Dr. Jay Bernhardt (Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1999; M.P.H., Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 1994) is the 6th Dean of the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, one of the largest and highest ranked colleges of communication in the country. Dr. Bernhardt also serves as the Founding Director of the Center for Health Communication and holds the Walter Cronkite Regents Chair and the DeWitt Carter Reddick Regents Chair in Communication. He is Adjunct Professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health. Before UT, Dr. Bernhardt served as Chair, Professor, and Center Director at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and previously served on the faculty of Emory University in Atlanta and the University of Georgia in Athens. From 2005 to 2010, Dr. Bernhardt led health communication and marketing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, managing a staff of more than 500 and a budget of more than $100 million. He is recognized internationally as a visionary leader, respected scholar, and innovative scientist in the application of communication, marketing, media to public health, healthcare, and medicine. Dr. Bernhardt serves on numerous national boards and four editorial boards. He is a member of six honor societies and has received numerous awards for his scholarship and leadership.
Ph.D. Health Communication 1999 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
M.P.H. Public Health 1994 Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
B.A. Sociology 1992 Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Founding Director, Center for Health Communication, Moody College of Communication and Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, 2014-Present.
Adjunct Professor, Austin Regional Campus, The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health at Houston, September 2014-Present.
Selected Articles:
Glowacki, E.M., Lazard, A.J., Wilcox, G.B., Mackert, M., & Bernhardt, J.M. (2016). Identifying the public’s concerns and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reactions during a health crisis: An analysis of the CDC’s Zika live Twitter chat. American Journal of Infection Control. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.05.025
Livingood, W.C., Monticalvo, D., Bernhardt, J.N., Wells, K.T., Harris, T., Kee, K., Hayes, J., George, D., & Woodhouse, L.D. (2016). Engaging Adolescents Through Participatory and Qualitative Research Methods to Develop a Digital Communication Intervention to Reduce Adolescent Obesity, Health Education & Behavior. doi: 10.1177/1090198116677216
Mackert, M., Donovan, E., & Bernhardt J.M. (2016). Applied Grant Writing Training for Future Health Communication Researchers: The Health Communication Scholars Program. Health Communication. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2015.1110686.
Lazard, A., Scheinfeld, E., Bernhardt, J.M., Wilcox, G., & Suran, M. (2015). Detecting themes of public concern: a text mining analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ebola live Twitter chat. American Journal of Infection Control. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.05.025.
Alber, J., Watson, A., Barnett, T., Mercado, R., & Bernhardt, J.M. (2015). Development of a coding instrument to assess the quality and content of anti-tobacco video games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(7): 417-425. doi:10.1089/cyber.2015.0051.
Hall, A. K., Bernhardt, J. M., & Dodd, V. (2015). Older adults use of online and offline sources of health information and constructs of reliance and self-efficacy for medical decision making. Journal of Health Communication, 20(7), 751-758. DOI:10.1080/10810730.2015.1018603.
Hall, A.K., Cole-Lewis, H., & Bernhardt, J.M. (2015). Mobile text messaging for health: A systematic review of reviews. Annual Review of Public Health, 36, 1-29.23. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122855.
Bernhardt, J.M., Alber, J., & Gold, R.S. (2014). A primer on social media for professionals: digital dos and don’ts. Health Promotion Practice. DOI: 10.1177/1524839913517235.
Bernhardt, J.M., Mays, D., & Hall, A.K. (2012). Social marketing at the right place and right time with new media. Journal of Social Marketing, 2, 2, 130-137.
Hall, A.K., Stellefson, M., & Bernhardt, J.M. (2012) Healthy Aging 2.0: The potential of new media and technology. Preventing Chronic Disease, 9, 110241. DOI: 10.5888/pcd9.110241.
Bernhardt, J.M., Mays, D., & Kreuter, M. (2011). Dissemination 2.0: Closing the gap between knowledge and practice with new media and marketing. Journal of Health Communication, 16s1, 32-44.
Bernhardt, J.M., Usdan, S., Mays, D., Arriola, K.J., Martin, R.J., Cremeens, J., & Arriola, K.J. (2009). Alcohol assessment among college students using wireless mobile technology. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 70, 771-775.
Bernhardt, J.M., Mays, D., Eroğlu, D., & Daniel, K.L. (2009) New communication channels: Changing the nature of customer engagement, Social Marketing Quarterly, 15, 7-15.
Kreuter, M.W., & Bernhardt, J.M. (2009). Reframing the dissemination challenge: A marketing and distribution perspective. American Journal of Public Health, 99, 2123-2127.
Lyon Daniel, K., Bernhardt, J.M., & Eroglu, D., (2009). Social marketing and health communication: From people to places, American Journal of Public Health, 99, 2120-2122.
Mays, D., Bernhardt, J.M. et al. (2009). Development and validation of the Retrospective Alcohol Context Scale, American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 35, 109-114.
Mays, D., Klaiman, T., Kumanyika, S., & Bernhardt, J.M. (2008). A call to action to address diversity in public health professional preparation, Journal of Diversity in Health and Social Care, 8, 207-214.
Hayden, J., Cottrell, R., & Bernhardt, J.M. (2008). Ascending the career ladder, with Dr. Jay Bernhardt. Health Promotion Practice, 9, 1, 12-15.
Bernhardt, J.M., Usdan, S., Mays, D., Arriola, K.J., Martin, R.J., Cremeens, J., McGill, T., & Weitzel, J.A. (2007). Alcohol assessment using wireless handheld computers: A pilot study. Addictive Behaviors, 32, 12, 3065-3070.
Weitzel, J.A., Bernhardt, J.M., Usdan, S., Mays, D., & Glanz, K. (2007). Using wireless handheld computers and tailored text messaging to reduce negative consequences of drinking alcohol. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68, 534-537.
Bernhardt, J.M. (2006). Improving health through Health Marketing. Preventing Chronic Disease, 3, 1-3.
Bernhardt, J.M., Usdan, S.L., & Burnett, A. (2005). Using handheld computers for daily alcohol assessment: Results from a pilot study. Journal of Substance Use, 10, 347-353.
Bernhardt, J.M. (2004). Communication at the core of effective public health. American Journal of Public Health, 94, 12, 2051-2053.
Bernhardt, J.M., & Felter, E.M. (2004). Online pediatric information seeking among mothers of young children: Results from a qualitative study using focus groups. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6, e7.
Bernhardt, J.M., Lariscy, R.A., Parrott, R.L., Silk, K.J., & Felter, E.M. (2002). Perceived barriers to Internet-based health communication on human genetics. Journal of Health Communication, 7, 4, 325-340.
Bernhardt, J.M., Strecher, V.J., Bishop, K., Potts, P., Madison, E.M., & Thorp, J. (2001). Handheld computer-assisted self-interviews: User comfort level and preferences. American Journal of Health Behavior, 25, 6, 557-563.
Bernhardt, J.M., Sorenson, J.R., & Brown, J.D. (2001). When the perpetrator gets killed: Effects of a televised narrative anti-violence public service announcement. Health Education & Behavior, 28, 1, 81-94.
Bernhardt, J.M., & Hubley, J. (2001). Health education and the Internet: The start of a revolution. Health Education Research, 16, 6.
Bernhardt, J.M. (2000). Health education and the digital divide: Building bridges and filling chasms. Health Education Research, 15, 527-531.