Robin Stevens, assistant professor in the department of family and community health at Penn Nursing, is this year’s recipient of the Early Career Award from the Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Dr. Stevens, who is also director of the Health Equity & Media Lab, is a health communication scholar focused on achieving health equity in African American and Latinx communities. She examines youth risk and health behavior in the context of the digital neighborhood. Dr. Stevens uses digital epidemiology to investigate social media’s effects on substance use, sexual risk behavior and mental health. Her community-engaged research seeks ways to use data science to improve the health and well-being of youth.

This award recognizes outstanding and promising contributions to the practice and profession of health education, health promotion and/or health communication. The recipient must be in the field fewer than 10 years since receiving a terminal master’s or doctoral degree.