Sarah Axelson

Lecturer

School: Milken Institute School of Public Health

Department: Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

Contact:

Email: Sarah Axelson

Sarah M. Axelson, MSW, (she/her/ella) is a Lecturer in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University.

Ms. Axelson is a passionate public health executive with nearly 20 years of experience developing and implementing sustainable sexual and reproductive health programs at the local, state, and national levels. She is a recognized expert in the sexual and reproductive health field, with particular expertise in in contraceptive and abortion access, as well as the intersection of adolescent sexual health and the science of learning. Ms. Axelson serves as the Senior Director, Innovation, Training, and Technical Assistance at Power to Decide, a national reproductive health organization. Her career has also included time in the federal government, as a Project Officer for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program in the US Department of Health and Human Services/Family and Youth Services Bureau, as well as work in the non-profit world, as the Director of Training at ETR and as a Program Manager at Advocates for Youth, among other roles. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University. She is currently pursuring a Doctorate in Public Health, with a focus on Health Behavior, through the Department of Prevention and Community Health at The George Washington University.

Expertise

Maternal and Child Health

Prevention

Reproductive Health

Teen pregnancy

Women's Health

Education

DrPH Student (Health Behavior), The George Washington University

Masters of Social Work (Management and Community Practice, Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bachelor of Arts (Communication and Foreign Languages), James Madison University

Teaching

HLWL 1109: Human Sexuality
PUBH 3199: Design Thinking in Public Health
PUBH 3199: U.S. Sex Education Policy and Practice
PUBH 4140W: Senior Seminar - Grant Proposals
PUBH 3199: Contemporary Social Justice and Public Health
(non-numbered): Adolescent Sexual Health in the U.S. and the Netherlands (study abroad course that was cancelled due to COVID)

Community Service

Activate: The Collective to Bring Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Research to Youth-Supporting Professionals, Invited Member
GWU Milken Institute DrPH Committee, 2020 Cohort Student Representative
American Journal of Sexuality Education, Reviewer and Former Editorial Board Member
Alternative Spring Break Program, Faculty Learning Partner
George Washington University and Widener University, Practicum Site Supervisor

Publications

Axelson, S. M., Sealy, G. A., McDonald-Mosley, R. E. (2022, June 1). Reproductive Well-Being: A Framework for Expanding Contraceptive Access. American Journal of Public Health, 112(S5), S504-S507.

Burrus, B., Kreiger, K., Rutledge, R., Rabre, A., Axelson, S., Miller, A., White, L., & Jackson, C. (2018). Building Bridges to a Brighter Tomorrow: A Systematic Evidence Review of Interventions That Prepare Adolescents for Adulthood. American Journal of Public Health, 108(S1), S25-S31.

King Bowes, K., Burrus, B., Axelson, S., Milagros, M., Kimbriel, A., Abramson, L., Gorman, G., Dancer, A., White, T., & Beaudry, PJ. (2018) Reducing Disparities in Adolescent Pregnancy Among U.S. Tribal Youths. American Journal of Public Health, 108(S1), S23-S24

Martin, S., Ashley, O., White, L., Axelson, S., Clark, M., & Burrus, B. (2017). Incorporating Trauma-Informed Care into School-Based Programs. Journal of School Health, 87(12), 958-967.