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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.
2008 Accomplishments
Throughout 2008, Dr. Cole continued to lead the development of the educational program associated with 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 health-related behavioral research to reduce health disparities in rural Appalachia. In the spring of 2007, CREEK students were enrolled in the following courses: SW 395 (2 undergraduate CREEK students) and SW 580 (2 CREEK students enrolled in the Hazard cohort of the MSW program, 1 CREEK student enrolled in the UK DSW program and 1 CREEK student enrolled in the UK doctoral program in sociology). In the fall semester of 2007 and the spring, and fall semesters of 2008, she taught students in the CREEK program via a variety of independent course numbers. The students included 1 undergraduate psychology major, 2 masters level social work students, 1 doctoral social work student, 2 sociology doctoral students, and a student in the masters in public health program at Eastern Kentucky State University. In the fall semesters of 2007 and 2008, she taught BSC 331 for the Hazard cohorts of physical therapy students in the doctoral program. Dr. Cole’s primary involvement with research has been to serve as a research supervisor or advisor for research projects for CREEK students and for physical therapy students. She has been involved with 15 students in these capacities during the 2-year period covered by this summary. She led the students in proposals to present their research as posters at the 2007 and 2008 Appalachian Studies Association annual meetings. She also worked with the Director of Information Technology at the UK Center for Rural Health to develop a webpage on the UK website that described the CREEK program and presented the final research papers prepared by CREEK students (http://www.uky.edu/Programs/CREEK/). In June of 2008, the project funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission to engage 20 students in the CREEK program, to expand the consortium of colleges and universities participating in CREEK, to create employment opportunities for community-based researchers, and to establish an internet-based system for disseminating health research carried out by CREEK personnel was concluded successfully, with all primary goals met. As part of the project, Dr. Cole led the effort to establish Pathfinders of Perry County, a community-CREEK collaboration. The mission is: “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.” Pathfinders also provides multiple opportunities for CREEK students to investigate the effects of community action on health outcomes. Two physical therapy students carried out a walking interest research project in conjunction with Pathfinders and a second project was designed in the fall of 2008 and will be completed in the spring of 2009. Late in 2008, the Hazard Perry County Community Foundation awarded funds to Pathfinders to establish a Riverside International Peace Garden, which has a small research component.
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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