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 Cynthia M. Cole, Ph.D.
(University of North Carolina-Greensboro, 1989)
100 Airport Gardens Road, Suite 10,
Hazard, KY 41701
Phone: (606) 439-3557 ext. 241
e-mail: colecyn@uky.edu
Research Description
Dr. Cole is currently focusing on evaluations of community-based rural health programs, including smoking cessation, and interventions to improve the health and economic well-being of vulnerable populations. She also has a longstanding interest in training and retaining health and research professionals in rural locations. She is particularly interested in the interaction between rural affinities and professional socialization. An emerging area of interest is the health impact of community and individual experiences of discrimination and marginalization. Specific groups of interest include people identified as rural, Appalachian, or African-American.
2009 Accomplishments
Dr. Cole continued to serve as academic director of the Community-based Research Education in Eastern Kentucky (CREEK) program. The purpose of the CREEK educational program is to engage individuals with rural affinities in behavioral research to reduce health disparities in rural Appalachia. Dr. Cole has also taught BSC 331 for each Hazard cohort of physical therapy doctoral students. Dr. Cole’s primary involvement with research is to serve as a research supervisor or advisor for CREEK students, physical therapy and Bridges to the Baccalaureate students. Under her guidance, CREEK, Physical Therapy and Bridges students participate in a poster presentation of their research studies at the annual meetings of the Appalachian Studies Association. She served on a doctoral committee for a student who successfully defended her dissertation in gerontology in the fall of 2009. The CREEK program is described on its website (http://www.uky.edu/Programs/CREEK/). Dr. Cole led a community group that established Pathfinders of Perry County, a community-CREEK collaboration. “Pathfinders of Perry County is a non-profit citizen action group that promotes community wellbeing, health and engagement through development of routes and destinations for non-motorized transportation and recreation.” Through Pathfinders and CREEK students can investigate the effects of community action on health outcomes. In 2009, a CREEK student carried out a walking interest research project in conjunction with Pathfinders and the results were used as an impetus to create a walking route around the ARH-Hazard Hospital. With funding from the Hazard Perry County Community Foundation, plus in-kind and cash donations from the community, Pathfinders and local Girl Scout Troop 316 created the Riverside International Peace Garden. A Bridges student was involved in carrying out a small research project as part of this activity. Dr. Cole has served on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Health Promotion for more than 20 years and continues to do so. Dr. Cole served as a member of the IRB for the Appalachian Regional Healthcare-Hazard, on the Advisory Committee for Morehead State University’s Regional Engagement plan, on the Board of the Hazard Rotary Free Clinic and as a member of the Hazard Perry County Vision 20/20 project. She received several honors for her work with Pathfinders, including being named a “Hometown Hero” by the Community-based Public Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association and serving as an invited speaker at the annual Bost Conference held by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. KET produced a short video about Pathfinders for the 2009 Bost conference presentation. A case study that she completed as part of the Buddy Project evaluation was selected for inclusion in an archive of exemplary educational evaluation work in Great Britain (http://www.ensemble.ac.uk/projects/edeval/).
