Director

Darla Kendzor, PhD

Dr. Kendzor's education includes postdoctoral training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,  and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She has a PhD from Louisiana State University and Bachelor's in Psychology from the University of Illinois. She has vast experience in tobacco use and healthy lifestyle research, with an emphasis on low socioeconomic status populations. Dr. Kendzor has been the co-director for the Health Promotion Research Center since 2015. In her free time, she enjoys running, and has recently taken up guitar lessons with her daughter!

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Sr. Research Program Coordinator

Shannon Gwin

Shannon Gwin, PhD, is a Sr. Research Program Coordinator joining the TSET Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC) January 2023. Prior to joining HPRC, Dr. Gwin was an adjunct professor for 5 years in Health and Exercise Science at the University of Oklahoma teaching undergraduate course work.  Dr. Gwin completed her master’s and PhD degree in Health Promotion in the Dept. of Health and Exercise Science at the OU-Norman campus.  Her dissertation focused on depressive symptoms/suicide ideation and religiosity in young adults.  Her primary research interests involve theory-based behavioral change interventions in chronic disease and marginalized populations.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Laili Boozary, PhD

Laili began her Postdoctoral Fellowship at the HPRC in February 2023. She earned her PhD in Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology from The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus in 2022, where her research targeted reward processing (AKA the basal ganglia), including dopaminergic and other monoamine involvement. Dr. Boozary’s primary research interest is to understand the intersection of tobacco-use/addiction, health disparities, and neuroscience. Her work at the HPRC will focus on understanding tobacco-related health disparities from a neural perspective in order to inform treatment strategies for populations that have a hard time quitting.

Administrative Coordinator

Sharon Glassman, BA

Sharon received her degree in public relations at the University of Central Oklahoma after spending a few years at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. Her prior work experience includes being a Registrar and substitute teacher at Edmond Public Schools. Sharon grew up in the restaurant business, so after college, she managed and directed various restaurants. Sharon is a people person and loves being around lots of people and interacting with them. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her husband and two sons. She also enjoys the beach and water, and is a good water skier!

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Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist

Allison Hawkins, MHR, CTTS

Allison has a Bachelor's of Social Work from East Central University and Master of Human Relations in Counseling from the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include health promotion in diverse populations and enhancing tribal partnerships in research. Her greatest passion is empowering vulnerable populations to reach their health and healing goals. Allison enjoys spending time with family, outdoor activities and nature.

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Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist 

Sam Rakowski, MS, TTS

Sam has a Master's in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor's degree in psychology. She attend school at the University of Kentucky. One of her favorite parts of coming to work everyday is being around positive and kind coworkers. In her personal time, she likes to paint, knit, exercise, and befriend any pet they meet. 

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Research Assistant

Morgan Davie, BS, TTS

Morgan majored in biology at the University of Oklahoma and is currently pursuing their Master's in Neuroscience. Morgan helps lead our collaborative study with the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline to help individuals in persistent poverty counties quit smoking. Morgan has enjoyed her time with the Tobacco Treatment Research Program as they get to broaden their experience with clinical trial research, all while having the opportunity to help Oklahomans improve their health. 

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Research Assistant 

Roma Thakur, MBBS, TTS

Roma received her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Zhengzhou University in Henan, China. She is currently pursuing a Master's of Science in Healthcare Informatics from the University of Central Florida. Roma's medical experience includes working in various departments such as anesthesiology and the ICU, providing care in an earthquake relief program, and vaccination drives in Nepal. Roma's hobbies are reading, listening to music, and traveling. 

Research Assistant 

Danielle Walters

Danielle Walters joined the HPRC team in 2021 as a Research Technician. Her past experiences include working on several research projects, with topics ranging from the validation of a new social anxiety measure to the prevalence and features regarding Trypophobia (the fear of holes). Currently, she works in the Tobacco Treatment Research Program as a Research Assistant. Danielle believes that psychological research can be used, not only to inform, but also to enhance and enrich lives through understand and application. Danielle holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from New Mexico Highlands University, and plans to attend graduate school to complete her PhD in the Fall, 2024.

Research Assistant 

Blayne Barker

Blayne Barker joined the HPRC in May 2022 and the TTRP in January 2024. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Summa Cum Laude distinction from Oklahoma State University. Her current research interests include using mobile health technology to address how discrimination and prejudice affect mental and health behaviors in underserved populations.

Research Assistant

Justin Patterson

Justin Patterson is a Research Assistant for the Tobacco Treatment Research Program. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and is interested in furthering his education with graduate school in the near future.