Jennifer Matthews

Jennifer Matthews is a Professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion within the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University. Her research focuses on substance abuse epidemiology, trauma resilience frameworks, and public health interventions targeting college student behaviors and community-level substance misuse.

Her educational background includes:

• M.S.P.H. in Public Health from the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health
• Ph.D. in Health Education and Promotion from the University of Alabama and The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dr. Matthews' research spans alcohol use patterns among bar patrons, trauma-informed care implementation, and behavioral health equity. She has conducted extensive field studies on pregaming behaviors, blood alcohol concentration perceptions, and clean indoor air legislation impacts, with recent work expanding into rural trauma resilience through Community Resiliency Model (CRM) training. Her approach emphasizes community collaboration and evidence-based practices to address substance abuse disparities.

Publication trends over the past decade reveal consistent focus on alcohol-related behaviors (2013-2019), evolving toward trauma resilience and medication disposal programs (2022-2024). Her work appears predominantly in public health and substance abuse journals, demonstrating methodological rigor through field-based investigations and policy evaluations.

As Principal Investigator, she directs significant grant-funded initiatives including Em-BRACE-ing the Family (Duke Endowment, 2022-2026) and Pitt County trauma resilience projects. She serves as co-facilitator for the Resilient NC Collaborative Coalition and has trained over 500 individuals in CRM workshops across Pitt County schools and community organizations, focusing on stress management and emotional regulation for educators, students, and child development centers.