Program Evaluation and Research

Dr. Jauch joined MAHEC in 2022 as Chair of the Department of Program Evaluation and Research. In this role, he supports the several Divisions within the Department and has led the creation of the new clinical trials program at MAHEC. Dr. Jauch serves in several regional roles supporting education, care implementation, research, and innovation across MAHEC, Western North Carolina, and the state.

Dr. Jauch completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Dayton and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering (bioengineering) at Cornell University, after which he joined the faculty in the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Kansas and the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Jauch completed medical school and an emergency medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati, subsequently joining the faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Team. Dr. Jauch was recruited to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2008 to help develop the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, assist in the creation of the MUSC Comprehensive Stroke Center and Telemedicine Program, and eventually serve as Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Professor, Department of Neurology, faculty in the College of Graduate Studies at the MUSC, and adjunct Professor of Bioengineering, Clemson University. Dr. Jauch obtained his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington with an emphasis in data analytics. Before joining MAHEC, Dr. Jauch served as Chief of System Research and the Director of the Mission Research Institute in Asheville, NC, and the National Medical Director for Neurosciences Research for the HCA Healthcare Research Institute in Nashville, TN, for four years.

Dr. Jauch's research has performed a wide range of industry and federally-funded phase II and III clinical trials but with an emphasis on acute conditions, specifically neurologic emergencies and stroke. Dr. Jauch is very active in numerous national organizations, including serving as past Chair of the Stroke Council for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and immediate past President of the Southeast AHA Board of Directors. At state levels, Dr. Jauch served on the Ohio Stroke Task Force, as chair of the South Carolina Department of Health’s Stroke Advisory Committee, and currently serves on the North Carolina Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force Stroke Advisory Committee and as a consultant to the NC Department of Health and Human Services Coverdell National Acute Stroke program.

Kim is the Director of Program Evaluation at MAHEC, overseeing a team of evaluators who collect, analyze, and report on data for sponsored programs across the organization. Kim has a BA in the Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in Biological Anthropology & Anatomy from Duke University (after leaving a PhD program ABD), and over 20 years of experience evaluating programs funded at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition to evaluating programs, she has written, reviewed, and managed grants in the fields of education and healthcare; taught science to students from preschool through graduate school; and conducted field research on wild primates. She is currently serving on the board of the WNC Nature Center and raising a teenage son.

Katie Aman is a research associate at MAHEC, primarily working with GME residents across Ob/Gyn, general surgery, and the maternal-fetal medicine fellowship. Katie earned her Master of Public Health in 2024 from UNC-Chapel Hill with a concentration in Epidemiology. Before completing her MPH, Katie lived in Vermont, where she attended Middlebury College for her undergraduate degree (class of 2019) and then worked in Dartmouth's Epidemiology Department on the NH Birth Cohort Study for two and a half years. She is especially enthusiastic about the intersection of public health and the environment and adores riding bikes in the mountains—a pursuit that led to her winning the 2023 Collegiate Criterium National Championship in Albuquerque, NM.

Annika joined MAHEC in 2023 as the Administrative Director of the Human Research Protection Program, Research, and Pharmacy. She received her Master's in Business Administration from Western Carolina University in 2020. Annika has spent her career in healthcare leadership including six years managing a PACE program and most recently as an Executive Director at Brookdale Senior Living. Annika has a passion for innovation and is excited about the opportunity to combine her love of operations and strategic planning with the exciting research the MAHEC team is working on.

As a Research Project Coordinator at MAHEC, Chelsea provides research support to a variety of faculty, learners, and MAHEC employees.

Chelsea received an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from the State University of New York, and a master's degree from Mercyhurst University. She worked for over a decade as an educator and behavioral health clinician. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in epidemiology through East Carolina University. Chelsea's research experience includes work with vector-borne illness, single-subject behavior analytic studies, and environmental epidemiology. Additionally, she has worked to assess occupational stress in public school educators. Chelsea's research interests include Neglected Tropical Diseases, infectious disease, epidemiology, vector-borne illness, parasitology, occupational health, and environmental health.

Outside of work, Chelsea enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs, kayaking, traveling, reading, and running.

