Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker

Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker was a distinguished professor and researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, where she contributed significantly to the field of addiction, recovery, and substance abuse services. She served as the Steve Hicks Professor of Addiction, Recovery and Substance Abuse Services, and as Associate Director of Education and Training at the Addiction Research Institute. Over the years, Dr. Holleran Steiker held faculty positions at both the UT Dell Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine, while also making an impact as an administrator in the School of Undergraduate Studies. Known for her dedication to teaching, she earned numerous awards, including the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award and the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award, and was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers in 2012. Her work focused on supporting BSW students, particularly in her popular course “Young People and Drugs,” and she was deeply committed to the success of students in the UT Center for Students in Recovery.

Dr. Holleran Steiker was also a leader in substance use disorder research and advocacy. She conducted federally and state-funded research, specializing in community-based adolescent and emerging adult substance use recovery. Her research included projects like the adaptation of the keepin’ it REAL program for diverse youth populations and efforts to combat the opioid crisis through initiatives such as OperationNaloxone.org. A passionate advocate for overdose prevention, she contributed to the Texas Targeted Opioid Response and was a member of the Texas Opioid Abatement Council. Dr. Holleran Steiker’s career spanned over 20 years, with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and three books to her name, making lasting contributions to the fields of social work and substance abuse. She is remembered as an extraordinary leader and mentor who impacted countless lives through her research, teaching, and advocacy work.