Hi, I’m Caleb!

I am a PhD student at Northwestern University in the Department of Sociology. My current work builds upon years of collaboration with communities to identify pressing challenges and co-create innovative solutions. Through this work, I have seen the transformative power of engaging communities to drive sustainable change. Yet, I have also seen how policies and social structures continue to perpetuate societal and health disparities, further marginalizing the very communities I aim to serve. My goal is to use my research to reimagine how these systems operate, and my practice to help dismantle and rebuild them in ways that prioritize the people they have historically excluded and underserved.

I graduated from The University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Behavior. In my free time, I enjoy music, traveling, trying new foods, and exploring the outdoors.

What are the social forces that perpetuate high incarceration and recidivism rates among individuals with mental illness? What role do inadequacies and underfunding of social policies play? My current research focuses on the implementation and effectiveness of alternative police response models, such as the co-responder model. I also dive into the reasons these models are necessary in the first place. The aim of my research is to use community-engaged scholarship to answer these questions and to inform systemwide reforms to ensure better resource allocation and support for people with mental health challenges, as well as the broader community. By fostering consensus building and addressing political and cultural polarization, my work seeks to create a more unified approach to policy change and community support.