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Inside
The Academy:
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| In this issue, Inside the Academy profiles Dr. Robert J. McDermott,an internationally recognized scholar who has added significantly to the body of knowledge related to health-risk behaviors of youth and in the area of international health. After receiving his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. McDermott's first faculty appointment in 1981was in the Department of Health Education, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. In 1986, he joined the faculty and became Coordinator of the Health Education Program, Department of Community and Family Heath at the University of South Florida College of Public Health in Tampa, Florida. He has held many distinguished positions since then. Dr. McDermott is the Director of the Child and Maternal Health Training Program, Senior Researcher for the Florida Health Information Center, and previously was the Assistant Dean for Research. Dr. McDermott also is chairman and professor of the Department of Community and Family Health at the University of South Florida College of Public Health in Tampa, Florida. One his most outstanding accomplishments was heading an effort that successfully resulted in the award by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of 1 of 9 Prevention Research Centers in the country to the University of South Florida. Dr. McDermott is Director of this Center. |  |
Dr. McDermott has been recognized for his scholarship and contributions to the field of health education. He was the recipient of the Mabel Lee Outstanding Young Professional Award for early career achievements provided by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. He received the School Health Education and Services Recognition Award as well as the Leadership Award from the School Health Education and Services Section of the American Public Health Association. Dr. McDermott also is recipient of the Award for Research of the American School Health's Research Council and is a fellow. In addition, the American Association for Health Education has named him its Scholar for 1999. Dr. McDermott has contributed to the American Academy of Health Behavior as 1 of its 34 founding members and as fellow.
Dr. McDermott has distinguished himself and received special recognition in several other ways. He has been a member of the CDC's invited working group tasked to define health education in the 21st century. He has been a consultant to the CDC's Division of School Health for collaboration with the Russian Federation. In addition, Dr. McDermott has been a visiting professor at 2 German universities, the University of Cologne and the University of Freiburg.
Dr. McDermott has distinguished himself and received special recognition in several other ways. He has been a member of the CDC's invited working group tasked to define health education in the 21st century. He has been a consultant to the CDC's Division of School Health for collaboration with the Russian Federation. In addition, Dr. McDermott has been a visiting professor at 2 German universities, the University of Cologne and the University of Freiburg.
Dr. McDermott has been quite successful in garnering extramural funding during his professional career as either principal investigator or coprincipal investigator (but primarily as principal investigator). He has been awarded more than $10 million in extramural funding. The awards have been highly competitive and received from such agencies as the US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services, Health Resources and Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau; US Department of Education; CDC Association for Schools of Public Health; and Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. It is noteworthy that his grants are primarily applied in nature. His work is making contributions by testing theoretical constructs, developing new knowledge, and providing services to communities in Florida. Some of the results of his efforts are published in the entire 24th volume, number 2 issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior that is devoted to social marketing and public health applications.
Dr. McDermott is a prolific writer. His work has resulted in over 130 publications. He has published in virtually every health education journal in the field, including but not limited to the American Journal of Health Behavior, Journal of School Health, American Journal of Health Studies, Journal of Health Education, Journal of American College Health, The Eta Sigma Gamma Monograph Series, International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health, International Quarterly of Community Health Education, Health Values, Public Health Reports, Health Education Research: Theory & Practice, and American Journal of Public Health. The topics of his research include bicycle helmet use, tobacco and substance abuse, poison prevention, breast and cervical cancer screening, pregnancy, date rape, contraceptive options and family planning, heart disease prevention, HIV risk behaviors, suicide, boating safety, dental caries, and vitamin supplementation. Also of note is that Dr. McDermott is the editor of Inside the Academy, which features distinguished members of the American Journal of Health Behavior.
He also is the associate editor of Social Marketing Quarterly and on the editorial board as well as being a contributing editor. In addition, Dr. McDermott is currently on the editorial boards or review boards of the American Journal of Health Studies, American Journal of Health Behavior, and Umwelt und Gesundheit (Germany). He is contributing editor of the Journal of Health Education, editorial associate of Eta Sigma Gamman, and senior editor of the Florida Public Health Association Journal. In addition to all the articles he has published and all his professional presentations (which are too numerous to count), he has 3 books to his credit: Health Education Evaluation and Measurement: A Practitioner's Perspective published by WCB/McGraw-Hill; Connections for Health, by Brown and Benchmark; and Health Information for Teachers: A College Course, by the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Dr. McDermott has unselfishly served the profession. He was Chair of the School Health Education and Services Section of the American Public Health Association for 3 years; Chair of the Research Council of the American School Health Association, which was a 3-year commitment; and elected to the Research Council Executive Committee of the American School Health Association, which was a 4-year term. He has served on countless boards in Florida. To mention only a few, Dr. McDermott is chair of the steering committee of the Annual Florida Conference on Poison Information: Biological and Behavioral Aspects of Toxic Exposures; member of the steering committee for the Annual Conference on Social Marketing in Public Health; and was on both the education and research committees of the Eta Sigma Gamma -- Alpha Alpha Chapter.
Dr. McDermott also has distinguished himself by supervision of student degree programs. He has directed, codirected, or been a member of 27 doctoral committees and 73 master committees while at the University of South Florida. Many of his students have become significant researchers and contributors to the profession in their own right.
In summary, Dr. McDermott is a consummate professional. He has made significant contributions to society through his commitment to scholarship and research, extramural funding, professional leadership, and service to his students, nation, state, and community. The Academy is happy to count among its membership a scientist of Dr. McDermott's reputation and stature and is delighted to acknowledge his career achievements in this profile of Inside the Academy.
Am J Health Behav 2000;24(1):73-74