Erik is the Clinical Research Project Coordinator within the department of Program Evaluation and Research at MAHEC. Prior to joining MAHEC, Erik worked in the clinical research industry for 14+ years, managing clinical operations for global phase II – phase 4 pharmaceutical and device trials in rare disease, cardiology, endocrinology, CNS, ophthalmology, oncology, and other various therapeutic areas. Outside of work, Erik is an avid long-distance runner, climber, mountain biker, and musician.

Michelle Chapman is a Nurse Research Coordinator in the Clinical Trials division at MAHEC. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina and studied engineering and computer science at Clemson University. Before joining MAHEC, Michelle gained hands-on experience in a variety of healthcare settings, including Medical-Surgical ICUs, Coronary Care Units, and Quality Management. She also has experience in Healthcare IT, where she supported MAHEC pharmacies and worked to optimize electronic health record systems.

Michelle enjoys using her diverse background in nursing, quality improvement, and healthcare informatics to help manage clinical trials and support collaborative research efforts that improve patient care. She is passionate about working with teams to streamline research processes and contribute to meaningful healthcare outcomes, especially in areas that serve community health needs.

Outside of work, Michelle loves spending time with her children, hiking the beautiful trails of Western North Carolina, and gardening.

Courtney is a Monitoring and Evaluation Associate within the Department of Program Evaluation and Research at MAHEC. She primarily focuses on evaluating SUD programs but has supported evaluation for a variety of grant-funded and legacy programs across several departments. Courtney graduated from UNC Asheville with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness Promotion in 2020. She then graduated from the UNC Asheville-UNC Chapel Hill Master of Public Health program with a concentration in Place-Based Health in 2022. Her primary interests include psychology and neuroscience, rural health disparities, and effective treatments for affective disorders. Courtney plans to earn her PhD and hopes to become a professor.

Jackie is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist working on the CCBHC (Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic) grant. Jackie has BS in Psychology from the University of North Florida and a Master of Social Work from Western Carolina University. Jackie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and spends one day per week as a School-Based Therapist in Buncombe County. In her free time, Jackie enjoys reading, swimming, going to concerts, and spending time with her husband and cats.

Dr. Kopak is a research scientist at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Kopak was a faculty member in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Western Carolina University where he held the rank of Professor.

Dr. Kopak learned the art and science of community engaged research while completing his PhD in Justice Studies at Arizona State University. He spent most of this time developing his methodological and statistical expertise at the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC). Dr. Kopak specializes in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical modeling. These skills are the foundation of his work, which is dedicated to addressing substance use disorders in marginalized populations.

Dr. Kopak is interested in many areas of substance use research and has collaborated with a variety of organizations. He has partnered with several Western North Carolina Sheriff’s Offices to assess substance use and behavioral health-related needs among people who are admitted to local detention centers. He has served as a subject matter expert for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP) sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). He has also conducted international research on the largest prison-based substance use treatment program in the United Kingdom. This work demonstrates Dr. Kopak’s full commitment to using research to develop solutions for people who experience substance use disorder.

Dr. Power is an Evaluation Scientist in the Department of Program Evaluation and Research. She has a BA in Neuroscience from Skidmore College and an MS in Health Promotion from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She completed her PhD in Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health with a focus on nutrition education, electronic and mobile health, rural populations, and using behavior change techniques to address health disparities. At MAHEC, she has evaluated grants related to mental health and substance use treatment for underserved populations. Outside of work, Julianne enjoys mountain biking, hiking with her dog, camping, and spending time with friends.

Hannah is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist assigned to both the CCBHC and Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Wellness Grants. She is an NC native currently residing in Greenville, SC, and has a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a Master of Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill. Hannah also works with various teams across MAHEC in developing Smartsheet dashboards and survey tools. In her free time, Hannah enjoys traveling with her fiancé, cooking pasta dishes, and snuggling up with her dogs (Teddy & Navy) and cats (Max & Royski) to watch a movie.

Sierra Thomas is a Research Associate with a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology. She specializes in qualitative research focusing on criminal justice and substance use disorder.

Anna joined MAHEC in June 2023 as a Monitoring and Evaluation Associate. She received her Master of Public Health from Georgia Southern University in 2019 and relocated to Western North Carolina shortly after. She has enjoyed working in various roles in the area, serving first as a Health Educator in Transylvania County and then having the opportunity to move into a position evaluating grants designed to reduce substance misuse in youth before moving into her current role. At MAHEC, Anna is excited to continue serving as an evaluator for various innovative projects and to have a small part in improving health outcomes and access to quality care in the region. She enjoys spending time with her husband and infant daughter in her free time and exploring the beautiful nature WNC offers with her two extra-large rescue dogs!

