Gerpha Gerlin is in her second year of completing a dual doctorate in anthropology and master’s in public health, as well as a Science in Human Culture Fellow. Her interests center around evolutions of chronic mental illness, disablement, and implementation science. She is devising a multi-sited dissertation project that examines the utility of peer support on perspectives of mental illness recovery for people who are re-entering their communities. One motivation for joining NPEP was the opportunity to better understand how mental health status, among other socio-political factors, has affected the learning process for incarcerated students. Locally, Gerpha is also involved with the Chicago office of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a grassroots consumer mental health advocacy organization. She very much enjoys watching psychological thrillers, creative writing, and can often be found baking very sweet desserts.