The Academy was founded April 1, 1997 to transform the health
promotion and health education field from a teaching- and
service-centered profession to one with a stronger research
foundation in which discovery would be valued as a means of
improving practice and enhancing public health. The origination
of the Academy was based on the belief that the future growth
and evolution of the health promotion and health education
fields rested on a strong commitment to conducting and
disseminating quality research. With a critical eye toward the
future, four stewards forged a new course for the field built on
a distinctive set of conceptual underpinnings. The first
underpinning was a perceived need to establish a meritocracy
that acknowledged the competitive nature of the research
environment, challenged
members to produce quality research, and recognized
outstanding research contributions. The second underpinning
was that to advance evidence-based practice, there was need for
an organization to explicitly identify research as its focus.
The third underpinning recognized that there was a need for a
forum to critically review and evaluate research being conducted
by those in the field. The fourth underpinning was the desire
to overcome partisan, protective agendas of traditional
disciplines by stimulating multi-disciplinary research and
learning. Last, the Academy was established to inform and
educate scholars about the latest in research innovations and to
focus on quality research through its professional meetings and
publications.
VALUES
Goals
A. Establish financial solvency and security of The Academy to
assure high quality and efficiency of the Academy.
B. Foster development and dissemination of knowledge through
sponsorship of scientific meetings, symposia, and publications.
C. Increase member participation to improve the Academy.
D. Recognize outstanding achievements in the areas of health
behavior, health education, and health promotion research.
E. Increase national/international influence of the Academy.
F. Encourage collaborative research efforts.
G. Influence health policy and allocation of resources within
agencies, private foundations, and universities.
H. Foster the research career of young scholars.
