OSU Center for Family Resilience

09/17/2026

👋 Meet our Oklahoma PAX Support Team!

We’re excited to introduce Hannah James, our CFR Program Manager and Oklahoma PAX Support Team Lead! In this role, Hannah helps oversee the partnerships, strategy, and infrastructure that keep PAX moving across Oklahoma. She works closely with our state and PAXIS partners and helps support the coordination, implementation, and growth of PAX across the state.

With a background in psychology and human development and family science, Hannah brings a strong understanding of people, systems, and communities to her work.

🌱 Driven by Passion:
At the heart of Hannah’s work is a passion for prevention science and creating environments where children and the adults who care for them can truly thrive. She’s a big believer in building community wherever you are and making sure people feel like they belong.

✨ Outside the Office, Hannah Loves:
🏎️ Traveling, F1 racing, and finding live music
📚 Getting lost in fantasy books and making pottery
☕ Good coffee and finding little adventures with her four kids

🥑 Fun Fact: Hannah is always looking for a little adventure, whether that’s pulling over for roadside wildflowers, joining spontaneous salsa lessons while traveling, or planning an outing around a good bookstore and cup of coffee. She even co-hosts a monthly Community Cookbook Club despite the fact that she cannot cook. Like, at all. (Photo proof included. She made avocado toast! 📸)

We’re so glad to have Hannah leading and supporting this work and helping PAX continue to grow across Oklahoma! 💙

09/15/2026

Meet our Oklahoma PAX Support team!

We are thrilled to introduce Hilary Jespersen, our PAX Training Coordinator!

In this role, Hilary works closely with partnering school districts to support the implementation of PAX through the Center for Family Resilience (CFR).
Before stepping into this role, she spent five years as a classroom teacher—an experience that deeply shapes how she approaches working with educators and schools today.

Driven by Passion:
At the heart of Hilary’s work is a passion for strengthening homes and families. She believes that strong communities, cultures, and individuals begin in the home. She is dedicated to helping children grow into good people and supporting families as they build lifelong connections.

When she isn't supporting schools, you can find her:

-Reading a great book
-Running and playing soccer
-Spending quality time with family
-Watching her kids play sports

*Fun Fact: Hilary loves Dr. Pepper so much that, at this point, it might actually be running through her veins!*

Join us in celebrating Hilary and the incredible impact she make every day!

09/11/2026

25 years.
We remember.

September 11, 2001, is a day etched forever into our memory—a moment that permanently altered families, communities, and the world.
Today, we honor the extraordinary bravery of the firefighters, EMTs, police officers, and port authority members who ran toward danger when others were running to escape it.

We remember the thousands of innocent lives inside the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93 who went to work or boarded a flight simply living their lives, unaware of the tragedy ahead.

We grieve for the families who never got to say goodbye, and the parents who never saw their children grow up.

Our gratitude also extends to the survivors, first responders, and recovery workers who still carry the invisible weight of that day, battling chronic illnesses and trauma decades later.

To the families, friends, and communities whose lives were shattered and reshaped in an instant:
We honor you. We remember with you. We stand with you.

09/10/2026

Want to build a happier, less stressful home environment?

Discover how small changes can make a massive impact on your family’s well-being!
Join us for a FREE, 2-hour virtual PAX Tools workshop designed for parents, caregivers, and anyone who lives or works with youth.
PAX Tools provides evidence-based, trauma-informed strategies to help children develop self-regulation and improve cooperation.

What you’ll gain from this training:
Stronger Family Bonds: Learn practical ways to create healthier, happier connections with the young people in your life.
Increased Resiliency: Help children build the emotional tools they need to navigate life's challenges.
Less Daily Stress: Get proven strategies to manage stress, ease meltdowns, and smoothly navigate big emotions.
Peaceful Routines: Create a nurturing home environment where everyone can thrive.

We only have 4 dates left for 2026! Don’t miss your chance to secure a spot in our final virtual sessions of the year.
Simply scan the QR code on the flyer to pick your date and reserve your free virtual seat!

09/09/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Tiffany Herndon, LMFT, LPC, as a guest speaker at our upcoming symposium!

With more than 15 years of experience as a therapist working with military members and first responders, Tiffany brings extensive clinical expertise and a deep understanding of the realities of service. As the daughter of a police officer and spouse of a military service member, her work is also informed by meaningful lived experience.

Tiffany’s approach is grounded in trust, authenticity, and respect, with a strong commitment to bridging clinical knowledge and real-world frontline experiences.
We look forward to learning from Tiffany and welcoming her perspective to the conversation on first responder wellness and resilience!

09/08/2026

September is Su***de Prevention Month, and at the CFR, we are dedicated to fostering hope, health, and resilience across our community. Throughout this month, we look forward to sharing practical, empowering steps each of us can take to support one another and protect lives. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected community where everyone feels valued and supported.

The National Institute of Mental Health has information and resources ready for anyone in need:
Su***de is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable. Knowing the warning signs for su***de and how to get help can help save lives. Learn about behaviors that may be a sign that someone is thinking about su***de. For more information, visit https://go.nih.gov/cw9p2vx.

Call or text 988 if you or someone you know is in crisis.

This infographic presents behaviors and feelings that may be warning signs that someone is thinking about su***de.

09/07/2026

93.7% of educators agree: PAX Good Behavior Game® (PAX GBG) fits seamlessly into their existing classroom initiatives!

Teachers have enough on their plates without worrying about conflicting programs. That is why PAX GBG is designed to complement—not complicate—the strategies you already use. From trauma-informed care to social-emotional learning (SEL), PAX GBG aligns perfectly with school and district goals to create a nurturing, productive learning environment.

Has PAX GBG supported your existing classroom goals? We would love to hear about it! Share your experience below!

09/01/2026

We’re proud to celebrate our graduate research assistants, Sydney Price and Jade House, who recently presented their research at the Oklahoma Public Health Association (OPHA) Annual Conference at UCO in Edmond! OPHA is attended by leaders in the mental health field, educators, community leaders, and healthcare professionals dedicated to advancing public and community health and well-being across the state.

Their student poster, “PAX Good Behavior Game as a School-Based Prevention Strategy: Educator Perceptions from Oklahoma Schools,” highlights Oklahoma educators’ experiences implementing PAX GBG and the positive impacts they reported for both classroom experiences and educator well-being.

Congratulations, Sydney and Jade, on sharing this important work and representing our team at OPHA! We appreciate the work you both are doing to advance child and educator well-being in Oklahoma!

08/31/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Dana L. Mugavero, LCSW, as a featured guest speaker at our upcoming Research to Practice Symposium!

Dana serves as the Director of First Responder Support Services and brings over 20 years of experience supporting public safety personnel and their families. An expert in trauma care, critical incident response, and agency training, Dana is deeply committed to improving mental health access across first responder agencies.

We are honored to have her share her expertise and frontline insights with us. Welcome, Dana!

08/29/2026

Level up your teaching game!
The demands on educators are escalating every year, leaving you feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and searching for sustainable ways to navigate modern classroom challenges. Student dynamics have shifted dramatically, which means yesterday’s management techniques no longer work for today's realities.
Join us for an interactive virtual training designed to restore peace to your learning environment. You will walk away with actionable, evidence-based behavioral kernels—simple, bite-sized strategies that take less than five minutes to implement—and practical tools you can use almost immediately to de-escalate tension, ditch daily disruptions, and reclaim a calm, deeply productive classroom where both you and your students can thrive.

Scan the QR code or email us at [email protected] to register!
We can't wait to create calmer classrooms with you