Christina L. Wissinger

Christina L. Wissinger is an Associate Librarian for the Health Sciences and a tenured faculty member at The Pennsylvania State University Libraries. She provides comprehensive research and educational support to multiple departments within the College of Health and Human Development, including Biobehavioral Health, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Human Development and Family Studies, Kinesiology, and Nutritional Sciences. As part of the Prevention Research Center, she assists faculty, staff, and students with literature reviews, database selection, and collection development for evidence-based practice.

Dr. Wissinger holds several advanced degrees:

• Ph.D. in Communications Media and Instructional Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2016)
• MLIS in Medical Librarianship/Informatics from University of Pittsburgh (2006)
• MS in Sport Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2002)
• BA in Humanities from University of Pittsburgh (2001)

Dr. Wissinger's research program centers on promoting health literacy at all stages of life, with particular emphasis on consumer health information literacy. She is dedicated to helping Pennsylvania residents and the Penn State community access reliable health information to support personal wellbeing. Her work extends to privacy literacy, empathy in education, and compassion fatigue in libraries. She has made significant contributions to evidence-based practice literature, including co-authoring the 'Searching for Evidence' chapter in the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model and Guidelines.

Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on bridging information science with health education needs. Wissinger's scholarly work addresses practical challenges in health information access, professional ethics in digital environments, and innovative instructional methods in academic libraries. She has published in respected venues including College and Research Libraries News, Journal of Library Administration, and Journal of the Medical Library Association.

Dr. Wissinger is actively engaged in professional service and community initiatives:

• Member of the Program on Empathy, Awareness, and Compassion in Education (PEACE)
• Contributor to Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model and Guidelines
• Active participant in scholarly discourse on information literacy and health education
• Researcher with an h-index of 5 according to Scopus data

With her unique interdisciplinary background spanning humanities, sport science, library science, and communications technology, Dr. Wissinger brings multiple perspectives to health information challenges. Her work embodies her professional philosophy: 'I strive to incorporate and promote empathy and compassion in all areas of personal growth and learning.' She continues to advance the field through her scholarly contributions, professional service, and commitment to improving health literacy for diverse populations.