{"id":20498,"date":"2026-06-24T10:54:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=20498"},"modified":"2026-06-24T10:54:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:54:26","slug":"kasey-mears-doctor-prevention-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/24\/kasey-mears-doctor-prevention-science\/","title":{"rendered":"WilmU\u202fOne-on-One: 2026 Graduate Kasey Mears Shares Her Experiences in the Doctor of Prevention Science Program\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column20498_aaeb14-03\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c\"]{font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-family:proxima-nova;color:#808080;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c wu-subheading wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading20498_adbff4-6c\"><em><strong>Dr. Kasey Mears<\/strong> was a 2026 commencement speaker representing&nbsp;the&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/indexs.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>College of Social and Behavioral Sciences<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>An Army veteran who has studied veteran well-being for two decades, she has built a professional and academic career focused on psychology, human services, prevention science, and healthcare leadership. Dr. Mears serves as director of clinical engineering for&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trinityhealthma.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Trinity Health<\/em><\/a><em>, where she provides leadership for the maintenance, safety, and performance of essential medical equipment across hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic region.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:\u202fCan you tell us about your\u202fWilmU\u202fjourney and what prompted you to choose the Doctor of Prevention Science Program?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My journey with Wilmington University began&nbsp;when I&nbsp;transferred&nbsp;from another local college\u2019s Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Around 2014, I transitioned into the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/human-services.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M.S. in Human Services<\/a>&nbsp;program at&nbsp;WilmU. That&nbsp;move&nbsp;was very intentional for me. I was looking for a university that offered flexibility, academic rigor, and programs that aligned more closely with my&nbsp;long-term&nbsp;professional goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the moment I joined the&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;community, I felt supported by faculty and programs that valued real-world impact and student growth. After I completed my master\u2019s program, I spent a significant amount of time researching doctoral pathways that would allow me to further my education while staying true to my passion for prevention, health equity, and service.&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;particularly&nbsp;focused on&nbsp;identifying&nbsp;a program that would equip me with the skills and perspective needed to better support veteran populations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/dss.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doctor of Prevention Science<\/a>&nbsp;program stood out as the right fit because of its emphasis on upstream prevention,&nbsp;evidence\u2011based&nbsp;practice, and&nbsp;systems\u2011level&nbsp;thinking. Choosing this program felt like a natural next step in my&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;journey, one that allows me to build on my academic foundation while advancing my mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of veterans and their communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:\u202fWas there a specific moment when you knew that&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;was the right fit for you?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, there was\u00a0a very clear\u00a0moment when I knew Wilmington University was the right fit for me. When I\u00a0was well into the coursework for\u00a0the\u00a0MSW program at the other college, I came to the realization that the required\u00a0work\u2011study component\u00a0simply\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0compatible with my reality of working full time while also being a\u00a0full\u2011time\u00a0student. I knew that if I wanted to be successful academically without sacrificing my professional responsibilities, I needed a university that\u00a0truly understood\u00a0and supported adult learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I explored&nbsp;WilmU, it became&nbsp;evident&nbsp;that flexibility was built into the structure of the programs, not treated as an exception. The scheduling options, online and hybrid formats, and overall understanding of working professionals made me feel seen and supported. The&nbsp;realization that&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;valued academic quality\u202fand\u202frecognized the complex responsibilities its&nbsp;students&nbsp;juggle was the moment I knew this was the right place for me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:\u202fLooking back, which&nbsp;course, project, or assignment had the most significant impact on you and why?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking back, the assignments that had the most significant impact on me were&nbsp;those that focused on&nbsp;research and data. While I genuinely enjoyed most of the coursework, the qualitative, quantitative, and&nbsp;mixed&nbsp;methods&nbsp;research courses stood out the most. Those projects helped me develop a deeper appreciation for how critical data is \u2014 not just collecting it, but&nbsp;truly understanding, evaluating, and applying it to inform decision&nbsp;making. Through those assignments, I gained a stronger grasp of how evidence drives effective prevention and intervention strategies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learning to analyze data from multiple perspectives and translate findings into meaningful conclusions reinforced the importance of using research to guide practice and policy. That foundation has stayed with me and continues to influence how I approach problems, evaluate outcomes, and think critically about work aimed at improving community and population health, especially for the veteran populations I am passionate about serving.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:\u202fWhat skills or perspectives have you gained along the way that you&nbsp;didn\u2019t&nbsp;anticipate?