2009 Accomplishments
Dr. Cole continued to serve as academic director of the Community-based Research Education in Eastern Kentucky (CREEK) program. The purpose of the CREEK educational program is to engage individuals with rural affinities in behavioral research to reduce health disparities in rural Appalachia. Dr. Cole has also taught BSC 331 for each Hazard cohort of physical therapy doctoral students. Dr. Cole’s primary involvement with research is to serve as a research supervisor or advisor for CREEK students, physical therapy and Bridges to the Baccalaureate students. Under her guidance, CREEK, Physical Therapy and Bridges students participate in a poster presentation of their research studies at the annual meetings of the Appalachian Studies Association. She served on a doctoral committee for a student who successfully defended her dissertation in gerontology in the fall of 2009. The CREEK program is described on its website (http://www.uky.edu/Programs/CREEK/). Dr. Cole led a community group that established Pathfinders of Perry County, a community-CREEK collaboration. “Pathfinders of Perry County is a non-profit citizen action group that promotes community wellbeing, health and engagement through development of routes and destinations for non-motorized transportation and recreation.” Through Pathfinders and CREEK students can investigate the effects of community action on health outcomes. In 2009, a CREEK student carried out a walking interest research project in conjunction with Pathfinders and the results were used as an impetus to create a walking route around the ARH-Hazard Hospital. With funding from the Hazard Perry County Community Foundation, plus in-kind and cash donations from the community, Pathfinders and local Girl Scout Troop 316 created the Riverside International Peace Garden. A Bridges student was involved in carrying out a small research project as part of this activity. Dr. Cole has served on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Health Promotion for more than 20 years and continues to do so. Dr. Cole served as a member of the IRB for the Appalachian Regional Healthcare-Hazard, on the Advisory Committee for Morehead State University’s Regional Engagement plan, on the Board of the Hazard Rotary Free Clinic and as a member of the Hazard Perry County Vision 20/20 project. She received several honors for her work with Pathfinders, including being named a “Hometown Hero” by the Community-based Public Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association and serving as an invited speaker at the annual Bost Conference held by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. KET produced a short video about Pathfinders for the 2009 Bost conference presentation. A case study that she completed as part of the Buddy Project evaluation was selected for inclusion in an archive of exemplary educational evaluation work in Great Britain (http://www.ensemble.ac.uk/projects/edeval/).
Research Funding
Principal Investigator: Evaluation Subcontract for “New Beginnings: An Economic Development Project Providing Childcare, Education and Jobs in Perry County, Kentucky.” Project funded by the Federal Office of Health and Human Services grant to Hazard-Perry County Community Ministries. Project Director: Gerry Roll. 2004-2007. Principal Investigator, Evaluation Subcontract, “Appalachian Homeless Assertive Services Program.” Project funded by SAMHSA/HRSA Collaboration to Link Health Care for the Homeless Programs and Community Mental Health Agencies Program-the HCH/CMHA Collaboration Project. Grant awarded to Kentucky River Community Care, Inc., June, 2002. Project Director: David Mathews. 2002-2005.
Principal Investigator, Evaluation subcontract, “Smoking Cessation and Prevention for Appalachians.” Project funded by grant from American Legacy Foundation Small Innovative Grants Program to Kentucky River Tobacco Coalition. Project Director: Donna Hardin. 2003-2004.
Principal Investigator, Evaluation of “Community-focused Health Research Education and Training Program (CHRET). The CHRET program fosters the education and training of research workers in the control and prevention of cancer and other chronic illnesses. The trainees live in rural Eastern Kentucky, where the educational program takes place. Co-Investigator: Subcontract to collect data and prepare report, “Substance Abuse Treatment in Kentucky: A Special Report.” Component of Kentucky Treatment Outcome Survey (KTOS), Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Principal Investigator for KTOS Study: Carl Leukefeld. 2002.
Representative Publications
Ware, S., Olesinski, R., Cole, C., & Pray, M. (1998). Teaching at a distance using interactive video. Journal of Allied Health.
Stake, R., Merchant, B., Cole, C., Sloane, F., Flores, C., Migotsky, C., Miron, M., & Medley, C. (1994). An evaluation report of the Chicago teachers academy of math and science. Champaign-Urbana, IL: Center for Instructional Research and Curriculum Evaluation (CIRCE) at the University of Illinois.
Cole, C.M. (1993). The impact of the Indiana BUDDY home computer program on elementary school children and their families. In North Central Regional Education Laboratory (Ed.), BUDDYSYSTEM Evaluation Report. Oak Brook, IL.
Cole, C.M. (1992). Chicago school reform in a neighborhood elementary school. In North Central Regional Education Laboratory (Ed.), NCREL/SFA Chicago School Reform Study Project: Monitoring Implementation of the Chicago Public Schools’ Systemwide School Reform Goals and Objectives Plan. Chicago, Chicago School Finance Authority.
Gaskins, S.E., Tietze, P.E., & Cole, C.M. (1991). Obstetrics practice patterns among family practice residency graduates. Southern Medical Journal, 84, 947-952.
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