Melinda J. Ickes, PhD

Associate Professor

Melinda Ickes received her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 2010. Dr. Ickes is Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She also has a joint appointment in the College of Nursing where she serves as the Co-Director of the Tobacco Policy Research Program of the BREATHE (Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Toward Healthy Environments) research team. In addition, she is a faculty associate for the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy. She serves as Director of both Tobacco-free Take Action! and Go Tobacco-free, two initiatives to promote evidence-based tobacco control, including implementation and evaluation of tobacco policies. Through these initiatives, Dr. Ickes and her colleagues have assisted over 500 campuses and organizations work toward tobacco-free policies. She is also Program Director of #iCANendthetrend, a peer-led youth prevention and empowerment program that has reached over 5,000 KY youth and been recognized nationally.

Dr. Ickes has extensive experience in college and youth health promotion, including tobacco prevention, and has worked with university and community partners to reduce the prevalence of emerging tobacco products among at-risk youth and young adults. Her research interests also go beyond tobacco control, including community-engaged research, youth empowerment, evidence-based program planning and evaluation, college health promotion, physical activity promotion, and childhood obesity. She is also very active in professional organizations, including Chair of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) University Faculty Community of Practice and SOPHE State Health Policy Expert.

Dr. Ickes serves as the Health Promotion Program Faculty Chair and Director of the Graduate Certificate in Health Coaching. She teaches a variety of specialized undergraduate and graduate courses in health promotion including Human Health and Wellness, Program Planning, Health Promotion and Behavior Change, College Health Promotion, and Worksite Wellness. She also assists with coordination of the health promotion practicum/internship program.

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