معرفی
Kathy Gunter is a Professor in the Kinesiology program within Oregon State University's College of Health and serves as an Extension Specialist with the Extension Family & Community Health Program. She directs the Healthy Eating, Active Living Research Core at the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children & Families and leads the Center's Community-Engaged Research and Practice Community of Practice.
Dr. Gunter earned her Ph.D. in Human Performance with a Public Health minor from Oregon State University, building on undergraduate training in pre-therapy and exercise physiology. Her educational background fuels her translational research approach.
Her research focuses on developing and evaluating physical activity promotion strategies to enhance health outcomes across the lifespan. Key areas include obesity prevention in rural communities, skeletal health through programs like Better Bones & Balance, and examining four-day school week policies' impact on child/family well-being. She partners with Cooperative Extension, state agencies, and community groups to implement interventions in schools, childcare, and community settings.
Dr. Gunter leads major grant-funded initiatives including a $4.8 million grant to prevent rural childhood obesity and a $5 million grant for similar statewide efforts. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams featuring Dr. Deborah John (physical activity behavior), Dr. Melinda Manore (nutrition), and Dr. Gail Langellotto (horticulture).
She directs the Healthy Eating, Active Living Research Core and the HFC Community-Engaged Research and Practice Community of Practice, which coordinate interdisciplinary teams to address health disparities through community-engaged research, program dissemination, and policy engagement with entities like the Oregon State Senate.
