“Our Community, Our Health, Our Future” Lecture Series

Sara Waters
Thursday, February 16, 2017

“I want people to recognize that stress is normal,” Waters explained. “Who you are was laid down from early experiences and is deeply entrenched, but at the same time we humans are malleable and can re-write those experiences with a little effort.”
In addition to presenting findings of her groundbreaking research in parenting, stress, and attachment, Dr. Waters presented ideas for ways members of the community can come together to address the impact of stress on our community.

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Marijuana legalization and its impact on youth and communities
Dr. Bruce Wright

In an era of increased legalization of cannabis, Wright is concerned with the gaps that still remain in our collective knowledge. “Legalization of cannabis is a political and economic thing,” he said. “It is not based on science or substance at this time.” Wright argues, “There is a lot of misinformation out there in addition to lack of information because the federal government has restricted research in this area.” Wright will present what we do know about the psychological benefits and harms of both recreational and medicinal cannabis use. He will provide an understanding of the significant gaps that remain in the research and he will present examples from his own preliminary research at WSU.

Dr. Chris Blodgett
Thursday, April 13, 2017

“For many, childhood is not easy,” says Blodgett. “We know that significant struggles occur for as many as on-in-four children in our communities. Unaddressed, these struggles can put brain development at risk and contribute to a lifetime of social, employment, and health problems.”
But for Blodgett, understanding adversity is not the end of the story. “I want to focus on what we know can help reduce this risk and cost to our communities.” In his talk, Blodgett outlined findings from his research on the community impact of adverse childhood experiences and explored ways in which communities can respond to address and mitigate the impact of adversity.

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