Dr. Sarah Kercsmar joined the College of Health Sciences in 2017.  She serves as the Department Chair for the Department of Health and Clinical Sciences and the Certificate Director for the Clinical Healthcare Certificate program.  Previously, she spent 7 years as a faculty member in the College of Communication and Information at UK. She has also worked on funded health policy projects for the UK College of Nursing and as a grassroots organizer for the American Lung Association of West Virginia and the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia.

Dr. Kercsmar loves teaching and working with students, from the very first year until graduation. She especially likes trying out new teaching methods and active learning tools to help students learn through hands-on experience. Her research interests include the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, service-learning, and population level public health interventions.

Dr. Kercsmar has a PhD from the University of Kentucky in Communication (with a cognate in Educational Policy and Evaluation) and an MA and BA from Marshall University in Communication Studies. She also has a Master of Health Administration and graduate certificates in Distance Learning and Tobacco Treatment from the University of Kentucky. 

Publications

• Kercsmar S, Clancy K.  2021.  The COVID-19 Senior Experience in Clinical Leadership & Management: Practicum, Capstone, and Beyond. Journal of Health Administration Education.
• McMullen J, Kercsmar S, Poole K, Ickes M.J.  2020.  Walking for transportation on campus: Perspectives from faculty and students. Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal. 4(1)
• Strawser M.G, Kercsmar S.  2020.  Brief communication: Community engagement through training and development: Building a faculty-led campus consulting firm. Journal of Faculty Developmen. 34(1)
• Strawser M.G, Kercsmar S, Cooper T.B, Housely-Gaffey A.L, Devito A., Pennell M..  2019.  Transforming a Basic Model: Assessing the Educational Integrity of a Redesigned Hybrid Basic Communication Course. Kentucky Journal of Communication. 38(1)
• Ickes M.J, Butler K, Wiggins A, Kercsmar S, Rayens MKay, Hahn EJ.  2019.  Truth ® ads, receptivity, and motivation to use or quit tobacco among college students. Journal of American College Health. 15
• Strawser M.G, Gaffney A.L, Devito A., Kercsmar S, Pennell M..  2017.  A blended basic course examination of self-efficacy and communication apprehension: A comparison of blended and traditional students. Basic Communication Course Annual. 29
• Hahn EJ, Rayens MKay, Kercsmar S, Adkins SM, Wright APotter, Robertson HE, Rinker G.  2014.  Dual home screening and tailored environmental feedback to reduce radon and secondhand smoke: an exploratory study.. J Environ Health. 76(6):156-61.
• Frisby B.N., Limperos A.M., Record R.A., Downs E., Kercsmar S.  2013.  Students’ perceptions of social presence: Rhetorical and relational goals across three mediated instructional designs. Merlot Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 9(4)
• Ickes MJ, Hahn EJ, McCann M, Kercsmar S.  2013.  Tobacco-free Take Action!: Increasing Policy Adherence on a College Campus.. World Med Health Policy. 5(1):47-56.
• Hahn EJ, Fallin A, Darville A, Kercsmar S, McCann M, Record RA.  2012.  The three Ts of adopting tobacco-free policies on college campuses.. Nurs Clin North Am. 47(1):109-17.
• Helme DW, Rayens MKay, Kercsmar S, Adkins SM, Amundsen SJ, Lee E, Riker CA, Hahn EJ.  2012.  Rural print media portrayal of secondhand smoke and smoke-free policy.. Health Promot Pract. 13(6):848-56.
• Fallin A, Parker L, Lindgreen J, Riker C, Kercsmar S, Hahn EJ.  2011.  Secular trends and smoke-free policy development in rural Kentucky.. Health Educ Res. 26(4):711-21.