Dr. Jauch joined MAHEC in 2022 as Chair of the Department of Program Evaluation and Research. In this role, he supports the several Divisions within the Department and has led the creation of the new clinical trials program at MAHEC. Dr. Jauch serves in several regional roles supporting education, care implementation, research, and innovation across MAHEC, Western North Carolina, and the state.

Dr. Jauch completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Dayton and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering (bioengineering) at Cornell University, after which he joined the faculty in the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Kansas and the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Jauch completed medical school and an emergency medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati, subsequently joining the faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Team. Dr. Jauch was recruited to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2008 to help develop the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, assist in the creation of the MUSC Comprehensive Stroke Center and Telemedicine Program, and eventually serve as Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Professor, Department of Neurology, faculty in the College of Graduate Studies at the MUSC, and adjunct Professor of Bioengineering, Clemson University. Dr. Jauch obtained his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington with an emphasis in data analytics. Before joining MAHEC, Dr. Jauch served as Chief of System Research and the Director of the Mission Research Institute in Asheville, NC, and the National Medical Director for Neurosciences Research for the HCA Healthcare Research Institute in Nashville, TN, for four years.

Dr. Jauch's research has performed a wide range of industry and federally-funded phase II and III clinical trials but with an emphasis on acute conditions, specifically neurologic emergencies and stroke. Dr. Jauch is very active in numerous national organizations, including serving as past Chair of the Stroke Council for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and immediate past President of the Southeast AHA Board of Directors. At state levels, Dr. Jauch served on the Ohio Stroke Task Force, as chair of the South Carolina Department of Health’s Stroke Advisory Committee, and currently serves on the North Carolina Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force Stroke Advisory Committee and as a consultant to the NC Department of Health and Human Services Coverdell National Acute Stroke program.

Erik is the Clinical Research Project Coordinator within the department of Program Evaluation and Research at MAHEC. Prior to joining MAHEC, Erik worked in the clinical research industry for 14+ years, managing clinical operations for global phase II – phase 4 pharmaceutical and device trials in rare disease, cardiology, endocrinology, CNS, ophthalmology, oncology, and other various therapeutic areas. Outside of work, Erik is an avid long-distance runner, climber, mountain biker, and musician.

Michelle Chapman is a Nurse Research Coordinator in the Clinical Trials division at MAHEC. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina and studied engineering and computer science at Clemson University. Before joining MAHEC, Michelle gained hands-on experience in a variety of healthcare settings, including Medical-Surgical ICUs, Coronary Care Units, and Quality Management. She also has experience in Healthcare IT, where she supported MAHEC pharmacies and worked to optimize electronic health record systems.

Michelle enjoys using her diverse background in nursing, quality improvement, and healthcare informatics to help manage clinical trials and support collaborative research efforts that improve patient care. She is passionate about working with teams to streamline research processes and contribute to meaningful healthcare outcomes, especially in areas that serve community health needs.

Outside of work, Michelle loves spending time with her children, hiking the beautiful trails of Western North Carolina, and gardening.

Kim is the Director of Program Evaluation at MAHEC, overseeing a team of evaluators who collect, analyze, and report on data for sponsored programs across the organization. Kim has a BA in the Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in Biological Anthropology & Anatomy from Duke University (after leaving a PhD program ABD), and over 20 years of experience evaluating programs funded at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition to evaluating programs, she has written, reviewed, and managed grants in the fields of education and healthcare; taught science to students from preschool through graduate school; and conducted field research on wild primates. She is currently serving on the board of the WNC Nature Center and raising a teenage son.

Katie Aman is a research associate at MAHEC, primarily working with GME residents across Ob/Gyn, general surgery, and the maternal-fetal medicine fellowship. Katie earned her Master of Public Health in 2024 from UNC-Chapel Hill with a concentration in Epidemiology. Before completing her MPH, Katie lived in Vermont, where she attended Middlebury College for her undergraduate degree (class of 2019) and then worked in Dartmouth's Epidemiology Department on the NH Birth Cohort Study for two and a half years. She is especially enthusiastic about the intersection of public health and the environment and adores riding bikes in the mountains—a pursuit that led to her winning the 2023 Collegiate Criterium National Championship in Albuquerque, NM.

