Sarah F. Griffin, M.P.H., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
507 Edwards Hall
Department of Public Health Sciences
Box 340745
Clemson, SC 29634-0745
Phone: 864-656-1622
FAX: 864-656-6227
E-Mail: sgriffi@clemson.edu

Dr. Sarah F. Griffin joined the Public Health Sciences Department in the spring of 2006. She is also an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining the faculty at Clemson University, Dr. Griffin was a Research Associate Professor in the Prevention Research Center at the University of South Carolina. Her research focus is on eliminating health disparities primarily related to obesity among underserved minority communities. Dr. Griffin serves as a co-investigator on the Community Partnerships and Outreach Core of the National Institute of Health funded grant EXPORT grant between the University of South Carolina and Claflin College (2006 – 2010) to eliminate disparities related to HIV/AIDS and HPV/Cervical Cancer in Orangeburg County. She is also a co-investigator on the NIH funded trial (2007-2011) entitled “Improving Safety and Access for Physical Activity”. This project aims to determine if a walking and social marketing intervention will increase physical activity through walking in low-income disadvantaged minority communities. She was also recently a co-investigator for the National Institute of Health funded Active by Choice Today (ACT) trail(2004-2009) to increase physical activity among 6th grade students in predominately minority middle schools in South Carolina and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded Active for Life® (2003-2007) translational research project to increase physical activity in older adults.

Dr. Griffin collaborates regularly on grant projects and evaluations regarding obesity prevention, school-based health, increasing physical activity, and community development.  The Anderson County School Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) is a collaborative project between AnMed Health, Partners for A Healthy Community in Anderson, Duke Endowment, and Anderson County schools. Dr. Griffin was a member of the evaluation team for this project. She also works in collaboration with AnMed Health, Partners for A Healthy Community, and the Anderson Coalition on Children and Weight as well as several Anderson area neighborhood associations on school and community driven projects to reduce health disparities in Anderson, SC.  

Dr. Griffin has participated in numerous evaluations of community-based projects, including a statewide 54-site evaluation of South Carolina adolescent pregnancy prevention initiatives, a statewide coordinated school health project, an after-school project to increase fruits and vegetables in 5th grade students, CAMERA, and the University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center core statewide activities. She has also worked with the South Carolina Turning Point initiative to provide training to local public health practitioners, develop components of a national Collaborative Leadership curriculum, and collect and analyze evaluation data.  Prior to working receiving her PhD, she coordinated and evaluated community based initiatives in addressing migrant and seasonal farm worker health, patient education programs, and healthy schools initiatives through working in the state health department or in community health centers.

• Ph.D., Health Promotion and Education, University of South Carolina
• M.P.H., Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, University of South Carolina
• B.S., Biology, Winthrop University

• Obesity Prevention
• Physical Activity
• Community Development To Address Health Disparities
• Process Evaluation
• Translational Research

• Health Behavior Theory
• Community Development for Health
• Evaluation of Public Health Interventions

• American Journal of Public Health
• Journal of Family and Community Health
• Preventing Chronic Disease
• Health Education Research: Theory and Practice
• Health Promotion Practice
• American Journal of Health Behavior
• Journal of Adolescent Health

Adobe Reader required to open the Curriculum Vitae. Click here to download a free copy.