After nearly two years without a health educator or a drug and alcohol specialist, the College recently hired Gabrielle Lucke to fill both positions.
Lucke will serve as coordinator of health education programs, a position combining the tasks of former drug and alcohol specialist Rahn Fleming and former health educator Beverlie Conant Sloan, both of whom left the College in the spring of 1992.
The new position involves designing, evaluating and implementing existing health education programs, with emphasis on alcohol and drug education and peer education development.
"This is my dream job," said Lucke served as assistant director of residential life at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania and as a health education instructor at the University of Maryland at College Park.
Lucke said the College hired someone to fill the position last spring but the individual, whose name she would not release, canceled at the beginning of Fall term. The College then conducted a second search and hired Lucke.
Lucke began working for the College on Feb. 1, after completing a lengthy interview process in which she was chosen from among at least 30 other applicants, according to Health Services Administrative Assistant Leslie Clancy.
Lucke's ability to interact with students set her apart from the other applicants, Clancy said.
"A lot of the candidates were clearly qualified for the position but couldn't interact with students on the level that was necessary," Clancy said.
"I am really pleased about being able to be involved with the undergraduates here," Lucke said.
As part of her job, Lucke plans to work with several campus organizations, will serve as an advisor to the Student Alcohol Education Network and will also work with students in the College's Robert H. Smith live-in alcohol rehabilitation program.
Lucke said she will work with Assistant Dean of Residential Life Alison Keefe to broaden the scope of the On Campus Talking about Alcohol program.
"OCTA challenges students to look at the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and to make an assessment for themselves as to what level their drinking is at. The thrust is going to be to encourage students to make low-risk choices involving alcohol."
She also plans to work with women's health issues and the men's discussion group led by Duncan Hodge '94, she said.
"I think that Dartmouth is on the edge of doing some very powerful program development with peer education," Lucke said. "The people here have a solid commitment to health issues and helping to make this campus environment safer and more positive," she said.
Making the unexpected move to Hanover was not without difficulties, though. Lucke relocated to Hanover with her husband, George, a computer and finance specialist.
"He faced a lot of controversy following his wife as opposed to it being a career move for him," Lucke said. "It was challenging for some of our friends and family, but we tend to break a lot of traditional gender roles in our marriage."
Lucke has made numerous presentations on alcohol and substance abuse at national conferences across the country. She published her first article on substance abuse this past summer.
She received her bachelor of arts degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland and went on to earn a master's degree in counseling from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
Lucke recently finished course work for her Ph.D. in health education at the University of Maryland at College Park. She will travel there in the fall to take her comprehensive exams and hopes to complete her Ph.D. next year.
