Jennifer is the Executive Director of the EndTobacco™ Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Employing 26 years of experience in public health and tobacco control, she collaborates with internal and external partners to promote evidence-based cancer prevention and tobacco control initiatives across the domains of policy, prevention, cessation and research. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s in Health Administration & Education and a Master of Public Health, both from the University of Southern Mississippi; and a doctorate in Public Health from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. She is a certified health education specialist.

Related website: EndTobacco™ Program  

Ernest Hawk, M.D., M.P.H., is vice president and head of the division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and holds the T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair for Early Prevention of Cancer. Additional responsibilities include leadership of the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment and co-leadership of UT MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention and Control Platform which advances community health promotion and cancer control through evidence-based public policy, public and professional education and community-based service implementation and dissemination. 

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Hawk earned his medical degree from Wayne State University and his Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University. He completed an internal medicine internship and residency at Emory University, a medical oncology clinical fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco and a cancer prevention fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Prior to his appointment at UT MD Anderson in December 2007, Dr. Hawk held several positions at the NCI in Bethesda, Maryland. He most recently served as director of the Office of Centers, Training and Resources, responsible for the NCI’s cancer centers program, a major translational science program (i.e., the SPORE program), the NCI’s extramural training enterprise and its extramural disparities portfolio. His prior NCI posts included chief and medical officer of the Gastrointestinal and Other Cancers Research Group, medical officer in the Chemoprevention Branch and chair of the Translational Research Working Group. Interests include the improvement of minority and medically underserved populations’ participation in clinical research, future applications of multi-cancer early detection tests and the integration of risk assessment, behavioral science and preventive strategies developed through sequential clinical trials for application in clinical or public health settings. He has published more than 180 scientific articles and book chapters, edited three books, serves as an editor of Holland & Frei’s Cancer Medicine (10th edition) and serves as the senior deputy editor for Cancer Prevention Research and on the editorial board of Cancer Medicine. 

Related website: UT MD Anderson Profile

David Lakey, M.D., is the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at The University of Texas System, and Professor of Medicine at The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center.  He serves as the executive sponsor for the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies, the executive sponsor for the Texas Health Improvement Network and as the presiding officer of the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium. 

At the national level, Dr. Lakey served as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) from 2011 to 2012, the ASTHO Alumni President from 2019 to 2021 and served on the March of Dimes national board from 2015-2023.  Additionally, Dr. Lakey served on the national boards of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and on the Board of Scientific Advisors for the Center for Preparedness and Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Lakey is a proud member of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and America Medical Association (AMA). He has received numerous awards, including the 2015 TMA President’s Award and the 2021 AMA’s Foundation Award for Health Education.  

Prior to joining UT System, Dr. Lakey was the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, leading one of the largest state agencies with over 12,000 employees. He oversaw the state’s disease prevention and emergency preparedness programs, family and community health services, environmental and consumer safety, regulatory programs and mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services. During his tenure he led his agency’s response through numerous high-profile events including the H1N1 pandemic, multiple hurricanes and the Dallas response to Ebola. From 1998 to 2006, Dr. Lakey served as an associate professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Clinical Infectious Disease and medical director of the Center for Pulmonary and Infectious Disease Control at the UT Tyler Health Science Center. Dr. Lakey graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Indiana University School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine, pediatrics and infectious disease training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 

Related website: UT System Profile

Delaney LaBrutta is the Tobacco Epidemiologist at the Texas Department of State Health Services. Her work focuses on tobacco control surveillance and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based data visualization to inform policy and prevention efforts. This is her fourth year as an invited speaker at the MD Anderson ETU Summit. 

Lou Ann Grossberg is the Program Director for the Tobacco Research & Evaluation Team at The University of Texas at Austin, leading tobacco prevention and control initiatives funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Prior to joining the UT Tobacco Research & Evaluation Team, she served as an epidemiologist for the Tennessee Department of Health, where she managed a federal primary and preventive healthcare grant. Lou Ann has over twenty years of experience working in public health planning, program development and evaluation, management and research. 

