BOONE, N.C. — After conducting a national search, Appalachian State University has appointed Dr. Martie Thompson as its inaugural Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Endowed Professor in Public Health. Thompson, who comes to App State from Clemson University, will join the public health faculty in App State’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS) in August.

This endowed professorship was funded through a donation from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, along with matching funds from the state. BCHS Dean Marie Huff explained that philanthropic support of professorships allows the college to recruit and retain distinguished faculty whose leadership is paramount to developing national programs of distinction.

“Dr. Thompson’s collaborative research and grant writing experience will be a wonderful addition to the college,” Huff said. “We look forward to her engaging with faculty and students across multiple programs in the college and university”

In addition to teaching in the public health program, Thompson will also work with the college’s Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services, where she will provide mentoring for App State faculty and students, along with community outreach.

At Clemson University, Thompson serves as a professor with dual appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life. She has performed extensive research in the areas of interpersonal and self-directed violence, and, prior to joining Clemson University in 2001, she was an epidemic intelligence service officer in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Violence Prevention.

Thompson earned her Ph.D. in community psychology from Georgia State University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University.

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Public Health

Department of Health and Exercise Science

The mission of the undergraduate Public Health program is to provide theoretical and applied knowledge that prepares students to promote and protect the health of the public. The primary goal of the program is to train students to understand human health from a socioecological framework, to identify health-related needs of communities, and to implement interventions to improve the health and well-being of populations.

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Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Institute for Health and Human Services connects Appalachian State University to the community by supporting health and wellness research, interprofessional clinics and community outreach programs. The institute partners with the community to better prepare students to become exceptional practitioners who will continue to address health issues and disparities throughout the region and beyond.

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About the Department of Public Health and Exercise Science

The Department of Public Health and Exercise Science in Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences delivers student-centered education that is accentuated by quality teaching, scholarly activity and service. The department includes two undergraduate academic disciplines: exercise science and public health. The department also offers master’s degrees in exercise science and public health, which prepare students for advanced study in a variety of related fields as well as research. Learn more at https://phes.appstate.edu.

About the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness

The Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness (App Well) connects Appalachian State University to the community by supporting health and wellness research, interprofessional clinics and community outreach programs. The institute partners with the community to better prepare students to become exceptional practitioners who will continue to address health issues and disparities throughout the region and beyond. Learn more at https://appwell.appstate.edu.

About the Beaver College of Health Sciences

Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across six departments: Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health and Exercise Science, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.