2022 AAHB Election Results
President Elect - Dr. Hsien-Chang Lin |
Hsien-Chang Lin, PhD, FAAHB President-Elect Statement: I am extraordinarily honored to be considered for the AAHB president-elect position. AAHB offered me tremendous opportunities to develop my academic career and I consider it my primary “academic home.” I am very grateful and thrilled to have the opportunity to devote myself more to the Academy. I am an Associate Professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health at Bloomington and an AAHB Fellow. My research program encompasses health behavior, health services, health policy, and health outcomes research. Guided by the socioecological model of health, I apply multidisciplinary perspectives and methods to bridge macro-level health policy analysis to micro-level health behavioral research. Specifically, I am interested in how policies and regulations may influence substance use/misuse behaviors, including vaping as well as prescribing and use/misuse of prescription opioids. My work also focuses on adopting innovative methods to address complex health issues using high-dimensional quantitative data. My research is supported by federal and state agencies including the National Institutes of Health and Indiana State Department of Health. Although I was originally trained as a health services and policy researcher, I was fortunate to be introduced to the Academy and gained valuable insights that helped me connect health policy and health behavior perspectives to my research program. I have been active in my service to the Academy in various capacities since I joined AAHB in 2011. I served in leadership positions including Chair of the Annual Conference Planning Committee (2018-2019), Chair of the Awards Council and member of the Board of Directors (2018-2021), and Chair of the Research Review Committee (2015-2016). I am also a member of the Professional Development and Mentoring Council. Through the depth and breadth of my services to the Academy, I am very familiar with the history, tradition, mission, pride, as well as operation of the Academy. Throughout the years, I have also learned of the challenges facing the Academy. This all has instilled me with the passion to devote myself to the Academy and has also guided my vision to lead the Academy. My central vision for the presidency is to embrace the traditions and uniqueness of the Academy and develop strategies to welcome the ever-changing academic environment to keep us abreast of the times. To achieve this goal, the specifics of my vision include: 1. Going beyond routines while preserving tradition. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our ability to respond to the changes of the world including the academic environment. In addition, technological innovation, the pace of scientific knowledge advancement, and research collaboration methods—have all pushed the Academy to consider going beyond routine duties. While I sincerely embrace the traditions of the Academy, I believe it is imperative to lay out strategies to enhance the Academy’s capability to adapt to changes in the academic environment so that the Academy can be more sustainable and provide proper services to members. 2. Engaging/re-engaging members. Technological advancement has brought us more cost-effective ways to engage members. I would develop strategies that can extend the use of member-centric, cost-effective technology to engage/re-engage current and lapsed members, while preserving our traditional ways of enhancing solidarity (such as the annual conference, the mentoring program). 3. Re-evaluating membership structure and criteria. We are a small but unique organization that has our own clear identity. Membership is the core and foundation of the Academy. Our Academy traditionally emphasizes “meritocracy” while “inclusion” also gained importance as a value among Academy members and in the field. I would develop strategies to balance the principles of inclusion and meritocracy so inclusion can be respected while our tradition and uniqueness are preserved. In particular, I would re-evaluate our membership structure and criteria (e.g., student member, Fellow criteria) so the Academy can better adapt to the evolvement of the academic environment. I have been extremely fortunate to be with my “academic home” for over a decade and I continue to be a devoted member of this marvelous organization of phenomenal and passionate health behavior researchers. If elected, I would bring not only my experiences into serving the Academy but also my passion and commitment. I sincerely ask for your support on my vision and leadership. I am extraordinarily grateful |
Treasurer: Dr. Wenhua Lu |
Wenhua Lu, PhD
Treasurer Statement:
My name is Wenhua Lu, and I am currently an assistant medical professor in the Department of Community Health and Social Medicine at the City University of New York School of Medicine. I have dedicated my work in research to health disparities, with a focus on mental health and healthcare disparities among racial/ethnic minority adolescents. I first attended the AAHB conference in 2012, when I was a second-year doctoral student. Immediately, I knew I had found my professional home. Over time, it has become my yearly routine to wait for the call for abstract from the research review chair in July, submit my research abstracts in September, wait eagerly for the “congratulations” letter in November, and attend the annual conference in March next year. In the past 10 years, the Academy has provided me with valuable opportunities to network with outstanding researchers in the field of health behavior and learn from mentors who are committed to supporting junior researchers. The Academy has also witnessed my professional growth from a doctoral student to the recipient of the 2018 AAHB Judy K. Black Early Career Research Award. I appreciate all the support I have received, and it is of personal importance for me to contribute back to the Academy. Over the past years, I have served as members of the Diversity and Equity Council, the Awards Council, and the Conference Planning Committee. I was also the Chair of the Diversity and Equity Council of the Academy from 2018 to 2021, working closely with the board and the executive board to facilitate adoption, integration and maintenance of the academy’s diversity and equity values. Through these experiences, my commitment to serving members of the Academy has strengthened, and I am now seeking to continue serving the Academy as a treasurer. As a researcher, I have had experience managing internal, foundation, and federal grants. If I get this opportunity to serve, I will be committed to accuracy, transparency, and timeliness to facilitate the Board in managing the Academy’s budget, maintaining the Academy’s accounts, and helping with important financial decision-making.
Member Delegate Dr. Ledric Sherman
Ledric Sherman, PhD, MA
Member Delegate Statement:
My name is Ledric Sherman and I am Assistant Professor in the Department of Health & Kinesiology at Texas A&M University. Overall, my research agenda centers on reducing chronic illness disparities, pointedly type 2 diabetes, among ethnic minority men. This work seeks to inform the knowledge base regarding health disparities, particularly in type 2 diabetes prevention and management among populations and communities adversely impacted by health disparities. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have transitioned my research efforts on investigating how ethnic minority men have adapted their use of technology to meet their health self-management demands after the emergence of COVID-19. My overarching career goal is to develop interventions for men that will not only increase their knowledge and self-confidence regarding chronic illness management, but how they can better utilize their surrounding environments and support systems to better manage chronic illness disparities.
I have been a member of AAHB since the spring of 2015, which is when I attended my first scientific meeting of the Academy. In 2016, I was selected to participate in the AAHB Research Scholars Mentoring Program, where I was paired with Dr. Derek Griffith as my mentor. Over the course of the program, we worked on two manuscripts that are now published, as well as chapter in a men’s health equity textbook. Also since 2016, I have been an abstract reviewer for the annual scientific meeting. From 2018-2019, I was a member of the Diversity & Equity Council. I joined this Council because I wanted to contribute to the Academy’s sustained efforts in promotion issues around diversity Currently, I am a member of the Board as the 2022 conference planning co-chair, a role that I share with Dr. E. Lisako J. McKyer.
My experiences with AAHB, from first being an at-large member, to serving on the Diversity & Equity Council, and currently serving on the 2022 Conference Planning Committee have all enhanced my motivation to further serve, learn, and grow within the Academy. This is why I am running for member-delegate. My goal as a member-delegate is to be transparent in sharing any and all concerns that may arise from members of our Academy with the AAHB Board of Directors and assist in how we as a group can discuss and find solutions to address these matters. Thank you for your consideration to elect me as member-delegate.