of pre-service and veteran teachers, in early childhood stories.
	Hung-Chu Lin, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Psychology Chair, the Institutional Review Board SLEMCO/BORSF Regents Professor in Liberal Arts hung-chu.lin@louisiana.edu Dr. Lin’s interests include researching the long-term impacts of ACEs on physical and mental health, resilience factors that buffer the impacts of ACEs, and the continuity of ACEs across generations.
	Margot Hasha, Ph.D, LCSW, CT Program Coordinator UL Lafayette Department of Sociology margot.hasha@louisiana.edu Dr. Hasha’s interests include trauma-informed clinical interventions with adults; ACEs education among university students; resilience-building strategies, especially mindfulness practices.
	Irv Esters, Ph.D., M.Ed. Professor and Department Head Counselor Education Irvin.Estes@louisiana.edu Dr. Esters has lead faculty in educating Mental Health Counselors and School Counselors for more than 20 years. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and LPC Supervisor in Louisiana and maintains a small private practice.