Andrew Sharp, PhD

AFFILIATE MEMBER • Lecturer and Senior Public and Community Engagement Manager

Institute for Policy and Governance, Virginia Tech

Website

andrewsharp@vt.edu

I am an academic who specializes in comparative religion, interreligious dialogue, international affairs, and public & community engagement, but who has also served as a multifaith university chaplain, director of a doctoral program for ministry professionals, social worker, and policy specialist for social service programs. Recently, I have become concerned about the alarming global rise in mental health illness and the erosion of trust in our societal institutions. I would like to bring what I have learned from multiple domains, systems, and methodologies over my varied career to bear upon our understanding of effective, holistic, and community-engaged approaches to mental wellness. I have begun preliminary research and am seeking funding for a project that would bring together spiritual competency development for behavioral health professionals and mental wellness knowledge and strategies for leveraging spiritual/community resources for faith leaders, while increasing access for communities that are underserved. The hope is that this research could advance knowledge about the intersections of race, culture, religion, and science in our understanding of mental health conditions and their treatment across diverse communities.