Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Faculty

Amick, Benjamin C., PhD
Professor

Research interests: Work organization and health; social epidemiology and health disparities; work stress, labor markets, disability; epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries; ergonomics and organizational change

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E1009
Email: benjamin.c.amick@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Benjamin C. Amick
Phone: (713) 500-9496

Balcazar, Hector, PhD
Professor and Regional Dean, El Paso Regional Campus

Research interests: Latino health, Hispanic paradox, acculturation, family variables and health outcomes, development of culturally-competent Latino community outreach programs, use of lay health workers, health disparities and border health

Campus: El Paso — Office: 097 100C
Email: hector.g.balcazar@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Hector Balcazar
Phone: (915) 747-8507

Barroso, Cristina S., DrPH
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Physical activity; nutrition; genetic epidemiology of chronic diseases (gene-environment interactions; design and analysis of school-based health promotion interventions; use of mass media to promote health promotion interventions; health disparities

Campus: Brownsville — Office: RAC N1.202D
Email: cristina.s.barroso@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Cristina S. Barroso
Phone: (956) 882-5180

Bartholomew, L. Kay, EdD
Associate Professor & Associate Dean for Educational Programs

Research interests: Self-management of pediatric chronic disease; health education/promotion intervention

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W238
Email: leona.k.bartholomew@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of L. Kay Bartholomew
Phone: (713) 500-9630

Baumler, Elizabeth G., PhD
Assistant Professor of Biostatistics

Research interests: Multilevel modeling; youth risk behavior; population health

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2632
Email: elizabeth.r.baumler@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9684

Byrd, Theresa L., DrPH
Associate Professor

Research interests: Health promotion and behavior change; maternal and child health; community organization and development; border health; cancer prevention/early detection

Campus: El Paso — Office: 097 110I
Email: theresa.l.byrd@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Theresa L. Byrd
Phone: (915) 747-8504

Caughy, Margaret O., ScD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Child development; parenting; poverty; maternal and child health; program evaluation

Campus: Dallas — Office: 00V V8.112A
Email: margaret.o.caughy@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Margaret O. Caughy
Phone: (214) 648-1052

Chen, Chin-Hsing, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Evaluation of health promotion/education programs; etiology of obesity, smoking, and other health behaviors and its associated risk/protective factors; longitudinal methods; multi-level analysis and hierarchical linear modeling; growth curve/growth mixture modeling; Bayesian methods, intervention time series analysis; spatial statistical analysis

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2514
Email: chin-hsing.chen@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Chin-Hsing Chen
Phone: (713) 500-9766

Day, R. Sue , PhD
Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research

Research interests: Epidemiology; nutrition; dietary assessment methodology; obesity, cardiovascular disease; cancer; chronic disease; dietary interventions and health promotion; physical activity; Hispanic populations; children

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W916
Email: rena.s.day@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of R. Sue  Day
Phone: (713) 500-9317

Diamond, Pamela M., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Interface between criminal justice and mental health policy, psychiatric epidemiology, community reintegration for female offenders, and the use of latent variable models in public health research

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2614
Email: pamela.m.diamond@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Pamela M. Diamond
Phone: (713) 500-9979

Escobar-Chaves, Soledad Liliana, DrPH
Assistant Professor of Hlth Promotion & Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Development, implementation/evaluation of school-based/family/community- based health promotion related to media; violence; sexual risk behavior; obesity

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2657
Email: soledad.l.escobar-chaves@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Soledad Liliana Escobar-Chaves
Phone: (713) 500-9637

Evans, Alexandra, PhD
Associate Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Child and adolescent health promotion through interventions with parents and schools; obesity prevention

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 208
Email: alexandra.e.evans@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Alexandra Evans
Phone: (512) 482-6172

Fernandez, Maria E., PhD
Assistant Professor & Director of Diversity Programs

Research interests: Cancer control, Hispanic populations, informed decision-making health promotion planning and evaluation, health informatics, health communications

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2558
Email: maria.e.fernandez@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Maria E. Fernandez
Phone: (713) 500-9626

Fernandez-Esquer, Maria E., PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: AIDS and cancer prevention; perception of risk; ethnic differences in health beliefs and behaviors

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2518
Email: maria.e.fernandez-esquer@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Maria E. Fernandez-Esquer
Phone: (713) 500-9657

