Ronald Denson Jr., (“J.R.”) a native Washingtonian, is a health policy advisor and educator. He manages the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) programming at American University. His work supports students, staff, and both internal and external partners in their consideration of policies and initiatives that can be used to address issues related to substance use disorders, harm reduction, and equity.
Before joining AU, J.R. served as a legislative fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a public health official for the DC government. He has also worked as a researcher at several national think tanks and is a trained an emergency medical technician (EMT).