Scott Rhodes, PhD, professor and chair of social sciences and health policy, was recently named the American Academy of Health Behavior’s (AAHB) 2024 Research Laureate winner.
The Research Laureate is the highest member award bestowed by the AAHB. Candidates for Research Laureate are competitively evaluated on the overall quality of publications, funding, quality of mentoring activities, service to the community and overall impact of scholarship on the field. Rhodes has excelled in each of these categories.
Rhodes, who is a behavioral scientist, conducts research that explores disease prevention, health disparities and health equity. His research focuses on the areas of sexual health, HIV and STI prevention, screening, and treatment, healthcare access and utilization and other health priorities, both in the United States and internationally.
Overall, Rhodes’ research falls into three main areas: (1) conducting rigorous science within underserved minoritized populations to improve health, (2) community-engaged research, and (3) intervention science. Rhodes has a highly accomplished publication list and laudable track record of funding for his research.
The AAHB was founded to transform the health promotion and health education field from a teaching- and service-centered profession to one with a stronger research foundation in which discovery would be valued as a means of improving practice and enhancing public health.