A Letter From the Director
It is a tremendous honor to be named the next director of the UT Center for Health Communication. Health communication has been my focus since arriving in Austin in 2006. Being named director is a chance to review what has happened in the last decade, build on the incredible foundation the Dean of the Moody College of Communication, Jay Bernhardt, established as the founding director of the center, and look ahead to what can be done in the coming years.
The vision of our center is “Improving health through evidence-based communication research.” We have a talented, collaborative, and interdisciplinary team of faculty, students, and staff who are dedicated to pursuing that vision and advancing the field of health communication.
Given its oversight and support from both the Moody College of Communication and Dell Medical School, the center has an opportunity to collaborate and facilitate health communication research which could contribute to how Dell Medical School is rethinking medical practice, education, and improving health in Central Texas and beyond. Simultaneously, the center’s focus on health communication positions it to evolve while strengthening existing partnerships with the College of Pharmacy, School of Nursing, School of Social Work, and other programs and centers across the university.
As we look ahead, the center is dedicated to advancing evidence-based health communication scholarship and translating that knowledge into education and community involvement. Since the center’s founding we have had the chance to pursue our mission with partners such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Texas Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. I am excited about the potential for the center to continue collaborating with external partners who can leverage the work of our faculty, students, and staff to have a broader impact on the field of health communication and ultimately public health.
Stay tuned for more exciting things in the coming months.
Hook ‘em!
Michael Mackert, PhD
Director, UT Center for Health Communication