For Assistant Dean for Faculty Success Richard Holden, Ph.D., research mentorship has been key to his own accomplishments as well as supporting the professional development of his peers.
For his significant contributions as a mentor, leader, and public health researcher, Holden has been selected for the Distinguished Public Health Service Award from the Indiana Public Health Association (IPHA).
"Dr. Holden’s impressive program of research is extremely impactful and his elevation of others’ research is truly spectacular,” shares Evan Jordan, Ph.D., Interim Chair for the Department of Health & Wellness Design and one of Holden’s nominators for this award. "He excels at building excellent research teams, and takes great care to connect others with people, ideas, and resources to help them succeed."
Integrating mentorship into his leadership style, Holden says one of his proudest achievements over the past few years is creating the “Holden-It-Together” Network in July 2021 to better support and connect his faculty mentees around the country as well as within SPH-B. The network began with 25 members and has grown to 70.
"I ran out of capacity to do one-on-one mentoring when I took on the role of department chair at that time," says Holden. "By creating this network, if I had something to share or kudos to give, I would be able to send it in one go rather than 25 times. I also wanted to create a peer mentoring model that would give faculty the ability to connect with one another."
Currently, the network is pilot testing mentoring “circles” of three to five faculty who meet regularly to support each other towards a specific purpose or goal. This and other mentoring strategies are central to his most recent leadership roles, publications, and faculty development programs.
In addition to faculty mentoring, Holden was the founding director of the Center for Health by Design that recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. With mentee and fellow center member Ines Gonzalez Casanova, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Applied Health Science, Holden was recently awarded a grant to improve nutrition among Latino populations living with hypertension and/or diabetes. While Holden’s research on healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is extensive, this current grant is one example of Holden’s broad research interests in other areas including lifestyle behavior, pediatrics, intellectual and developmental disability, mental and rural health.
"This recognition from IPHA signals the importance in public health research to be both a player and a coach for others," says Holden. "I am gratified for the opportunity to do both at a top level."
Jordan adds, "Through his effort, Dr. Holden has been instrumental in supporting and advancing public health research that improves the lives of Hoosier and so many others."
For more inspiring stories about SPH-B students, faculty, and staff making a difference, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.