Staff Spotlight: Kim Merchant



Name:  Kim Merchant

Position: Research Associate

How long have you been at Iowa? As CPH staff, since June 2008.  Before that, as a graduate student and graduate assistant.  Way before that, when I got my BA.

Graduate Training: MA in Journalism, with electives in Public Health (Dec 2007)

Research Interests: currently - telehealth, rural health; ongoing - eating disorders, wellness

Best part of your job: Flexible working arrangements and academic environment where learning is ongoing.

Current projects: Projects in the Rural Telehealth Research Center and the Center for Health and Policy Research in HMP.

Recent awards: 2016 CPH Staff Research Award

Why Iowa?  I want to make a difference and hope that by being here, especially in CPH, I can help impact health and well-being.

If you could tell your younger self something, what would it be? Keep that employee stock option plan!

What is public health and how does it relate to what you do now?  I love the relevancy of what we do in public health. What we do relates to everyone's life, work and community. 

What would we be surprised to know about you? I went to nine schools before graduating from high school; so I was always the "new girl." (My dad was in agricultural sales and got transferred often.)

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Flying


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