Meet the 2024 Community Champions: Elle Peeples

Recipient of the 2024 Innovations in Substance Misuse Prevention Award

Congratulations to Elle Peeples of the Center for Health Education and Wellness for winning the Innovations in Substance Misuse Prevention Award at the 11th Annual Community Champion Awards. This award is given to an individual who implemented and/or oversaw a groundbreaking prevention project within the substance misuse prevention field.

About Elle

Elle Peeples serves as the Wellness Coordinator for Alcohol and Other Drugs in the Center for Health Education and Wellness at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). She received her B.A from UTK in 2018, her M.A. from the University of Georgia in 2020, and anticipates completing her doctoral degree in 2025.

Through her role, she is responsible for developing, executing and evaluating the substance misuse prevention plan for the campus. With an educational background in interpersonal and health communication, Elle has innovated substance misuse prevention at UTK by developing strategies and campaigns that are effective and relatable to our campus community of 38,000 students.

Since beginning in January 2024, Elle has advocated for increased access to naloxone and overdose prevention training for the UTK community and developed the now-approved protocol to allow her team to readily provide free naloxone and training to UTK students, faculty and staff. This initiative was coupled with the launch of two campaigns, “I Can Narcan!” and “Know Your Facts,” both aimed at increasing student’s knowledge and efficacy related to substance misuse.

Through her work, Elle hopes to continue to spread the “Vols Help Vols” mentality through UTK’s campus and the broader Knoxville community.

Elle’s most important contribution to the field of substance misuse prevention lies in her innovative approach to health communication and her strategic campaigns aimed at educating students about alcohol and other drug (AOD) use…The “Know Your Facts” campaign exemplifies her impactful work. This yearlong initiative not only provides students with vital facts about the effects of AOD on the body and empowers them to make informed choices regarding healthy behaviors… fostering a culture of awareness and responsible decision-making.

Thank you, Elle, for the important work you are doing in the Knoxville community!