Coming Thursday: Live Event – Hiding in Plain Sight

Erik Ewers | Co-Director & Editor, Hiding in Plain Sight

Erik Ewers has worked with Ken Burns for more than 30 years. In 2015, Erik collaborated with Burns to create The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science, broadcast nationally on PBS. He and brother Chris co-directed Hiding in Plain Sight, the first of a series of films exploring the mental health crisis which aired on PBS in June 2022.

Chris Loren Ewers | Co-Director & Director of Photography, Hiding in Plain Sight

Christopher Loren Ewers has been working behind the camera for over 20 years, traveling the world and exploring the human experience through the lens. He and brother Erik co-directed Hiding in Plain Sight, the first of a series of films exploring the mental health crisis.

Makalynn Powell | Mental Health Advocate

Makalynn Powell, 27, one of the young people shown in the film, earned a Master of Science degree in criminal justice and corrections from Fairmont State University, where she also worked as a graduate research and teaching assistant. As an undergraduate, she was a recovery ambassador working to raise awareness about addiction and mental health needs on campuses. She continues to speak and advocate about mental health issues.

Billie Henderson | Student activist at Willamette University

Billie Henderson, 20, one of the young people shown in the documentary, is now a junior. She majors in politics, policy, law, and ethics, with a minor in public health and also serves as a student senator. Henderson has helped organize protests in Salem and Portland, OR, and served as a legislative aide during the 2021 Oregon session. She continues to speak and advocate about mental health issues.

Neha Chaudhary, MD | Editorial Advisory Board, MindSite News

Dr. Chaudhary is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at Mass. General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. As a medical journalist, she has written for The New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, Wired, CNN, ABC News and other outlets. She cofounded Brainstorm, Stanford’s Lab for Mental Health Innovation. Her research focuses on the intersection of technology and mental health, and the use of tech to promote resilience in children.

Rob Waters | Founding Editor, MindSite News

Waters is an award-winning health and mental health journalist. His articles have appeared in Health Affairs, the Washington Post, Kaiser Health News, STAT, Mother Jones, Atlantic.com, and other outlets. A 2005 fellow with the Carter Center for Mental Health Journalism, his reporting was honored in 2021 by the Assoc. of Health Care Journalists, National Institute for Health Care Management, and Northern California Society of Professional Journalists.

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