Karen Vail-Smith

Karen Vail-Smith is a Teaching Professor at East Carolina University's College of Health and Human Performance in the Department of Health Education and Promotion. With over three decades of contributions to public health education and research, she focuses on sexual health, substance abuse prevention, and health promotion among college-aged populations.

• Affiliation: American Public Health Association, N.C. SOPHE, NC Public Health Association
• Grants: Multiple grants from ECU Faculty Senate (2000-2014), NC DHHS Division of Public Health (2018-2020), Kate B. Reynolds Trust (1998-2002), and others

Her research spans sexual satisfaction components in undergraduates, prescription drug misuse patterns, and HPV-related risk factors in college men. She has developed educational interventions like the smARTS Alliance and PREPare for Success programs.

Recent publications focus on public health trends in sexual health communication and substance use prevention, with keywords spanning behavioral science, pharmacology, and health policy. Articles from 2015-2022 highlight her expertise in adolescent health risk behaviors.

• Scientific Awards
  • Influential Figure (ECU Excels Committee, 2024)
  • Most Valuable Professor (ECU Baseball, 2017)
  • Ray Martinez Award for Teaching Excellence (2007)
  • Centennial Award for Excellence in Leadership (2007)

Vail-Smith has secured over 20 teaching/research grants since 1985, including NIH-funded projects and community interventions targeting substance abuse and sexual health. She also leads the Safe Zone Training program for health sciences faculty/staff and contributes to science webinars on gender identity education.