By Steve Gilliam , University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 3-8-07
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Research on alcohol abuse prevention done by a faculty member at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has been incorporated into a new start-up company called Prevention Strategies.
UNCG and the new company have entered a licensing agreement for its first product – College Alc, which is a web-based alcohol misuse and harm prevention course for college students. Its president and principal developer is Dr. David L. Wyrick, who is also an associate professor in the UNCG Department of Public Health Education.
Wyrick describes College Alc as “an evidence-based program designed to reduce college student drinking and prevent negative consequences.” Its effectiveness has been documented in published studies, he said, and was developed with more than $1.2 million in funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Visit the company's website at http://www.preventionstrategies.com/.
Institutions that are already using the course include UNC Wilmington, Oneonta State University, Sweet Briar College, East Carolina University, California Polytechnic Institute, University of California at Davis, Randolph-Macon College, University of Rochester and the College of Eastern Utah. UNCG Athletics uses the program, and it is being considered by the NCAA for use in athletic programs at member schools.
The company has engaged a staff to market College Alc, and UNCG will receive royalties from sales, according to the licensing agreement. Products in development include Crossroads, a program for use in high schools to prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in high schools.
“We feel very good about a licensing arrangement with UNCG; it will be beneficial for both Preventive Strategies and the university,” said Wyrick.
Although Prevention Strategies is in the early developmental stages, the university is excited about the company’s future and its relationship to UNCG, according to Jerry McGuire, director of Technology Transfer. It is the type of new initiative that is part of the university’s strategic plan.
“This is an example of leveraging the innovation at UNCG into economic growth and wealth generation,” said McGuire, who worked with Wyrick and his partners on the licensing deal. “UNCG has innovations with commercial potential not only in the ‘bio, info and nano’ disciplines but also in some of its more traditional areas of study and research such as education, social sciences, music and the arts. We are focused on innovation and the development of products and services no matter where the source of the innovation. Research continues across campus and across disciplines.”
The company has office space at the North Campus of the Gateway University Research Park. In addition to Wyrick, officers for the company are Dr. Melodie Fearnow-Kenney, vice president of research and development; and Dr. Cheryl Haworth Wyrick, vice president of operations and an adjunct lecturer in the UNCG Department of Public Health Education.
College Alc is appropriate for use with a general population of college students, such as incoming freshmen, said Wyrick. It has been proven to be even more effective with students considered to be at-risk for alcohol use problems, such as students entering college with drinking experience or students who violate campus alcohol policies.
The course is delivered completely over the Internet and consists of four interactive lessons covering college alcohol use, harm prevention strategies, alcohol-related behavior such as drunk driving and risky sexual behavior, and practical solutions. Students can complete the course at their own pace and desired location. Throughout the course, Internet instruction is used to target theory- and research-based strategies that have been recommended by the NIAAA for use with college students.
The College Alc course package features:
• A web-based course which can be customized to incorporate school colors, campus policies and school resources
• Pre- and post-test online student surveys to measure success
• Writing assignments and immediate student feedback
• Tools to track student progress
• A course textbook and workbook for sanction students
“The prevention of college alcohol misuse and associated consequences requires multiple approaches,” said Wyrick. “Environmental strategies, college alcohol policies, community law enforcement, as well as student-based education and harm prevention programs are needed to change the culture of alcohol use on college campuses. The College Alc course was developed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent alcohol-related harm and to intervene to help others.”
The company’s development process that produced College Alc has been refined through more than a dozen grants awarded from the NIAAA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The result of this work has been several effective and innovative substance abuse prevention programs designed for use with high school and college students.
“Prevention Strategies is involved in every phase of prevention research,” said Wyrick. “This commitment is evident in the scientific approach we take in developing and evaluating those programs.”
