Sherri Olinger

Current Place of Work: Center for Prevention Research and Development University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Senior Research Program Coordinator

Current Contact Information: solin2@illinois.edu

Hometown: Mahomet, Illinois

Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Illinois-Springfield, Criminal Justice

Graduate Institution and Major: University of Illinois-Springfield, Public Administration

Bio: Sherri serves as a Research Program Coordinator at the Center for Prevention Research and Development (CPRD) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In this role, she leads the Substance Use Prevention Programs (SUPP) Block Grant, providing strategic oversight and project leadership to support statewide prevention initiatives. Sherri also coordinates the development and implementation of a comprehensive online integrated reporting system used by all SUPP grantees and contractors, strengthening data-driven decision-making and accountability across programs. In addition, she conducts evaluations of community-based substance use prevention initiatives, ensuring fidelity to evidence-based and best-practice standards.

Sherri is a proud recipient of a 40 Under 40 award in recognition of her leadership, advocacy, and dedication to advancing positive outcomes for youth. Outside of her professional work, she is a mother of two wonderful daughters.

Relevant Professional Experience: Before joining the Center for Prevention Research and Development, Sherri accumulated more than a decade of professional experience in the field of youth substance use prevention. Her work has spanned direct service, program development, community coalition building, strategic planning, and systems-level prevention efforts designed to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors among youth and families.

She previously served as the Director of Prevention and Education Services at a local not-for-profit organization, where she provided strategic leadership for comprehensive prevention initiatives. In this role, she oversaw the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based prevention and education programs; supervised multidisciplinary staff; managed grant-funded projects; and cultivated partnerships with schools, community coalitions, and public agencies.

Research Interests:

 Sherri’s research examines the impact of social determinants of health on youth substance use, with particular attention to disparities and inequities in prevention programming. She is interested in how structural factors, including socioeconomic conditions, access to resources, community context, and policy environments influence both risk and protective factors among youth. Her work emphasizes identifying and addressing gaps in prevention access, implementation quality, and outcomes across diverse communities.

In addition, Sherri explores innovations in youth substance use prevention, including the development and evaluation of data-informed prevention strategies, technology-enhanced reporting and monitoring systems, and scalable community-based interventions. She is particularly focused on strengthening evidence-based practice through improved implementation fidelity, continuous quality improvement processes, and the integration of real-time data systems to enhance program effectiveness and equity.

Professional Affiliations: American Evaluations Association