clancyc@icuddr.org

Dr. Clancy, PhD, RGN, RMN, PGCertHE, FPH, ICAP III, is the current Director for the ICUDDR Center for Credentialing & Accreditation. She is the Dean Emeritus at the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Middlesex University, London, UK. She earned her doctorate from St Georges Medical School, of London, UK, and is currently registered with the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) as a mental health and adult nurse and has over 30 years’ experience in delivering nursing education at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, including curriculum development, specifically in the area of addiction; and was the course developer of the first Masters in co-morbidity (dual diagnosis) in Europe. In 2014 with funding from Health Education England, Dr. Clancy established My Care Academy – a knowledge building community in partnership with Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, and is currently the Project Director. Between 2020-2023 Carmel held the office of President of the International Nurses Society on Addiction (IntNSA). Dr Clancy was appointed as the Chair of the Research Advisory Panel (RAP) in 2022 for a new Universities UK (UUK) Task Force on Student Drug Use. This Taskforce was set up to help universities understand and address drug-use and is due to publish evidence-led sector guidance – developed with students, staff, and wider stakeholders – including recommendations that are firmly based on harm reduction, in the summer of 2024. She has written extensively in this area and in 2017 co-chaired a Public Health England working group on the nurses’ role in the treatment and recovery addiction pathways. Dr. Clancy has also served as a Member of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)(2002 -2011) – a Standing Committee which advises the UK Government on drug issues and policies. In 2015 in recognition of her contribution to addiction practice, she was awarded a Fellowship by Distinction and entered onto the membership register for the UK Faculty of Public Health. She has provided training to addiction professionals throughout the world and is a member of The International Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP) and holds credentials ICAP-III from the Center for Credentialing & Accreditation (formerly GCCC).

gunasekeras@icuddr.org

Samitha Gunasekera is a Senior Program Officer for the ICUDDR Center for Credentialing & Accreditation. She began her career with the Colombo Plan in 1998, serving as Programme Secretary for the Public Administration and Drug Advisory Programmes until 2009, when she received the “Best Employee of the Year” award. Before joining GCCC (now the Center for Credentialing & Accreditation) in 2014 as Credentialing Programme Officer, Samitha worked with the Asian Development Bank, UNOCHA, and UNDP in Sri Lanka, coordinating with government agencies to implement UN projects. For the Center for Credentialing & Accreditation, she manages the global credentialing and certification process and works with the Commission on related matters. Promoted to Senior Programme Officer (Credentialing) in 2022, she is dedicated to advancing the professionalization of the drug demand reduction workforce. Samitha holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from University College Dublin and a Master of Science in Project Management from Asia-e-University, Malaysia.

beckera@icuddr.org

Ashley Becker, MPA is a Senior Program Officer for the ICUDDR Center for Credentialing & Accreditation (formerly GCCC). She is an accomplished nonprofit professional with over 13 years of experience working in international and local nonprofits. She has focused on Data and Donor Relationship Management and utilized multiple digital platforms to further the overall mission and development of the organizations. Mrs. Becker received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, with a Masters Certificate in International Policy, from Clemson University, and a BA in Journalism/Broadcasting with an emphasis in Public Relations from Oklahoma State University. For the Center for Credentialing & Accreditation, her primary responsibilities focus on managing/maintaining online application portal/database development/maintenance, website development, monitoring & maintenance coordination and the overall online presence/promotion of the GCCC’s global mission. She also participates in all other credentialing activities as needed within the team.

parks@icuddr.org

Sungjoo Park, MPH is a Program Officer for the Credentialing & Accreditation (formerly GCCC). He interned for ICUDDR this past summer, and recently joined full-time in August 2024. He has a master's degree in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health from George Mason University. He also has a dual Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Human Development from Virginia Tech. Prior to his current role, he has had clinical experience in a pediatric primary care setting as a Medical Assistant. Sungjoo currently lives in Northern Virginia about 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. in the U.S.