New director of alcohol abuse services

Ryan Travia, coordinator of alcohol and drug education programs at Dartmouth College, will become director of alcohol and substance abuse services at Harvard University, announced Paul Barreira, director of the Department of Behavioral Health and Academic Counseling. In this new position, Travia will lead the University in addressing issues of alcohol and health among students as recommended by the Committee to Address Alcohol and Health at Harvard in its October 2004 report to University Provost Steven E. Hyman.

“Ryan brings excellent skills and energy to this vital position,” says Barreira. “I look forward to working with him to help students better understand responsible drinking in the context of college life.”

Travia has overseen a comprehensive and collaborative drug and alcohol prevention program at Dartmouth College since 2003. He has worked with diverse constituencies of students, including fraternities and sororities, athletic teams, and peer educators, to design and present educational programs to address drug and alcohol issues.

He holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from Boston College, where he worked in the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education, the Office of the Dean for Student Development, and the Office of Residential Life.

Travia begins his duties Aug. 1.

– Beth Potier