SPHIS Home » Directory » Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA
Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA
Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences
Chair and Professor
485 E. Gray St.. Room 208-A
Louisville, KY 40202
Office: 502-852-2305
Fax: 502-852-3291
Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA, joined the University of Louisville School of Public Health & Information Sciences (SPHIS) as associate dean for public health practice and associate professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences in June 2014. Dr. Wendel also serves as director of the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky.
Research Interests
Dr. Wendel is specifically interested in applied research focused on community capacity building around social and health equity issues.
Current Projects
2015-2020 Principal Investigator, Changing the Narrative: Using Media to Shift Norms of Violence among Youth in West Louisville, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $5.7 million
2015-2018 Co-Principal Investigator, The Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, funded by KentuckyOne Health, $4 million
2015-2018 Principal Investigator, West Louisville Health Literacy Project, funded through the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky by KentuckyOne Health, $300,000
2015-2018 Co-Principal Investigator, Evaluation of Affordable Care Act Implementation in Jefferson County, KY, funded through the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky by KentuckyOne Health, $650,000
2015-2018 Co-Principal Investigator, Adolescent Diversion Project, funded through the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky by KentuckyOne Health, $350,000
2015-2016 Principal Investigator, Increasing Health Literacy on Chronic Conditions in an Underserved Population, funded by the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence, $105,000
2013-2017 Co-Principal Investigator, Statewide Evaluation of the Texas 1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver, funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, $2,400,000
Honors & Awards
Department of Health Policy & Management Outstanding Professor Award, Texas A&M School of Public Health, April 2014
School of Rural Public Health Award for Excellence in Public Health Practice, January 2012
New Board Member of the Year, United Way of the Brazos Valley, May 2011
Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, Inducted May 2004
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Public Health, School of Rural Public Health, May 2002
Achievement Award, Department of Social & Behavioral Health, School of Rural Public Health, May 2002
Tiffany Hunnicutt Outstanding Teaching Award, Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, 1999
Walter Lechner Fellowship, Texas A&M University, 1993-1997
National Merit Scholar, 1993-1997
Publications
Books
Crosby, R., Wendel, M. Vanderpool, R., and Casey, B. (Eds.). (2012). Rural Populations and Health: Determinants, Disparities, and Solutions. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Wiley.
Simons-Morton, B., McLeroy, K. and Wendel, M. (2011). Behavior Theory in Health Promotion Practice and Research. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Journal Articles
Garney, W.R., Wendel, M.L., McLeroy, K., Alaniz, A., Cunningham, G., Castle, B., Ingram, M. & Burdine, J. (Accepted for publication). Family and Community Health.
Wendel, M.L., Benden, M.E., Zhao, H. & Jeffrey, C.* (2016, in press). Stand-biased vs seated classrooms and childhood obesity: Randomized experiment in Texas. American Journal of Public Health.
Miller, K.E., Benden, M.E., Shipp, E.M., Pickens, A. W., Wendel, M.L., Pronovost, P.J. & Watts, B.V. (2016). Predicting violent behavior in clinical settings: A case-control study of a mental health inpatient unit. Journal of Healthcare Protection Management, 32(1): 106-119. PMID: 26978965
Pickens, A.W., Kress, M.M., Benden, M.E., Zhao, H., Wendel, M.L. & Congleton, J.J. (2016). Stand-capable desk use in a call center: A six-month follow-up pilot study. Public Health, 135: 131-134. PMID: 26972520
Garney, W.R.,* Young, A.,* McLeroy, K., Wendel, M. & Schudiske, E. (2015). A Qualitative Examination of Exergame Motivations in Geocaching. Games for Health Journal, 5(1): 1-6. PMID: 26594898
Garney, W.R.,* Beaudoin, C., Clark, H.R., Drake, K., Wendel, M.L., McLeroy, K…Shaw, R. (2015). Using community-based participatory research to disseminate a mass media campaign into rural communities. Journal of Health Communication, 20(7): 799-806. PMID: 25962104
Wendel, M.L., Garney, W.R.* & McLeroy, K.R. Ecological approaches in public health, revised. (2015). In Oxford Bibliographies Online: Public Health. Ed. L.W. Green. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Dornhecker, M.,* Blake, J.J., Benden, M.E., Zhao, H. & Wendel, M.L. (2015). The effect of stand-biased desks on academic engagement: An exploratory study. International Journal of Health Promotion & Education, 53(5): 271-280. PMCID: PMC4794315
Paterson, C., Miller, K.,* Benden, M.E., Shipp, E., Pickens, A., Wendel, M.L. & Provonost, P. (2014). The Safe Day Call: Reducing silos in health care through frontline risk assessment.” The Joint Commission Journal on Quality & Patient Safety, 40(10): 476-481. PMID: 26111308
