At the recent Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) Forum, Dr. Kerry Evers and Dr. Sara Johnson were named the 2018 recipients of The Mark Dundon Research Award as part of the presentation of the 2018 HERO Health and Well-Being Awards.
As co-CEOs and Presidents of Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc., it makes sense that Dr. Sara Johnson and Dr. Kerry Evers would be the first co-recipients of the Mark Dundon Research Award. Both are well known for their expertise on theory-driven approaches to health behavior change, for implementing evidence-based behavior change strategies, and for identifying methods for increasing program impact. They have dedicated their careers to research on and the dissemination of best practices in behavior change to advance population health and well-being. Together, they have overseen millions of dollars in research grants from the National Institutes of Health to conduct research in diverse populations that addresses a variety of behavior change challenges, such as substance use prevention among active military and veterans and chronic pain self-management. This award is a clear reflection of Pro-Change’s commitment to ground-breaking research to drive innovation in the science and practice of behavior change.
“As the field of workplace health and well-being continues to evolve, we need leaders working to advance the field, improve our understanding, and increase adoption of best practices,” said Paul Terry, president and CEO, HERO. “The collective work and collaborative approach that Kerry and Sara bring to population health research has contributed greatly to the evolution of our knowledge of behavior change and well-being.”
“This award is an incredible honor, said Dr. Kerry Evers. But it is made even more special to be awarded it with Sara, as we have grown in this field alongside each other through graduate school, our early career, and now as a team leading Pro-Change. To have our partnership recognized with such a prestigious award is an extraordinary moment in our careers!”
“We are honored and humbled to be following in the footsteps of the previous Mark Dundon award-winners,” said Dr. Sara Johnson. “And we are very grateful to our colleagues at Pro-Change for contributing so significantly to the success of our organization’s research. This is truly a recognition for our whole team!”