Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, assistant professor of health promotion and behavior at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, has been accepted as a fellow in the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB). He will be inducted at the Academy’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas in March 2015.

The AAHB, founded in 1997, serves as a research home for health behavior scholars and researchers whose primary commitment is to excellence in research and improving public health.

“This recognition is truly an honor,” said Dr. Smith. “I consider AAHB to be my professional home because of its composition of high-quality scholars, alignment with my interests in behavioral interventions and evaluation, and avid role in advancing the profession.”

An established expert in survey research methodology and evaluation, Dr. Smith has earned a national reputation evaluating evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs for older adults. Organizations who have funded his evaluation work include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Administration on Aging (AoA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Fellow status is merit-based and awarded to AAHB members who have contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge in health behavior, health education, or health promotion through research.

To be named an AAHB fellow, a researcher must have published a minimum of 50 original data-based research papers in national or international journals. A fellow must also have presented at least 75 scientific papers at professional meetings, and received 25 research grants or a total $1.5 million in grants as a principal investigator. Confirmation as a fellow also requires a two-thirds majority vote by the AAHB board of directors.

Read more: https://www.publichealth.uga.edu/hpb/news/dr-matthew-lee-smith-named-aahb-fellow