Benden, M.E., Zhao, H., Jeffrey, C.,* Wendel, M.L. & Blake, J.J. (2014). The evaluation of the impact of stand-biased desks on energy expenditure and physical activity for elementary school students. International Journal of Environmental Research in Public Health, 11 (9): 9361-9375. PMID: 25211776
Clark, H.R.,* Ramirez, A., Drake, K.N., Beaudoin, C.E., Garney, W.R.,* Wendel, M.L., Outley, C.O., Burdine, J.N. & Player, H.D. (2014). Utilization of an interorganizational network survey to evaluate the development of community capacity through a community-campus partnership. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 8(1): 41-51. PMID: 24859101
Beaudoin, C. E., Wendel, M. L., & Drake, K. (2013). A study of individual-level social capital and health outcomes: Testing for variance between rural and urban respondents. Rural Sociology. Published online ahead of print. DOI: 10.1111/ruso. 12036
Smith, M.L., Dickerson, J.,* Wendel, M.L., Ahn, S.,* Pulczinski, J.,* Drake, K.N. & Ory, M.G. (2013). The utility of rural and underserved designations in geospatial assessments of distance traveled to healthcare services: Implications for public health research and practice. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Article ID: 960157, 11 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/960157 PMID: 23843803
Garney, W.R.,* Wendel, M.L., Drake, K.N., McLeroy, K.R., Clark, H.R.* & Ryder, B. (2013). Increasing access to care for Brazos Valley, Texas: A rural community of solution. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 26(3): 246-253. PMID: 23657692
Brossart, D.F., Wendel, M.L., Elliott, T.R., Cook, H.,* Castillo, L., & Burdine, J.N. (2013). Assessing depression in rural communities. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(3): 252-263. PMID: 23307284
Wendel, M.L. and McLeroy, K.R. Ecological approaches in public health. (2012). In Oxford Bibliographies Online: Public Health. Ed. L.W. Green. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Blake, J.J., Benden, M.E. and Wendel, M.L. (2012). Using sit/stand workstations in classrooms: Lessons learned from a pilot study in Texas. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 18(5): 412-415. PMID: 22836531
Benden, M.E., Wendel, M.L., Jeffrey, C.E.,* Zhao, H. & Morales, M.L.* (2012). Within-subjects analysis of the effects of a stand-biased classroom intervention on energy expenditure. Journal of Exercise Physiology (online), 15(2): 9-19.
McCord, C.E.,* Elliott, T.R., Wendel, M.L., Brossart, D.F., Cano, M.A.,* Gonzalez, G.E.,* and Burdine, J.N. (2011). Community capacity and teleconference counseling in rural Texas. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(6): 521-527.
Benden, M.E., Blake, J.J., Wendel, M.L., and Huber, J.C. (2011). The impact of stand-biased classrooms on calorie expenditure in children. American Journal of Public Health, 101(8): 1433-1436. PMID: 21421945
Wendel, M.L., Brossart, D.F., Elliott, T.R., McCord, C.* and Diaz, M.A.* (2011). Use of technology to increase access to mental health services in a rural Texas community. Family and Community Health, 34(2): 134-140. PMID: 21378510
Arthur, T.M.,* Serrano, K.J.,* Wendel, M.L., and Ory, M.G. (2011). An investigative study on health disparities-related research at Texas A&M University System Institutions. Texas Public Health Journal, 63(1): 8-11.
Wendel, M.L., Prochaska, J.D.,* Clark, H.R.,* Sackett, S.,* and Perkins, K.* (2010). Interorganizational network changes among health organizations in the Brazos Valley, Texas. Journal of Primary Prevention, 31(1-2): 59-68. PMID: 20127513
Felix, M., Burdine, J., Wendel, M.L., and Alaniz, A. (2010). Community Health Development: A Strategy for Reinventing America’s Health Care System One Community at a Time. Journal of Primary Prevention, 31(1-2): 9-19. PMID: 20135230
Burdine, J., Wendel, M.L., Felix, M., McLeroy, K., and Blakely, C. (2010). Community-based Participatory Research and Community Health Development. Journal of Primary Prevention, 31(1-2): 1-7. PMID: 20143162
Wehrly, R.,* Mier, N., Ory, M.G., Prochaska, J.,* Hora, K., Wendel, M.L., St. John. J.* (2010). Confronting the diabetes disparity: a look at diabetes, nutrition, and physical activity programs in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Health Promotion Practice, 11(3): 394-399. PMID: 19098266
Wendel, M.L., Burdine, J.N. and McLeroy, K.R. (2007). The evolving role of partnerships in addressing community public health issues: Policy and ethical implications. Organizational Ethics: Business, Healthcare, and Policy Journal, 4(1): 53-64.
Wendel, M.L., Burdine, J.N., and McLeroy, K.R. (2007). CDC’s Prevention Research Centers and community health development. Texas Public Health Association Journal, 59(2): 5-7.
Burdine, J.N., Felix, M.R.J., and Wendel, M.L. (2007). The basics of community health development. Texas Public Health Association Journal, 59(1): 10-11.
Burdine, J.N. and Wendel, M.L. (2007). Framing the question: Needs assessment vs. health status assessment. Texas Public Health Association Journal, 59(1): 12-14.
Burdine, J.N., Felix, M.R.J., Wendel, M.L., and Somachandran, S.* (2003). A discussion of the political and policy implications of a rating system of community capacity to improve population health. Family and Community Health Journal, 26, 254-267. PMID: 14528132