The Guttmacher Institute is pleased to announce that Eric R. Buhi, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of community and family health at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, is the 2011 recipient of the Darroch Award for Excellence in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research. Dr. Buhi’s innovative research focuses on the impact of technology and social media on the sexual health and experiences of adolescents and young adults. Dr. Buhi has published on the accuracy of sexual health resources online, abstinence-only education programs and the dynamics of sexual exchange in a college setting. His work has led to new understanding of how the Internet and social media affect both risk and protective behaviors among young people.
Dr. Buhi is also a strong leader and educator. He serves as the director of the Collaborative for Research Understanding Sexual Health (CRUSH), which encourages interdisciplinary working relationships between faculty and graduate students engaged in scientific research on sexual health. He has also published several articles introducing advanced statistical methods to a broader audience. Dr. Buhi serves as president of the Eastern Region of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and works with a number of community organizations focused on adolescent sexual health.
"Eric’s work neatly encapsulates the criteria for the Darroch Award: cutting-edge research that has clear application to public policies and programs, leadership in the field of sexual and reproductive health, and a focus on educating students, early-career professionals and the field as a whole," said Sharon L. Camp, president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute. "In an era when technology plays such an important role in our lives, Eric has been a leader in understanding its impact on reproductive health—and the role it can play in improving sexual health."
The Darroch Award was established in 2005 to recognize excellence among sexual and reproductive health researchers who are in the early or middle years of their career. It is named for Jacqueline E. Darroch, former senior vice president for science at Guttmacher and currently a senior fellow at the Institute, whose three decades at Guttmacher exemplified rigorous and innovative work on sexual and reproductive health issues and a commitment to the practical application of research to policy and programs. The award is presented biennially. The first recipient, in 2005, was Elizabeth G. Raymond, researcher at Family Health International and a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist. The second recipient, in 2007, was Sandra G. García, director of reproductive health for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Population Council. The most recent previous recipient, in 2009, was Kelly Blanchard, president of Ibis Reproductive Health.
For more information about the award, click here.