Hedberg, Ann-Marie , DrPH
Visiting Assistant Professor
Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W908
Email: ann-marie.hedberg@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Ann-Marie  Hedberg
Phone: (713) 500-9347

Hoelscher, Deanna M., PhD
Professor & Director, Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living

Research interests: Design, implementation and evaluation of nutrition and physical activity programs for children, school foodservice personnel, and minority populations, prevention of chronic diseases; evaluation of legislative policies; development and evaluation of dietary and physical activity assessment methods; epidemiologic studies of child nutrition, physical activity and behavioral risk factors; diet-gene interactions

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 211
Email: deanna.m.hoelscher@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Deanna M. Hoelscher
Phone: (512) 482-6168

Kelder, Steven H., PhD
Beth Toby Grossman Professor

Research interests: Epidemiology of child and adolescent health, design and evaluation of school health promotion programs, particular emphasis on obesity, diet, physical activity, and substance use

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 212
Email: steven.h.kelder@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Steven H. Kelder
Phone: (512) 482-6169

Linder, Stephen H., PhD
Professor & Associate Director, Institute for Health Policy

Research interests: Policy studies; social theory; media studies; climate change and health

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E1023
Email: stephen.h.linder@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Stephen H. Linder
Phone: (713) 500-9494

Mackey, Thomas A., PhD
Professor of Nursing

Research interests: Quality improvement and changes in diabetic patient outcomes in an academic nurse practitioner primary care practice and manage patient violence; nurse practitioner clinic based practices

Campus: Houston — Office:
Email: thomas.a.mackey@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Thomas A. Mackey
Phone: (713) 500-3250

Markham, Christine , PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Adolescent and child health, including HIV, STD and pregnancy prevention, substance use prevention, chronic disease management, influence of parental factors, qualitative research, outcome and process evaluation

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2616
Email: christine.markham@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Christine  Markham
Phone: (713) 500-9646

McAlister, Alfred L., PhD
Professor

Research interests: Tobacco policy, violence prevention, peace and conflict, health disparities, advocacy and mass communication, international health

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 206
Email: alfred.l.mcalister@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Alfred L. McAlister
Phone: (512) 482-6163

McCurdy, Sheryl A., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: STDs; HIV/AIDS; substance abuse, women’s health, violence, underserved populations, health disparities, qualitative research, global health studies

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2520
Email: sheryl.a.mccurdy@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Sheryl A. McCurdy
Phone: (713) 500-9633

McFall, Stephanie L., PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Social gerontology, cancer screening and treatment decisions, health of older adults, program evaluation

Campus: San Antonio — Office: SPH 209
Email: stephanie.l.mcfall@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Stephanie L. McFall
Phone: (210) 562-5503

Mullen, Patricia Dolan, DrPH
Professor

Research interests: Health promotion for disadvantaged or incarcerated women; transtheoretical model of behavior change; contraception and STD/HIV risk reduction; informed decision making for cancer and other screening tests; patient education; evaluation methods; systematic review and meta-analysis

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2522
Email: patricia.d.mullen@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Patricia Dolan Mullen
Phone: (713) 500-9658

Murray, Nancy, DrPH
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Child and adolescent health promotion through interventions with parents and schools; adolescent smoking cessation; physical activity

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W920
Email: nancy.g.murray@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Nancy Murray
Phone: (713) 500-9333

Nichols, Donna, MSEd
Community Health Specialist
Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 220H
Email: donna.c.nichols@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Donna Nichols
Phone: (512) 482-6181

Parcel, Guy S., PhD
Dean & John P. McGovern Professor in Health Promotion & M. David Low Chair in Public Health

Research interests: School health promotion; child and adolescent health; health behaviors

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W114A
Email: guy.s.parcel@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Guy S. Parcel
Phone: (713) 500-9052

Perry, Cheryl, PhD
Professor and Regional Dean, Austin Regional Campus and Rockwell Chair in Society and Health

Research interests: Design, development, implementation and evaluation of health promotion programs for children and adolescents. In particular, smoking and alcohol use prevention, healthy eating and physical activity; school-based, peer, family, and community programs

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 210
Email: cheryl.l.perry@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Cheryl Perry
Phone: (512) 482-6166

