Karen A. Kemper, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
533 Edwards Hall
Department of Public Health Sciences
Box 340745
Clemson, SC 29634-0745
Phone: 864-656-5490
FAX: 864-656-6227
E-Mail: kkaren@clemson.edu

Dr. Kemper is an Associate Professor for the Department of Public Health Sciences. Her primary interest areas for teaching, research, and service include physical activity and obesity. Dr. Kemper’s PhD is in Public Health Health Promotion from the University of SC (1992) and she has certifications in Health Fitness from ACSM (2000) and Fitness in Aging Populations from ACE (2004). In 2002, she was a fellow in the USC Research Prevention Center and CDC Physical Activity and Public Health Research Course. She has taught courses and conducted research addressing nutrition beliefs and behaviors, eating disorders, body image norms, and health communication. Dr. Kemper enjoys working with students and has worked with them on several programs and research projects. Some of these projects include:

• Developing and implementing a health fitness testing program for the Sullivan Center CU 4 Health program.
• Analyzing secondary data from the Sullivan Center CU 4 Health program and national CARDIA study
• Surveying former eating disorder patients about readiness to change and assisting with Carolyn Becker’s eating disorder prevention program.
• Conducting a cardiovascular risk assessment study with students at a Historically Black College (Voorhees College, Denmark, SC).
• Conducting pedometer studies with university employees and college students.
• Developing an on-line health education intervention for students a college students.
• Dr. Kemper is currently the PI for one of three research projects for an NIH EXPORT grant addressing health disparities and obesity.
• She has also been the PI for a multi-year Department of Social Services grant (Promoting Success of At-Risk African American Youth) and a one-year SC Department of Health and Environmental Control grant (Cardiovascular Risk Prevention in African American Adults).

Dr. Kemper has been involved with several health communication projects. She produced a 25 minute documentary-style video concerning at-risk African American youth for the SC Department of Social Services and wrote a comprehensive Health Communication Plan targeting physical activity and African American women for the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. She is also a regular contributor to the SC Public Radio Program “Your Day”.

Dr. Kemper is a founding member of the American Public Health Association Health Communication Working Group, assisting in their first member survey and chairing their first webpage committee. She was a member of the SC Cardiovascular Health Strategic Planning Committee and co-chaired the Communication Sub-committee. She was a Board Member (2002-2005) and President (2003-2004) of the SC Coalition to Promote Physical Activity.

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

• Obesity and Body Image Norms
• Public Health Nutrition
• African American Youth

• Communication in Health Systems
• Principles of Health and Fitness
• Medical Terminology

• Obesity Research
• Adolescence
• Journal of Health Education

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