Bonny Specker

Bonny Specker is the Ethel Austin Martin Endowed Chair and Professor Emerita in Health and Nutritional Sciences at South Dakota State University (SDSU). She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati. Her career includes 15 years at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and UC Medical Center, where she served as professor of pediatrics and associate professor of radiology before joining SDSU in 1997. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed works focusing on bone metabolism, calcium/vitamin D physiology, and maternal/child health disparities.

Dr. Specker leads NIH-funded studies like the South Dakota Rural Bone Health Study and collaborates with tribal health organizations on maternal/child health projects. She has served on NIH and USDA review panels, federal advisory groups at the National Academy of Sciences and CDC, and is a member of key societies including the American Pediatric Society and American Society for Nutrition.

Her research emphasizes rural health issues, vitamin D's role in bone health, and epidemiological methods. Recent work addresses breastfeeding practices in American Indian populations, injury disparities among children, and pandemic-related healthcare worker exposures. She also investigates prebiotic interventions for metabolic syndrome and environmental factors affecting placental health through the National Children’s Study.