Meet Our Staff
Director
PEAR Assistant Director
U-M Dearborn and U-M Flint Prevention Lead and PEAR Assistant Director
Senior PEAR Specialist
Senior PEAR Specialist
Senior PEAR Specialist
Senior Administrative
Assistant
How Can We Help?
To better support our campus community, each of our PEAR staff has a portfolio of schools/colleges or administrative units. This specifically allows the team to build strong relationships with their faculty and staff colleagues and gain a better understanding of the internal climate and culture of each unit/department.
Sophie Walters
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. She also obtained her Master in Social Work from the University of Michigan.
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
- Michigan Law
Mary Kruk
PEAR Assistant Director
Mary Kruk is the Assistant Director of Prevention, Education, Assistance, and Resources (PEAR) within ECRT. She holds a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University in Social Psychology and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies where she conducted research on how to enhance the psychological, social, and physical well-being of stigmatized groups.
Mary began her career as a Senior Consultant at RAINN, where she strengthened organizations’ response to and prevention of sexual misconduct. She is a former Lecturer in University of Michigan’s Women’s and Gender Studies Department, where she taught courses on gender discrimination, health equity, and the psychology of gender. Above all, she is passionate about using research and teaching to end sexual and gender-based violence.
Mary’s Portfolio
- Administrative Units
- Ford School
- Michigan Ross
- School of Education
Rachel Roth Sawatzky
U-M Dearborn and U-M Flint Prevention Lead and PEAR Assistant Director
Rachel collaborates with faculty and staff colleagues across the UM–Dearborn and UM–Flint campuses to support prevention education, policy understanding, and holistic, coordinated responses. She also contributes to broader institutional learning efforts, including survey-based climate assessments and follow-up consultation that inform prevention, education, and improvement efforts across campuses. With an emphasis on clarity, mutuality, and transparency, her approach supports individual agency and collective wellbeing in thinking through complex situations, interpreting policy, and strengthening understanding of reporting obligations, resource development, and prevention-oriented practices.
Earlier in her career, Rachel held a range of student affairs and administrative roles, including as associate dean of students, and university Title IX Coordinator, experiences that continue to inform her approach to training, consultation, and systems-level thinking. She has collaborated with organizations and agencies across the U.S. on training, consultation, and research related to organizational climate and policy implementation. She is a co-author or contributor to multiple publications in the field. Rachel holds a doctorate in administration from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in sociology from Emory University.
Rachel’s Portfolio
- UM-Dearborn
- UM-Flint
Heather Colohan
Senior PEAR Specialist
Heather has been on the PEAR team since its inception in 2022 and has nearly two decades of experience in the sexual and gender-based misconduct field. Heather is a licensed clinical social worker, receiving her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan School of Social Work, as well as receiving a BS in Psychology from Eastern Michigan University. Heather leads her work with empathy, compassion, and by creating space for the truth telling of experiences. 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 the U-M Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center (SAPAC) for 10 years providing tailored workshops for various U-M communities and departments, restorative healing circles, consultations, and advocacy. Previous to her work at 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
Pedro Coracides
Senior 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, a Graduate Certificate in Restorative Justice from IIRP, 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
Haley Taylor
Senior Pear Specialist
Haley is a licensed clinical social worker (LMSW-Clinical) with an MSW from Michigan State University. Since 2017, she has worked in higher education across clinical, academic, and research settings. In 2021, she created Albion College’s Victim Services Program, where she developed expertise in sexual and gender-based misconduct response and prevention. Later, through her work with ECRT’s Intake and Support Office, she gained insight into how individual experiences connect to broader patterns and culture change.
Haley supports employees by bridging the gap between written policy and lived experience. She offers clear and compassionate training and consultation to leaders implementing prevention goals and navigating complex concerns. She approaches her work with a person-centered, strengths-based lens grounded in trust, clarity, and collaboration, and is committed to creating spaces where people feel safe, supported, and prepared to act.
Haley’s Portfolio
- College of Engineering
- Duderstadt Center
- School for Environment and Sustainability
- School of Information
- School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
- Stamps School of Art & Design
- Taubman College
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.