Darrien Skinner is a Program Manager with the EndTobacco™ Program at UT MD Anderson, where he supports implementation of the Eliminate Tobacco Use initiative—an innovative, systems-level effort to reduce tobacco use across colleges and universities nationwide. With more than eight years of experience in public health, his work spans tobacco prevention and control, community-based behavioral health, and opioid overdose response. He specializes in health communication strategy and partnership development, translating complex public health priorities into clear, actionable initiatives that drive culture change and improve community health.

Alicia Rosas is a Health Promotion Specialist at Texas State University. In this role, she serves as an advisor for a health education student organization, Healthy Cats, and works to design and implement programs and strategies to keep the Texas State community healthy. She previously served as the Youth Engagement Specialist at Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth, a statewide nonprofit organization focused on youth substance use prevention. Additionally, Alicia serves as a volunteer on various statewide and national youth leadership teams, including Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY) and Extreme Youth Leadership (EYL). She received her undergraduate education in Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences and Youth Development from Texas Tech University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Public Health Education and Promotion from Texas State University. Alicia also formerly served as a Teen Ambassador and Consultant with the TxSayWhat! program and campus representative for Peers Against Tobacco.

McKenzie is the Director of the Student Wellness Center at The University of Texas at Dallas. She is experienced in health promotion and preventative health education with specific interest in community health. 

Daniela Lerma is a dedicated professional at the Student Health and Wellness Center at The University of Texas at El Paso, where she leads initiatives that promote holistic well-being which contribute to student success. Her work focuses on developing impactful health education programs, fostering campus partnerships, and expanding knowledge and access to health and wellness resources. She is committed to creating supportive environments that empower students to thrive academically and personally.

McKenzie is the Director of the Student Wellness Center at The University of Texas at Dallas. She is experienced in health promotion and preventative health education with specific interest in community health. 

Caroline Puckett is a dedicated Research Area Specialist, supporting the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) and the Mays Cancer Center Community Outreach and Engagement (MCC COE) Team. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health and a master’s in Health, Community, and Policy from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She supports the Eiminate Tobacco use Initiative (ETU) within the MCC, focusing on reducing tobacco-related health disparities through policy, prevention and cessation initiatives. 

Rolando Segovia holds the position of Employee Engagement and Wellness Coordinator at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). As a committed alumnus with over twelve years of service to the institution, he has contributed significantly within the Office of Human Resources, serving six years in Salary Administration and five years as a Benefits Representative. Mr. Segovia has played a pivotal role in upholding UTRGV's tobacco-free designation since its establishment in 2015. He is dedicated to cultivating a culture of holistic well-being for all students, faculty and visitors at the university. 

Georgina Arevalo serves as a Human Resources professional with experience in benefits administration, onboarding, wellness and HR systems, supporting large organizations such as The University of Texas System. Recognized by the U.S. Department of State for her commitment to public service, she brings strong data and program management skills, bilingual communication and a people-centered approach to her work. 

Mehwish Javaid is a Program Manager with the EndTobacco™ Program at UT MD Anderson, where she leads tobacco cessation initiatives, including two provider training programs and a systems-change initiative focused on improving cessation efforts in community clinics. She has worked at UT MD Anderson for 10 years in various roles focused on Health Policy and Cancer Prevention. Mehwish holds an M.S. in Bioscience and Health Policy from Rice University and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Houston. 

Dr. Lorraine Reitzel, Ph.D., is a Professor of Behavioral Science at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who leverages implementation science to build capacity to improve patient care for tobacco use through partnerships with myriad healthcare and community agencies across Texas, including in medically underserved and rural areas of the state. In her career, she has been instrumental in securing more than  $50 million in interdisciplinary sponsored research, with more than $18 million of that as Principal Investigator. She has more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and is a fellow of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco and the American Academy of Health Behavior. 

Megan Moran serves as the Tobacco, Asthma and Cancer Branch Manager for the Texas Department of State Health Services. In this role, she oversees the efforts of the state’s tobacco, asthma and comprehensive cancer control programs. Prior to that, Megan served as the Deputy Communications Director for the Florida Department of Health where she oversaw the public relations and operations sections. She also served as a Senior Analyst for the Office of the Deputy Secretary for Health at the Florida Department of Health. Megan received her Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Public Health degree from Florida State University.