Apryl Alexander honored for her advocacy on behalf of vulnerable youth

Longtime advocate for juvenile justice reform and equity, UNC Charlotte Professor Apryl Alexander, PsyD was recently named the winner of the inaugural Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award.

Alexander was specifically recognized for her advocacy efforts on behalf of at-promise and systems-involved youth (those navigating trauma, family instability and contact with the justice system).

The Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award was created to promote a culture of advocacy in academia and to recognize exceptional contributions to the field of public health advocacy. The award is a collaboration between the American Public Health Association and the Johns Hopkins Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy and named after two of the Lerner Center’s deans emeriti.  

In its announcement of Alexander as the recipient of the award, the Lerner Cener stated: “Through legislative advocacy, coalition-building, and public engagement, Alexander has made great strides in advancing youth justice reform and equity. … She continues to bridge research and advocacy by engaging in national efforts to reform juvenile sentencing, contributing to Supreme Court amicus briefs, and mentoring the next generation of scholar-advocates.”

Alexander is the Metrolina Distinguished Professor of Health and Policy at the University’s College of Health and Human Services where she primarily teaches in the Master of Public Health program and serves as core faculty in the health policy concentration. She’s the founder and executive director of the UNC Charlotte Violence Prevention Center, which is housed at the College of Health and Human Services. Alexander received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology with concentrations in forensic psychology and child and family therapy. Her research and clinical work focus on violence and victimization, human sexuality, and trauma-informed and culturally informed practice.

Alexander is committed to applying scientific and public health principles to influence policy and community-level changes. Her body of work centers on the foundations of public health, discussing social determinants and engaging in various types of advocacy.

Her research has been published in leading journals and she’s been featured in national publications, namely the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. To reach different audiences, Alexander has also contributed to books with pop culture themes such as “Black Panther Psychology: Hidden Kingdoms,” a series that analyzes the psychology, culture and societal impact of Marvel’s Black Panther universe, and “The Handmaid’s Tale Psychology: Seeing Off Red,” which delves into the psychology of the characters and events depicted in the dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale.” 

Among other recognitions, Alexander is the recipient of the 2024 Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award for Advocacy from the American Psychological Association, the 2022 Social Justice in Psychology Award from the Rocky Mountain Humanistic Counseling and Psychological Association, and the 2021 Lorraine Williams Greene Award for Social Justice from the American Psychological Association.

“Dr. Alexander’s advocacy reminds us that the work we do as researchers can lead to real change that impacts real communities,” said Alicia Dahl, Ph.D., associate professor in the Epidemiology and Community Health department. “Her commitment to showing up, speaking out and encouraging systems change is life changing, especially for adolescents within the juvenile justice system.”