MCF gives 2016 Fellow Awards to Amelia Arria and Phillip Satow, leaders in addressing mental health, substance abuse and suicide among college students.
The mission of the Mary Christie Foundation is to promote the health and wellness of young adults through thought leadership and philanthropy. To further that mission, the Foundation bestows two fellow awards each year to professionals who have made significant contributions in this area. The awards are given as recognition of their accomplishments and encouragement of their advanced work.
In May, the Foundation gave its Fellow prizes to: Amelia Arria, Ph.D, Director of the Center on Young Adult Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health; and Phillip Satow, distinguished business leader and co-founder of the Jed Foundation, a leading public charity committed to preventing mental illness, substance abuse and suicide among college students.
“Both of these award winners have had enormous impact on mental health and substance abuse among young adults, particularly college students” said Mary Christie Foundation President Robert Meenan. “Through her precedent-setting research and advocacy work, Dr. Arria has provided evidence and advice to administrators, parents and students on the importance of addressing substance abuse and mental health needs on campus.
“Through his passion and leadership, Phillip Satow has brought breakthrough solutions as well as wide-ranging public awareness to the issue of mental illness and suicide among college students. The work of the Jed Foundation in this area is unparalleled.”
Amelia Arria
Amelia M. Arria, Ph.D. is currently the Director of the Center on Young Adult Health and Development at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and an Associate Professor with the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator on the College Life Study, a longitudinal prospective study of health-risk behaviors among college students. Her primary research focus has been to understand familial, social, and individual risk and resiliency factors associated with mental health and substance abuse among adolescents and young adults.
She has also completed studies related to mental health service utilization, predictors of suicidal behavior, and evaluations of addiction treatment. She is currently involved in several efforts to translate research findings for practical purposes by parents and policy makers, including her leadership role in the Maryland Collaborative to Reduce College Drinking and Related Problems, an initiative that brings together Maryland colleges to address the problem of excessive alcohol consumption and its consequences on their campuses and in their communities.
Much of her research has direct relevance to both clinicians and policy makers and she has authored more than 150 scientific peer-reviewed publications. She received a B.S. in Human Development from Cornell University, a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and completed postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Phillip Satow
Phillip M. Satow and his family founded The Jed Foundation in 2000 after the loss of their son, Jed, to suicide. Phil serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of The Jed Foundation and is Co-Chair of the Research Task Force for Suicide Research Prioritization for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP), as well as a member of the board of directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Phil has also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the NAASP.
A successful entrepreneur and corporate executive in the pharmaceutical and healthcare fields for more than 40 years, Satow and his wife, Donna, co-founder of The Jed Foundation in 2000 and have been instrumental in advocating for stronger programming for students with mental illness. A leading public charity committed to preventing mental illness, substance abuse and suicide among college students, The Jed Foundation is partnering with the Clinton Foundation, MTV, Facebook, Medscape, the NFL and other organizations on educational initiatives that provide effective programming and strategic direction to universities nationwide. Satow is a graduate of Columbia University.