Our Mission

The Ohio Policy Evaluation Network (OPEN) conducts and translates rigorous and forward-thinking social-science research about policies and structural inequities related to abortion and contraception, focused on Ohio and neighboring states.

Our Vision

We at OPEN envision a world where policies, health care, and culture are informed by trustworthy research and where all people can pursue reproductive lives of freedom, dignity, and autonomy.

We Study:

  1. How medical providers and facilities navigate reproductive health policies and regulations
  2. Changes in how people access and experience abortion care
  3. How systemic inequities driven by racism, classism, and homophobia create disparities in abortion care
  4. Ohioan’s reproductive health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors

Our Researchers & Program Staff

Danielle Bessett,
Co-Principal Investigator of OPEN​

she/her/hers or they/them/theirs

Professor

Department of Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Affiliate

University of Cincinnati

Alison Norris,
Co-Principal Investigator of OPEN

she/her/hers

Professor

Division of Epidemiology and Division of Infectious Diseases

The Ohio State University

Marta Bornstein

she/her/hers

Assistant Professor

Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior

Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina

Sarah CM Crow

she/her/hers

Communications and Public Relations Specialist

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Maria Gallo

she/her/hers

Professor

Division of Epidemiology

The Ohio State University

Priya Gursahaney

she/her/hers

Associate Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Cincinnati

Hillary Gyuras

she/her/hers

Senior Research Associate

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Amanda Harvey-Panfil

she/her/hers

Research Coordinator

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Jessie Hill

she/her/hers

Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law

School of Law

Case Western Reserve University

Courtney Kerestes

she/her/hers

Assistant Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Ohio State University

Autumn Kirkendall

she/her/hers

Senior Research Associate

University of Cincinnati

Michelle McGowan

she/her/hers

Professor of Biomedical Ethics

Mayo Clinic

Stef Murawsky

they/them/theirs

Policy and Program Director

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Abby Norris Turner

she/her/hers

Professor

Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Epidemiology

The Ohio State University

Tamika Odum

she/her/hers

Associate Professor

Department of Behavioral Science

University of Cincinnati

Meredith Pensak

she/her/hers

Assistant Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Cincinnati

Katherine Rivlin

she/her/hers

Associate Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Chicago

Mikaela Smith

she/her/hers

Research Scientist

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Celia Williamson

she/her/hers

Faculty Fellow

Ohio Policy Evaluation Network

Trainees

Kayla Alvis

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Rural Sociology

The Ohio State University

Cynthia Beavin

they/them

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Christina Bijou

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Aalap Bommaraju

they/them/theirs

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Sarah Bostic

they/them/theirs or she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Jeremy Brenner-Levoy

they/them/theirs

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Molly Broscoe

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Shibani Chettri

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Anna Church

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Mahboobeh Davoodifar

she/her/hers

Graduate Research Assistant

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Willa Del Negro Skeehan

she/her/hers

Graduate Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Maralyn Doering

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Victoria El-Hayek

she/her/hers

MD Student

College of Medicine

The Ohio State University

Jacob Kepes

he/him/his

MA/PhD Student

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Brittany Liebhard

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Rachel Mason

they/them/theirs

PhD Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Katy McFarland

she/her/hers

MD/MPH Student

University of Cincinnati

Zoe Muzyczka

they/them/theirs

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Neela Nallamothu

she/her/hers

MPH Student

Milken Institute, School of Public Health

George Washington University

Rosa Negash

she/her/hers

Graduate Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Emily Neiman

she/her/hers

PhD Student and Clinical Instructor of Practice

College of Nursing

The Ohio State University

Pragi Patel

she/her/hers

Medical Student

Division of Epidemiology

The Ohio State University

Hannah Piscalko

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Brianna Smith

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Social Work

The Ohio State University

Shreekari Tadepalli

she/her/hers

MD Student

College of Medicine

The Ohio State University

Taylor Tomu

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Anthropology

The Ohio State University

Kierra Toney

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Abigail Underwood

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Social Work

The Ohio State University

Evangeline Warren

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Social Work

The Ohio State University

Emma Wolf

she/her/hers

Undergraduate Student

The Ohio State University

Affiliated Scholars

  • Kayla Alvis, East Tennessee State University
  • Francis Anagbonu, The Ohio State University
  • John Casterline, The Ohio State University
  • Payal Chakraborty, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
  • Danielle Czarnecki, Case Western Reserve University
  • Cynthia Colen, The Ohio State University
  • Meredith P. Field, Alfred University
  • Claire Forrestal, The Ohio State University
  • Bucky Foster, The Ohio State University
  • Sarah Hayford, The Ohio State University
  • Orlaith (Orla) Heyann, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
  • Rudy Hightower II, The Ohio State University
  • Robert Hood, Emory University
  • Dana Howard, The Ohio State University
  • Ayaz Hyder, The Ohio State University
  • Elaina Johns-Wolfe, University of Missouri – St. Louis
  • Lisa Keder, The Ohio State University
  • Alex Kissling, Cerner Enviza
  • Emily Kim, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  • Chasity Knight, The Ohio State University
  • Kaiting Lang, NJ Department of Health
  • Juliana Madzia, University of Cincinnati
  • Annie McGhee, University of Cincinnati
  • Kelsey Mello, Valley Children’s Healthcare
  • Saira Nawaz, PATH
  • Carolette Norwood, Howard University
  • JaNelle Ricks, The Ohio State University
  • Sara Zandvakili, University of Cincinnati