Ralph Castro
Associate Dean & Director, Substance Use Programs, Education & Resources, Vaden Student Health Service
Web page: http://super.stanford.edu
Bio
Ralph J. Castro is the Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Office of Substance Use Programs, Education, & Resources at Stanford University. He holds an undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice and a graduate degree in clinical psychology.
With over 30 years of experience in college health, including more than 25 years at Stanford, his professional and teaching interests include adolescent health, public health, behavior change theories, alcohol and drug education, policy implementation, and program development.
His work emphasizes practical applications of research in student health and substance use prevention. He co-chaired the Alcohol Solution Group in 2019 that was influential in shaping alcohol and drug education, policy and related initiatives related to substance use at Stanford. He also directed Stanford’s Office of Alcohol Policy and Education, established to enhance alcohol education, clarify policies, and reduce high-risk drinking behaviors, aligning with evidence-based harm reduction strategies like limiting hard alcohol container sizes.
Most recently, Ralph has spearheaded work at Stanford tp combat the the fentanyl epidemic by making naloxone and fentanyl test strips kits available in every undergraduate and graduate residences on campus along with training modules for all incoming students.
Current Role at Stanford
Associate Dean of Students
Director, Office of Substance Use Programs, Education & Resources (SUPER)