MindSite News, Ken Burns Presents and WETA present a live back-to-school event: A Conversation About Youth Mental Health and the Making of Hiding in Plain Sight

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

Erik Ewers has worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns for more than 30 years, including nearly all of his single and multi-episodic films. An expert in all aspects of filmmaking, Erik has served as music producer, writer, director, film producer, picture editor, and sound effects, music, and dialogue editor. In 2015, Erik collaborated with Burns to create The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science, broadcast nationally on PBS in September 2018. He and brother Christopher 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. His cinematography has been featured in each of Ken Burns’ films since The Vietnam War. Chris co-directed and served as Director of Photography on a feature length documentary, The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science, broadcasted nationally on PBS in September 2018. He and brother Erik 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.

Makalynn Powell | Mental Health Advocate

Makalynn Powell, 27, one of the young people shown in the documentary, 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 at West Virginia University, she was a collegiate recovery student ambassador working to raise awareness about addiction and mental health needs on college campuses. She continues to speak and advocate about mental health issues.

Billie Henderson | Student activist, junior at Willamette University

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

Neha Chaudhary, MD | Editorial Advisory Board, MindSite News

Neha Chaudhary, MD, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist on faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is also a medical journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Wired, CNN, ABC News, ABC News and other outlets. She is the cofounder of Brainstorm, Stanford’s Lab for Mental Health Innovation. Her research focuses on the intersection of technology and mental health, including using tech to promote early intervention and resilience in children. She is a strong believer in the power of journalism and storytelling to make mental health mainstream.

Rob Waters | Founding Editor, MindSite News

Rob Waters is an award-winning health and mental health journalist who has worked as a staff reporter or editor at Bloomberg News, Time Inc. Health and the Psychotherapy Networker. He writes frequently for Health Affairs, and his articles have also appeared in the Washington Post, Kaiser Health News, STAT, the Atlantic.com, Mother Jones and many other outlets. He was a 2005 fellow with the Carter Center for Mental Health Journalism. In 2021, his mental health reporting was honored by the Association of Health Care Journalists, the National Institute for Health Care Management, and the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California.