WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is proud to announce that Eleanor Hudd will be awarded the SOPHE Patient Engagement Fellow Award during the 2025 Annual Conference in Long Beach, April 16-18.  

“It’s an incredible honor to receive this fellowship,” said Hudd, a doctoral candidate in communication at University of Kentucky with a focus in risk and health communication. “My doctoral journey has come with a lot of hurdles, not least the death of my mentor, Dan O’Hair, who was a legend in the field of risk communication. Having my work recognized by SOPHE was incredibly validating for me as someone who’s had a hard road toward coming into my own as a health and risk communication scholar.” 

This award recognizes, assists, and trains masters or doctoral students to advance the research and practice of patient-centered health care from the perspective of health education or the behavioral sciences. 

“Being able to generate knowledge that can empower physicians and patients to have more effective, personalized discussions about opioid-related risks is my way of using my skills and privileges to give back to this state,” she said. “Kentucky has been particularly hard-hit by the opioid crisis, and I hope my work will contribute to better patient-physician communication around this issue.” 

At the University of Kentucky, she earned an M.A. in communication and a graduate certificate in risk sciences and currently teaches persuasive speaking. She has studied the role of communication in reducing public health risks in multiple contexts, including media coverage of mass shootings, understanding the role of mass communication in online radicalization, and promoting integrated pest management. 

“Access to quality education has given me good health literacy,” said Hudd. “Not everyone has that privilege, which is why I see health communication research as vital for equity and patient empowerment.” 

In addition to this recognition, Hudd will present her dissertation work, How Physicians Communicate the Risks of Opioid Medications to Patients, at the 2025 Annual Conference, which will be her first SOPHE conference to attend. Her doctoral dissertation and SOPHE Student Patient Education Fellowship project focuses on how general practitioners communicate opioid risks to patients. She has won top paper awards from the National Communication Association and the Broadcast Education Association.  

Hudd’s involvement with SOPHE underscores her enthusiasm for collaboration and knowledge-sharing in the field of public health education.  

“I’ve never been to a SOPHE conference before, so I’m excited to network with fellow scholars and practitioners in the area of public health education,” she said. “In addition to presenting and attending presentations, I hope to develop meaningful and productive relationships that can lead to fruitful collaborations in both research and practice in the future.” 

SOPHE will present all awards and scholarships to public health professionals, health education researchers, faculty, programs, and practitioners at the annual conference. These awards and scholarships recognize significant advancements in the profession of health education and health promotion and outstanding contributions of veterans and rising stars to improving the public’s health. 

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About SOPHE 

The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a nonprofit association that supports leaders in public health, health education, and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe. SOPHE members work in health care settings, communities, organizations, schools, universities, worksites, and in local, state, and federal government agencies. For more information visit  www.sophe.org.