“Lowering Tobacco Smoke Exposure Through Local Policy Change:  

Using Research To Inform Environmental Health Policy”

Ellen Hahn, PhD, RN, FAAN

Professor Emerita

Associate Director, AppalTRuST

University of Kentucky College of Nursing

Ellen J. Hahn is a retired Professor from the Colleges of Nursing and Public Health at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Hahn is currently Associate Director of AppalTRUST (Appalachian Tobacco Regulatory Science Team), and past Director for UK-CARES (Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences P30 ES026529) and BREATHE (Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Toward Healthy Environments) and held the Marcia A. Dake Endowed Professorship in the College of Nursing. Dr. Hahn led the Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing Core within the NIOSH-funded Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center. She was associated with UK’s NCI-designated Markey Cancer Center as a Faculty Associate and participated in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program. Her academic journey includes an undergraduate degree in nursing from Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, a Master of Arts in Health Education from The Ohio State University, and a Master of Science in community health nursing from Indiana University. She completed her PhD in health policy and community health with a minor in substance abuse and family at Indiana University School of Nursing in 1992. Through her leadership as founder of the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy, Dr. Hahn significantly contributed to public health by helping over 50 Kentucky communities become smoke-free. Her research has been pivotal in demonstrating the positive health outcomes and economic neutrality of smoke-free workplace policies. Among her accolades, Dr. Hahn was named a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2011, recognized as the 2012 UK Provost’s Public Scholar, and served as an Ambassador for Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR). In 2021, she was honored with the Faye Glenn Abdellah Leadership Award from FNINR.

"Working Both Sides: Lessons from a Policy Maker Turned Advocate"

Ryan Salzman, PhD 

Project Director, OneNKY Alliance

Ryan Salzman, PhD, is Project Director at the OneNKY Alliance. He works on a wide range of public interest projects, including the advancement of smoke-free policies, bike trail development, shared governance initiatives, and maintaining a presence in the KY state capitol through OneNKY Frankfort. Ryan spent over a decade in higher education where he was a professor of political science, teaching and researching around issues relevant to democracy in the US and abroad. He is politically and civically active in his personal life, having just completed 5 terms on Bellevue (KY) city council with numerous other community and nonprofit engagements.

 “Using Academic Research to Inform Community Advocates”

Prof. Shavonnie R. Carthens

Assistant Professor of Law

University of Kentucky College of Law

Prof. Shavonnie R. Carthens is an Assistant Professor of Law in the J. David Rosenberg College of Law at the University of Kentucky. Her scholarly interests examine issues of public health law, environmental health law, and health equity, with a focus on how legal interventions might improve access to healthy living environments for marginalized communities. She also researches and writes at the intersection of legal literacy, patient protections, and health disparities among incarcerated populations. Her commitment to community engaged scholarship is evidenced through her work as a partner of the Louisville’s Environmental Health Literacy Coalition, as a member of the Kentucky Resources Council’s Environmental Health and Justice Working Group, and investigator for the Universal Basic Neighborhood Project sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In 3 minutes and 3 slides, you will highlight:

   1. Why it Matters – What is the issue your research is addressing

   2. Research – Share the steps you took to address the issue

   3. Conclusion – What did you find and how can it impact environmental quality, human health, policy, or all 3!

Cash Prizes!

All student presentations are eligible for cash prizes!  Presentations will be reviewed by a panel of judges.

JOHN P WYATT MD ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH Outstanding Environmental Science Awards

   $200 – 1^st Place

   $150  – 2^nd Place

   $100  – 3^rd Place

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Outstanding Environmental Science Awards

To share your science, submit your research abstract here.

Deadline: April 8, 2025