ColoradoSPH Research Exchange

Barbara Rimer, DrPH, MPH, is Alumni Distinguished Professor of Health Behavior and dean emerita at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health which she led from 2005-2022. Dr. Rimer is the author of more than 270 peer-reviewed articles and 55 book chapters, and is co-editor of Health Behavior: Theory, Research and Practice, the essential health behavior text. She was the first woman and behavioral scientist to lead the National Cancer Institute's National Cancer Advisory Board, a Presidential appointment, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2008. She was appointed by President Obama to chair the President’s Cancer Panel, which she did from 2011 to January 2019. Dr. Rimer has received numerous national awards and honors, including the National Institute of Health Director’s Award in 2000, and the American Cancer Society’s Medal of Honor in 2013. Much of her research focused on developing practical, evidence-based methods to achieve increases in behaviors shown to reduce cancer risk and increase cancer screening. Dr. Rimer currently serves on the Scientific Committee of Cancer Grand Challenges, an effort of Cancer Research UK and the U.S. National Cancer Institute—the two largest funders of cancer research in the world—to empower interdisciplinary global teams to make urgent progress against cancer. She also serves on North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s Commission on Inclusion.

George Sparks has been the President/CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science since November 2004. He spent 24 years in the electronics measurement business at Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies. His career included marketing, sales, and general management of global businesses in software, systems, and services. George is the founder of the Institute for Science & Policy, a program of the Museum. Prior to joining Hewlett-Packard, George spent 9 years in the Air Force as a pilot and as an Assistant Professor of Aeronautics at the USAF Academy (1976-1978). He is a Distinguished Graduate of the USAF Academy with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering and holds an MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT.