Topics in Peer Health Education for College Students

Dr. Rhonda Rahn is an Instructional Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of Public Health at Texas A&M University. She earned her PhD in Health Education, MS in Health Education, and BS in Health from Texas A&M University. She teaches allied, community, and public health undergraduate students. Prior to teaching, Dr. Rahn spent 14 years as a professional health educator in the Department of Student Health Services at Texas A&M University where she advised a peer educator student organization and developed a course on peer health education. Her research interests investigate college students' health behaviors including sexuality and peer health education. Dr. Rahn has taught courses such as Concepts in Peer Health Education, Human Diseases, and Human Sexuality since 2013.  She has publications in peer-reviewed journals and have presented at national and state conferences. She is a professional member of SOPHE, ACHA, APHA, ASHA, and TAHPERD and a Certified Health Education Specialist.  Dr. Rahn has mentored undergraduate students and new professionals in a variety of different roles as a member of professional organizations, a professional health educator, and a faculty member.  

Marian believes deeply in the power and transformation of peer education. Marian currently serves as the Assistant Director of Wellbeing for the Office of Wellbeing at Wake Forest University. There, she provides strategic leadership for part of the department’s health promotion portfolio which includes peer education initiatives, sleep hygiene, body image, new student programs, and sexual health. Marian is the Instructor of Record for Wake Forest University’s CNS 253: Peer Education Academic Course. Marian brings 15 years of experience working in college student health promotion to our office. Prior to coming to Wake Forest, Marian served as the inaugural Bystander Intervention Specialist for The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). In this role, she managed their campus wide multi-issue bystander intervention initiative called BeVocal. The mission of BeVocal is to enhance bystanders’ confidence and motivation to intervene in order to prevent and reduce harm. Prior to that role, she served for as the inaugural Suicide Prevention Coordinator for UT Austin where she worked with campus stakeholders and students to create the Be That One Suicide Prevention Program (Be That One), a program of the Longhorn Wellness Center. Be That One utilizes a public health approach to implement suicide prevention strategies by peer outreach, education, and support. During this time she also served as the instructor and adviser to the Mental Health Promotion Peer Education at UT Austin. She is a 1st year student in the PhD Program for Community Health Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Marian was a peer educator while an undergraduate student for the Wellness Resource Center while attending the University of Missouri.