Student, leader, and public servant—Cris Henderson embodies it all.
Currently the director of the Indiana University Citizen Opioid Responders (COR) training program through IU Prevention Insights, Henderson was selected for the annual 2025 College-Based Leadership Award from the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (AOTD) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA).
Henderson was nominated for this distinction by colleague Jon Agley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Applied Health Science and interim executive director of Prevention Insights.
"As a Ph.D. student at SPH-B and a research associate, this honor reinforces my commitment to advancing rigorous research that addresses urgent public health challenges, particularly in overdose prevention and harm reduction," shares Henderson. "It provides both visibility and credibility for the work we as a team are undertaking, strengthening my ability to build collaborative partnerships, secure resources, and disseminate findings more broadly."
COR is a free, 30-minute online training program that teaches the general public how to administer Narcan (naloxone) that can reverse an opioid overdose, as well as how to find Narcan in one’s local community free of charge. It evolved from a 2022 Dearborn County (Indiana) Health Department program based on a 2020 National Institutes of Health (NIH) study led by Henderson and Agley.
Since then, the program has gone live across five IU campuses and four counties, thanks to help from a $23,500 grant from the IU Foundation awarded to Henderson and the COR team last summer. Henderson reports significant progress was made in the 2024-25 academic year, with 552 people on IU campuses and nearby communities completing the training, as well as growth in Dearborn County with an additional 176 participants being fully trained, bringing the total to 474. All told, more than 1,000 people are now equipped to handle an opioid overdose and save a life in the state of Indiana.
"Looking ahead, our goals are focused but ambitious," says Henderson. "First, we aim to receive approval to install 18 NaloxBoxes across nine IU campuses. Second, we plan to identify and coordinate with campus partners who will be responsible for stocking and resupplying Narcan at each site. Third, we will support partners in deploying a statewide information campaign that will reach diverse audiences both on and off-campus."
Henderson shares if these goals prove successful, it could increase COR training participation three to four-fold, and simultaneously broaden engagement in overdose prevention with students, faculty, staff’ and community members. The APHA recognition is impactful because it increases awareness of the COR program and its impact.
Henderson adds, "As a student, I study effective ways to increase community readiness for overdose prevention. Through COR, I collaborate with campus and community members to expand Narcan access, provide education, and strengthen collaborative partnerships. The ATOD section of APHA connects me with colleagues pursuing similar goals and offers a space to share insights, learn from others, and contribute to national conversations on substance use and prevention."
Henderson will receive this honor during the APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 4.
For more inspiring stories about SPH-B students, faculty, and staff, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.