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most meaningful perspectives I gained, and something I&nbsp;didn\u2019t&nbsp;fully&nbsp;anticipate, was a deeper understanding of how&nbsp;much&nbsp;words truly matter. Throughout the program, I became more aware that not only\u202fwhat\u202fyou say, but\u202falso&nbsp;how\u202fyou say it, the order you say it in, and the way information is presented can completely change meaning and impact. This became especially clear through research, writing, and data interpretation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I learned how important it is to be precise,&nbsp;whether&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;stating conclusions, framing a problem, or asking a research question. Saying exactly what you mean, or clearly defining what&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;seeking&nbsp;to&nbsp;answer, can shape outcomes, influence understanding, and guide decision&nbsp;making. That awareness has stayed with me and has strengthened both my academic work and my professional communication.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:\u202fIf you could sum up your&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;experience in one sentence, what would it be?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;experience has been a transformative journey that strengthened my skills, sharpened my purpose, and prepared me to make a meaningful impact&nbsp;in&nbsp;prevention&nbsp;science&nbsp;and service to others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide wu-blockquote-row is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0067d638 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cFrom the moment I joined the&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;community, I felt supported by faculty and programs that valued real-world impact and student growth.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Dr. Kasey Mears<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:&nbsp;Now that&nbsp;you\u2019ve&nbsp;completed your degree,&nbsp;what\u2019s&nbsp;next for you?\u202f&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After completing my degree,&nbsp;I\u2019ve&nbsp;expanded my role with Trinity Health and am actively seeking opportunities to build on my research interests, particularly around veterans\u2019&nbsp;health and prevention. My goal is to contribute&nbsp;evidence\u2011basedwork that meaningfully improves outcomes and quality of life for veterans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:&nbsp;How do you hope to make an impact in your field or community?\u202f&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I aim to make a difference by contributing research that leads to thoughtful,&nbsp;data\u2011driven&nbsp;improvements in how veterans are supported. Whether through program evaluation, prevention strategies, or&nbsp;policy\u2011informed&nbsp;initiatives, my focus is always on creating measurable improvements in veterans\u2019 lives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:&nbsp;Can you share any words of wisdom, advice,&nbsp;or encouragement for people who are thinking about taking their education further?\u202f&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most important lessons&nbsp;I\u2019ve&nbsp;learned is the power of showing up and continuing to show up, even when it feels difficult or inconvenient. Consistency matters, and progress often comes from simply staying committed and present, one step at a time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q:&nbsp;Lastly, is there anyone you would like to acknowledge for playing a key role in supporting your journey?\u202f&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several people I would like to acknowledge for playing a key role in supporting my journey. First, I am deeply grateful to&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Edward Guthrie<\/strong>&nbsp;(retired) and&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Shawn Stevens<\/strong>&nbsp;for their guidance and mentorship throughout the program. I would also like to thank&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Jose Reyes Ramirez<\/strong>&nbsp;for consistently challenging me to think differently and expand my perspective.&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Kelly Cheeseman<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Jim Warwick<\/strong>&nbsp;deserve recognition for their patience and steady support, and&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Marissa DiSanto<\/strong>&nbsp;for her thoughtful feedback and final edits that helped bring everything together.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my husband and my children for their unwavering support, patience, and understanding over the past three years. They tolerated long nights, busy schedules, and the many challenges that came with this journey, and I truly could not have done this without them. Lastly, I want to acknowledge&nbsp;the members of&nbsp;<strong>Cohort 11<\/strong>, who have become not only colleagues&nbsp;but&nbsp;also&nbsp;some of the finest doctors and friends that I have the privilege to know. Their encouragement and shared commitment made this experience both meaningful and unforgettable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97{border-top:0px solid transparent;}.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97 a{color:#00843d;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97{border-top:0px solid transparent;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id20498_45b870-97{border-top:0px solid transparent;}}.wu-text-col,.wu-img-col {\tmin-block-size: -webkit-fit-content;\tmin-block-size: -moz-fit-content;\tmin-block-size: fit-content;}.wu-text-col &gt; 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.wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column20498_a2b0c3-3b &gt; div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column20498_a2b0c3-3b p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column20498_a2b0c3-3b kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b5ca90aa518bfdb62e7b0d1351b20092\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:1rem\"><em>Address the challenges facing families, communities, and individuals in&nbsp;WilmU\u2019s&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/dss.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Doctor of Prevention Science<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;program.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Kasey Mears was a 2026 commencement speaker representing&nbsp;the&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. 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