Peskin, Melissa Fleschler, PhD
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Child and adolescent health, specifically in HIV, STD, and pregnancy prevention, violence, bullying, cyberbullying; intervention development and program evaluation

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2658
Email: melissa.f.peskin@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9759

Peters, Ronald J., DrPH
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Sexual risk-taking behavior; design and analysis of drug use studies among youth and incarcerated populations; and cultural and economic aspects of health behaviors in underserved communities

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2618
Email: ronald.j.peters@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Ronald J. Peters
Phone: (713) 500-9642

Reininger, Belinda M., DrPH
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Evaluation research; community based health promotion; health disparities

Campus: Brownsville — Office: RAC N1.202E
Email: belinda.m.reininger@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Belinda M. Reininger
Phone: (956) 882-5161

Roberts, Robert E., PhD
Professor

Research interests: Cross-cultural research; psychiatric epidemiology; adolescent mental health; affective disorders; suicide, sleep disorders, obesity and mental health

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E1017
Email: robert.e.roberts@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Robert E. Roberts
Phone: (713) 500-9291

Ross, Michael W., PhD
Professor

Research interests: STDs; HIV/AIDS; drug abuse; community level and correctional STD/HIV prevention cross-cultural aspects of public health; internet sexuality

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2622
Email: michael.w.ross@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Michael W. Ross
Phone: (713) 500-9652

Shegog, Ross , PhD
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Application of instructional and/or decision-support technology in health promotion and disease prevention including pediatric asthma management; prevention and cessation of adolescent and young adult tobacco use; prevention of HIV, STD, and pregnancy in middle school children

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2668
Email: ross.shegog@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Ross  Shegog
Phone: (713) 500-9677

Slomka, Jacquelyn , PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Research ethics; ethics and public health; culture and health care, health care of older adults

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2530
Email: jacquelyn.slomka@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Jacquelyn  Slomka
Phone: (713) 500-9984

Springer, Andrew E., DrPH
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Adolescent health promotion, physical activity, childhood obesity prevention, socio-ecological influences of health behavior, epidemiology of child and adolescent health behaviors in Latin America

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 213
Email: andrew.e.springer@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Andrew E. Springer
Phone: (512) 482-6165

Stigler, Melissa, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Child and adolescent health, global/international health, with special emphasis on India; tobacco prevention and cessation; obesity prevention; behavioral epidemiology

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 214
Email: melissa.h.stigler@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Melissa Stigler
Phone: (512) 482-6173

Taylor, Wendell , PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Health promotion; CVD risk factors in children; Physical activity in children; Cancer prevention in underserved populations

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2670
Email: wendell.c.taylor@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9635

Tortolero, Susan R., PhD
Associate Professor & Director CHPPR

Research interests: Adolescence; children; sexual risk taking, STDs, pregnancy, substance use, violence mental health; depression; Hispanics; prevention research

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2080
Email: susan.tortolero@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Susan R. Tortolero
Phone: (713) 500-9634

Vaeth, Patrice, DrPH
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Ethnic and gender disparities in health; the social and behavioral determinants of chronic disease

Campus: Dallas — Office: 00V V8.106F
Email: patrice.a.vaeth@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Patrice Vaeth
Phone: (214) 648-0740

Vernon, Sally W., PhD
Blair Justice, PhD Professorship in Mind-Body Medicine & Pub Hlth & Dir, Div of Hlth Promo & Beh Sci

Research interests: Cancer prevention and control for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers; informed decision making for prostate cancer testing; psychosocial issues in cancer genetic testing; measurement of psychosocial constructs; reliability and validity of self-report cancer screening behaviors

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2560
Email: sally.w.vernon@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Sally W. Vernon
Phone: (713) 500-9760

Walters, Scott T., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: College student health and substance abuse prevention, motivational theories of change, mailed and computerized interventions for substance abuse, brief negotiation in medical settings, religious and spiritual aspects of psychology

Campus: Dallas — Office: 00V V8.112N
Email: scott.t.walters@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Scott T. Walters
Phone: (214) 648-1519

Williams, Mark L., PhD
Professor

Research interests: HIV/AIDS prevention; STD prevention; antiretroviral medication compliance; drug abuse; minority health

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2516
Email: mark.l.williams@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Mark L. Williams
Phone: (713) 500-9674