Dr. J. Randy Koch is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned his doctorate in community psychology from Michigan State University in 1985.
Prior to joining VCU in 2003, he was the Director of Research and Evaluation for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, a position he held since 1989. In this position, he was responsible for evaluating publicly-funded behavioral healthcare services in Virginia, conducting a wide range of needs assessments and policy studies, and facilitating the adoption of evidence-based practices. Since joining VCU, his research interests have focused primarily on the prevention of youth tobacco use and methods for improving the quality of substance abuse services, both within the US and internationally.
Among his current projects, Dr. Koch is a Co-PI for the Virginia Youth Tobacco Projects, a statewide, multi-university research program on the causes and prevention of youth tobacco use, and he is the director of the VCU Humphrey Fellowship Program on Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Policy that brings mid-career professionals from low and middle-income countries to VCU for advanced leadership and technical training.