Tuesday, October 14, 2025

8:00 am

Registration Open and Light Breakfast

9:00 am - 10:30 am 

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Early-Career Investigators Making an Impact in Appalachian Research Panel

Samantha Kempker-Margherio, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech

Jessica Thayer, MD, Assistant Professor, West Virginia University

Rose Nevill, PhD, Research Associate Professor Director, UVA STAR Autism Research Core, University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development

Alex Elswick, PhD, Assistant Extension Professor for Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, University of Kentucky School of Human Environmental Sciences

10:30 am - 10:45 am

Break and Visit Exhibitors

10:45 am - 12:15 pm

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Training, Education, and Workforce Development

Evaluating the Statewide West Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program
A. Brianna Sheppard, PhD, MA – West Virginia University

Addressing Healthcare Workforce Gaps in Rural Kentucky
Sierra Williams, MPH, MS – University of Kentucky

Expanding the WVHAMP Model: A Rural Mentorship Approach to Hepatitis C, HIV, and Other Emerging Health Needs in Appalachia
Adam Baus, PhD, MA, MPH – West Virginia University School of Public Health, Office of Health Services Research

Community Engagement and Access to Optimal Health

Community-engaged Environmental Health Partnerships using Drone Technology to Improve Health in Appalachia
Ellen J. Hahn, PhD, RN, FAAN; Bart Massey, M.Ed; Mace Baker, RN; Beth Bowling, RN; Joshua Adams

Disaster Volunteering and Mental Health: Insights from Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina
Sophia Ryan, MA – University of Pittsburgh

Hypertension Quality Improvement at a Rural Federally Qualified Health Center in Eastern Kentucky
Key Douthitt, MD – University of Kentucky North Fork Valley Community Health Center

Impact of Bidirectional Learning Between Communities and Their Academic Partners

Appalachian Kentucky Rural Research Hub: Ensuring the Success of Community-Engaged Research
David A. Gross, MPA – UK St. Claire
Ashley G. Hall, MS, University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS)

Mobilizing Research into Rural Appalachia
Jenny Ostien, MS – WVU Cancer Institute

Program Development and Evaluation

Mixed Method Evaluation of a Rural Residency Telehealth Training Curriculum
Karen L. Roper, PhD – University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Piloting a Model to Train Community Program Graduates as Researchers
Beata Debinski, PhD, MHS – Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Leveraging Natural Environments to Promote Physical Activity in Rural Appalachian Communities
Timothy McKay, Assistant Professor of Exercise and Health Sciences – University of Kentucky and Union Commonwealth University

12:15 pm - 12:30 pm

Break and Visit Exhibitors - Pick Up Boxed Lunch