Courtney is a Monitoring and Evaluation Associate within the Department of Program Evaluation and Research at MAHEC. She primarily focuses on evaluating SUD programs but has supported evaluation for a variety of grant-funded and legacy programs across several departments. Courtney graduated from UNC Asheville with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness Promotion in 2020. She then graduated from the UNC Asheville-UNC Chapel Hill Master of Public Health program with a concentration in Place-Based Health in 2022. Her primary interests include psychology and neuroscience, rural health disparities, and effective treatments for affective disorders. Courtney plans to earn her PhD and hopes to become a professor.

Jackie is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist working on the CCBHC (Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic) grant. Jackie has BS in Psychology from the University of North Florida and a Master of Social Work from Western Carolina University. Jackie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and spends one day per week as a School-Based Therapist in Buncombe County. In her free time, Jackie enjoys reading, swimming, going to concerts, and spending time with her husband and cats.

Dr. Power is an Evaluation Scientist in the Department of Program Evaluation and Research. She has a BA in Neuroscience from Skidmore College and an MS in Health Promotion from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She completed her PhD in Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health with a focus on nutrition education, electronic and mobile health, rural populations, and using behavior change techniques to address health disparities. At MAHEC, she has evaluated grants related to mental health and substance use treatment for underserved populations. Outside of work, Julianne enjoys mountain biking, hiking with her dog, camping, and spending time with friends.

Hannah is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist assigned to both the CCBHC and Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Wellness Grants. She is an NC native currently residing in Greenville, SC, and has a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a Master of Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill. Hannah also works with various teams across MAHEC in developing Smartsheet dashboards and survey tools. In her free time, Hannah enjoys traveling with her fiancé, cooking pasta dishes, and snuggling up with her dogs (Teddy & Navy) and cats (Max & Royski) to watch a movie.

Anna joined MAHEC in June 2023 as a Monitoring and Evaluation Associate. She received her Master of Public Health from Georgia Southern University in 2019 and relocated to Western North Carolina shortly after. She has enjoyed working in various roles in the area, serving first as a Health Educator in Transylvania County and then having the opportunity to move into a position evaluating grants designed to reduce substance misuse in youth before moving into her current role. At MAHEC, Anna is excited to continue serving as an evaluator for various innovative projects and to have a small part in improving health outcomes and access to quality care in the region. She enjoys spending time with her husband and infant daughter in her free time and exploring the beautiful nature WNC offers with her two extra-large rescue dogs!

As a Research Project Coordinator at MAHEC, Chelsea provides research support to a variety of faculty, learners, and MAHEC employees.

Chelsea received an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from the State University of New York, and a master's degree from Mercyhurst University. She worked for over a decade as an educator and behavioral health clinician. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in epidemiology through East Carolina University. Chelsea's research experience includes work with vector-borne illness, single-subject behavior analytic studies, and environmental epidemiology. Additionally, she has worked to assess occupational stress in public school educators. Chelsea's research interests include Neglected Tropical Diseases, infectious disease, epidemiology, vector-borne illness, parasitology, occupational health, and environmental health.

Outside of work, Chelsea enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs, kayaking, traveling, reading, and running.

Dr. Kopak is a research scientist at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Kopak was a faculty member in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Western Carolina University where he held the rank of Professor.

Dr. Kopak learned the art and science of community engaged research while completing his PhD in Justice Studies at Arizona State University. He spent most of this time developing his methodological and statistical expertise at the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC). Dr. Kopak specializes in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical modeling. These skills are the foundation of his work, which is dedicated to addressing substance use disorders in marginalized populations.

Dr. Kopak is interested in many areas of substance use research and has collaborated with a variety of organizations. He has partnered with several Western North Carolina Sheriff’s Offices to assess substance use and behavioral health-related needs among people who are admitted to local detention centers. He has served as a subject matter expert for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP) sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). He has also conducted international research on the largest prison-based substance use treatment program in the United Kingdom. This work demonstrates Dr. Kopak’s full commitment to using research to develop solutions for people who experience substance use disorder.

Sierra Thomas is a Research Associate with a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology. She specializes in qualitative research focusing on criminal justice and substance use disorder.