Rate My Professor Allison Ford-Wade

Allison Ford-Wade is Chair and Professor of Public Health in the Department of Public Health within the University of Mississippi's School of Applied Sciences. She concurrently serves as Associate Dean for Community Engagement. Ford-Wade obtained her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of North Alabama in 1997, Master of Science in Health Promotions from Mississippi State University in 1998, and Doctor of Philosophy in Health Science from the University of Arkansas in 2001. Joining the University of Mississippi in 2006 as Assistant Professor of Health Promotion, she has advanced to her current leadership positions, including previous roles as Interim Chair of the Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management and Program Director for Public Health. She has been instrumental in developing and introducing new public health academic programs at the university and across the state.

Her academic interests center on health behaviors among college students, low bone density in college students and young adults, and broader community health issues, with expertise in community health and college and youth health behaviors. Prominent publications include "Evaluation of a social cognitive theory-based email intervention designed to influence the physical activity of survivors of breast cancer" (2013), "Osteoporosis knowledge, self-efficacy, and beliefs among college students in the USA and China" (2011), "Testing multi-theory model (MTM) in predicting initiation and sustenance of physical activity behavior among college students" (2016), "Validity of ultrasound prediction equations for total and regional muscularity in middle-aged and older men and women" (2015), and "Skin cancer knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in collegiate athletes" (2014). Ford-Wade contributes to public health advocacy as a member of the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Public Health Association (Member-at-Large, North Mississippi, appointed 2023) and The Mississippi Diabetes Network. Additionally, she has led initiatives to introduce STEM fields to high school students through inter-institutional collaborations and supports student mental health programs.