Kaaren Williamsen served as the director of U-M’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center from 2017-2022. She came to U-M from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania where she was the Title IX coordinator. Earlier in her career she spent 15 years directing the Gender and Sexuality Center at Carleton College. As the founding director, she developed innovative sexual violence prevention programming and created institutional support services for LGBTQ students. Kaaren earned her doctorate in organizational leadership, policy and development at the University of Minnesota. She has a Master of Science degree in women’s studies and a Master of Arts degree in counseling and student personnel psychology. She is the co-editor of the 2023 book, Applying Restorative Justice to Campus Sexual Misconduct: A Guide to Emerging Practices from Routledge.

Kaaren’s Portfolio

• Administrative Units

Sophie Walters

Assistant Director

Born and raised in France, Sophie went to law school in Paris and moved to New York City for her Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Previously, Sophie worked at the Prevention, Outreach and Education Department (POE) at Michigan State University and at the Crime Victims Assistance Unit (CVAU) at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office where she gained her expertise in sexual and gender-based misconduct. She is passionate about developing and facilitating prevention programming for faculty and staff on the Title IX regulations, university misconduct policies, and supporting resources in order to build an inclusive, trauma-informed, and violence-free environment for all.

Sophie’s Portfolio

• Athletics Department
• Administrative Units
• Ford School
• Michigan Ross
• Michigan Law

Heather Colohan

PEAR Specialist

Heather has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan School of Social Work, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Eastern Michigan University. Heather strives to center the identities of community members within her work, ensuring programming goals are determined by the specific experiences and expressed needs of a given community.

Previous to Heather’s current position at PEAR, she worked at U-M Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center (SAPAC) for ten years providing tailored workshops for various U-M communities and departments, restorative healing circles, consultations, advocacy, and created SAPAC’s Raise the Bar bar bystander program. Previous to her work at the SAPAC, she developed, promoted, and implemented the YWCA Sexual Assault Advocacy Services program in Detroit, MI.

Heather’s Portfolio

• College of Literature, Sciences & Arts
• Rackham
• School of Public Health
• School of Social Work

Rachel Roth Sawatzky

PEAR Specialist

Rachel Roth Sawatzky came to the University of Michigan from Eastern Mennonite University, where she served in a variety of student affairs roles and as university Title IX Coordinator. Earlier in her career she was a social worker in various settings, including with individuals who had committed sex offenses in an inpatient residential setting, and within the foster care and adoption systems working with children, families, and students impacted by sexual violence. Rachel has presented to and worked with national agencies and local organizations across the U.S. in restorative justice for sexual harms and policy development. Rachel is the co-author of a 2019 teaching manual for practitioners and those seeking to prevent and address sexual harms entitled Sexual Harms: Strategies in Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) — A Manual For Addressing Trauma, Resilience And Sexual Harms and contributed to the 2023 book, Applying Restorative Justice to Campus Sexual Misconduct: A Guide to Emerging Practices from Routledge. She is also the author of the 2024 The Little Book of Restorative Justice for Campus Sexual Harm from Skyhorse. Rachel earned her doctorate in higher education administration from Northeastern University and a Master of Science degree in sociology of religion from Emory University. She is committed to accessibility, equity, individual agency, and collective wellbeing. Whether she is doing research and development projects, consultation, teaching, presenting, leading teams, or interacting with others on a personal level, she is committed to acting with integrity, authenticity, diligent care, and a spirit of compassion. 

Rachel’s Portfolio

• College of Engineering
• Duderstadt Center
• Marsal School of Education
• School for Environment & Sustainability
• School of Education
• School of Information
• School of Music, Theater & Dance
• Stamps School of Art & Design
• Taubman College

Pedro Coracides

PEAR Specialist

Pedro Coracides is the PEAR Specialist serving Michigan Medicine as well as the schools of Dentistry, Kinesiology, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Pedro’s professional experience spans across the aviation, tech, healthcare, non-profit, and higher education industries, ranging from operations, training, and product development. Prior to PEAR, Pedro spent five years at the Office of Patient Experience in Michigan Medicine leading health system wide work focused on creating an affirming environment for all patients and families including our LGBTQ+ community. He has a trauma-informed approach to his work when working with leaders and units requiring support, and believes in taking policy and translating it to the operational needs of a unit. Pedro received his Bachelor of Science from Saint Louis University, his Master of Social Work from Wayne State University, and is a limited license social worker in the state of Michigan.

Pedro’s Portfolio

• College of Pharmacy
• Michigan Medicine
• School of Dentistry
• School of Kinesiology
• School of Nursing

Carrie Landrum

Adaptable Resolution & Restorative Practices Lead

Carrie is a peacebuilder, conflict resolution practitioner, and professional facilitator with twenty years of experience supporting faculty, staff and students at U-M.  Carrie supports employees who have been impacted by campus harm or conflict in the workplace (that may or may not fall under campus policies) by facilitating Adaptable Resolution and Restorative Practices intended to explore and address needs and find positive pathways forward.  Adaptable Resolution and Restorative Practices allow participants to shape processes and outcomes to best meet their needs in voluntary, non-disciplinary processes with the assistance of a skilled facilitator. 

Carrie has been forging pathways to peace and facilitating healing justice using restorative practices at UM since 2007, including for cases of sexual and gender-based harms since 2013. Carrie’s background includes studies and training in international studies (Emory University); conflict transformation (Wayne State University); and peacebuilding, trauma healing, and restorative practices (Eastern Mennonite University and many other places). 

Christopher Jones

Senior Administrative Assistant

Christopher received his BA and MA in Communication from U-M Flint. He also worked in Student Accounts and Undergraduate Admissions at U-M Flint for seven years. In his current role, he supports the directors and specialist by managing calendars and providing meeting and event support, among other administrative duties. In his spare time Christopher enjoys running, hiking, and dining out.