D.C. Health COMM Conference

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DCHC 2025

The 8th Biennial D.C. Health Communication Conference (DCHC)

Three day conference May 1-3

“Community-Engaged Health Communication”

 

 

REGISTRATION IS LIVE:

https://secure.touchnet.com/C20788_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=80&SINGLESTORE=true

 

 

 

Award Submission Information:

Call for Nominations for The Charles Atkin Award for Translational Health Communication Research Scholar Award, deadline February 1, 2025:

  • The 7th Translational Health Communication Scholar Award will be presented at the conference to a scholar with a demonstrated record of research that has significantly contributed to practice and/or policy.
  • A nomination should consist of a letter detailing why the nominee deserves the award, accompanied by the nominee’s CV.
  • The winner is obligated to provide a presentation at the awards luncheon.
  • Nominations for this award will be accepted until February 1, 2025, at: gkreps@gmu.edu.

 

Abstracts programmed in poster sessions are eligible for poster awards in three categories: Top Student (led), Top Early Career Scholar (led), and Top Overall, provided posters are submitted to DCHC@gmu.edu by April 15th. Please see the website for poster requirements and submit in JPEG or PDF format.

 

Abstracts accepted for panel presentations will be eligible for awards in those same categories.

 

We are honored to announce our conference keynote will be given by Dr. Michael L. Hecht!

Title:  A journey through community-based research and practice: How a communication scholar learned to love public health

Michael L. Hecht (PhD, University of Illinois) is President of REAL Prevention, LLC and a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication Arts and Sciences and Crime, Law and Justice at Penn State University. He started in prevention research over 40 years ago, after a graduate student recruited him to collaborate on a narrative project targeting adolescent drug use. Now, Michael focuses his work on school and community-based prevention, culture and health, health message design and narrative health messages. This work includes several evidence-based interventions that advance his Narrative Engagement Theory and Principle of Cultural Grounding. keepin’ it REAL is the most widely distributed school-based curriculum since its adoption by D.A.R.E. It has been adapted for use in Nicaragua, the UK, Spain, and Mexico. Parents Stories guides parents to discuss alcohol with high school youth in order to reduce risky drinking. Both are recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General. Other evidence-based interventions include HPV Stories, which was developed with Planned Parenthood and promotes HPV vaccine among youth, women, and men and is endorsed by NCI and the American Cancer Society; Mighty Teens targeting risky sexual behavior among middle school students (with AASA: The School Superintendents Association); REAL media targeting substance use among high school students (developed with the 4-H clubs and recommended by NREPP), the Opioid Rapid Response System for prevention deaths from overdose, and the Student Athlete Wellness Portal targeting reducing prescription opioid misuse among high school athletes. He has authored more than 200 books, chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles. This work represents collaborative efforts with groups and individuals through which Michael and his colleagues hope to promote healthy, safe, and responsible behaviors.

realprevention.org

 

Call for Papers:

The Department of Communication at George Mason University announces the 2025 D.C. Health Communication Conference. The conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency Dulles, within walking distance of Washington Dulles airport with easy access to the D.C. Metro train system, as well as multiple restaurants and attractions in the area.

 

DCHC 2025 takes place Thursday-Saturday, May 1-3, featuring competitive papers, posters, and panel sessions covering not only issues related to the conference theme but also broadly defined concerns across a breadth of topics relevant to health communication research and practice.

 

DCHC 2025 will begin on the morning of Thursday, May 1. The conference keynote speaker will be announced later this year. DCHC 2025 will conclude on Saturday, May 3, with an awards luncheon featuring a presentation by the winner of The Charles Atkin Award for Outstanding Translational Health Communication Scholar.

Abstracts programmed in poster sessions are eligible for poster awards in three categories: Top Student, Top Early Career Scholar, and Top Overall. Abstracts accepted for panel presentations will be eligible for awards in those same categories, provided that complete papers are submitted by February 22. Specific instructions will be given at the time of acceptance.

 

Call for Abstracts for DCHC 2025 Community Engaged Health Communication, deadline December 1, 2024:

  • One-page abstracts must be submitted by December 1, 2024. Submission will be through the link above.  We encourage both new and seasoned health communication scholars to submit their work. All health communication topics are welcomed.
  • Panel submissions must address the conference theme. Please provide a one-page abstract that includes a list of all panelists with a moderator and contact person identified.

 

Acceptance notifications will be sent by the end of January 2025.

 

Charles Atkin Translational Scholar Award nominations deadline:

February 1, 2025

Call for Nominations for The Charles Atkin Award for Translational Health Communication Research Scholar Award, deadline February 1, 2025:

  • The 7th Translational Health Communication Scholar Award will be presented at the conference to a scholar with a demonstrated record of research that has significantly contributed to practice and/or policy.
  • A nomination should consist of a letter detailing why the nominee deserves the award, accompanied by the nominee’s CV.
  • The winner is obligated to provide a presentation at the awards luncheon.
  • Nominations for this award will be accepted until February 1, 2025, at: gkreps@gmu.edu.

 

Contact Information:

  • General conference info: Anne Nicotera, Chair, Planning Committee, dchc@gmu.edu
  • Abstract submission info: Iccha Basnyat, Program Planner, dchc@gmu.edu
  • Atkin Award info: Gary Kreps, Atkin Award Committee Chair, gkreps@gmu.edu
  • Website info: Brittany Sanders, Conference Manager & Webmaster, dchc@gmu.edu

 

DCHC Conference Registration Prices & Information

Information about conference registration and hotel reservations, including pricing, will be provided in early 2025.

For more information, contact: dchc@gmu.edu. Visit our Website: dchc.gmu.edu. Follow us on Facebook Facebook.com/masonDCHC