Master Certified Health Education Specialist, 2015-present

Membership in Professional Organizations: American Public Health Association, Society for Public Health Education, Tennessee Public Health Association

Research Interests

Behavioral risk factors among college students (specifically substance abuse and sexual violence), the use of technology to enhance pedagogy, moral disengagement and health related behaviors, stigma and discrimination in health care, maternal and infant health 

Community and Professional Service

2023-present         President, Middle Tennessee Fund for Women and Girls

2023-present         True Blue Core Liason, Health and Human Performance Department

2023-present         QUEST 2025 Strategic Planning and Mission Review liason, College of Behavioral and Health Science

2022-present         Health Education School Health Advisory Committee, Tennessee Coordinated School Health

2021-2023         United Way Healthy Behaviors Vision Council

2021-present         QUEST 2025 Faculty Development subcommittee

2021-2023             Honors Council

2018-2019             Curriculum Development Committee for ACEs Grant, Office of Health and Human Services

2018-present          Reviewer for Health Promotion Practice

2018-present          Reviewer for Education + Training  

2017-2018             Immediate Past Chair of Academics Section, Tennessee Public Health Association

2016-2019             Grand Division Planning Committee, Tennessee Public Health Association

2016-2018              Vice President or Programming, American Association of University Women

2016-2017              Chair of Academics Section, Tennessee Public Health Association

2015-2016              American Public Health Association Reviewer of Abstracts 

Experience with external funding agencies
Application for NIH R15 grant

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Dr. Bethany Wrye, Ph.D, MCHES, is Interim Chair for Health and Human Performance and Associate Professor of Public Health. She has served as the Chair of Tennessee Public Health Association’s Academics Section and the Program Vice President for the Murfreesboro chapter of the American Association of University Women, and currently serves as the President of the Middle Tennessee Fund for Women and Girls. Dr. Wrye has led a Professional Learning Community centered on the implementation of MT Engage, MTSU’s Quality Enhancement Plan, and a Faculty Learning Community on enhancing a sense of belonging among graduate students enrolled in onlien courses and programs. She has spoken at several professional gatherings, including CHASCo’s Partners in Prevention Conference and the TAPHERD annual conference. Her areas of research interest include moral disengagement in health related behaviors, stigma and equity in health care access and quality, and the use of technology to enhance pedagogy.

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Prairie, T., Wrye, B., Murfree, S. (2018). Physician/Resident Views of Working with LGBT+ Patients in Health Care. Health Promotion and Practice, 19(4), 542-549.  

Wrye, B., & Pruitt, C. (2017). Perceptions of Binge Drinking as Problematic among College Students. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 61(1), 71-90.  

Wrye, B., Chafin, C., & Higginbotham, C. (revised and resubmitted to Education + Training). Creating a Win-Win: Designing and implementing mutually beneficial collaborations between community organizations and academic courses.  

Prairie, T., Wrye, B., Weatherby, N., Bowman, A., & Thareja, G. (submitted to Journal of Religion and Health). Does location of practice predict negative physician attitudes or beliefs toward LGB+ individuals?  

Wrye, B., Story, C., Campbell, K., & Teal, J. (submitted to American Journal of Health Studies). Perceived barriers to and social supports for breastfeeding continuation in Tennessee.  

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Murfree, S., Thareja, G., Wrye, B., Weatherby, N. Association between a Physician’s Recommendation for a Lifestyle Change and Cholesterol-Lowering Medications. Tennessee Public Health Association 2018, September 12, 2018, Brentwood, TN  

Wilcox, K., Anfinson, E., & Wrye, B. Assessing Type 2 Diabetes Risk Perception among College Students and Creating Health Education Tools using the Health Belief Model. Tennessee Public Health Association Middle Tennessee Grand Division Meeting, April 13, 2018, Franklin, TN. -and- MTSU Scholar’s Day, March 23, 2018, Murfreesboro, TN.  

Prairie, T., Wrye, B., Gray, J., Weatherby, N., & Eller, J. Collective Memories of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Pansexual (LGBTQ+) Youth in Tennessee High Schools. Tennessee Public Health Association Middle Tennessee Grand Division Meeting, April 13, 2018, Franklin, TN  

Jones, A., & Wrye, B. Effect of Nutrition Education in the Chef Academy Program to Increase Nutrition Knowledge and Confidence. Tennessee Public Health Association Middle Tennessee Grand Division Meeting, April 13, 2018, Franklin, TN  

Gause, T., Rajvong, W., Owusu, A., Story, C., & Wrye, B. The relationship between age of initiation of alcohol/tobacco/marijuana use and prescription drug abuse among high school students in the US. MTSU Scholar’s Day, March 23, 2018, Murfreesboro, TN  

Rajvong, W., Gause, T., Owusu, A., Story, C., & Wrye, B. An examination of the relationship between Type 2 Diabetes and risk factors including diet, physical activity, and body weight among US adults. MTSU Scholar’s Day, March 23, 2018, Murfreesboro, TN  

Prairie, T., Weatherby, N., Wrye, B., & Bowman, A. Does location of practice predict negative physician attitudes or beliefs towards LGB+ individuals? American Public Health Association 2017 Annual Meeting and Expo, November 6, 2017, Atlanta, GA  

Bowman, A., Prairie, T., Wrye, B., Owusu, A., Weatherby, N. Examining Mental Health Literacy among Emerging Adults in the Southeastern United States. Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, November 2-4, 2017, Washington D.C.  

Wrye, B. Exploring the Intersections of Violence and Substance Misuse. Plenary Session at the Partners in Preventions 2017 Conference, June 22, 2017, Cumberland University, Lebanon, TN  

Prairie, T., Wrye, B., Weatherby, N., and Murfree, S. Physician/Resident Views of Working with LGBT+ Patients in Health Care. Society for Public Health Education Conference, March 31, 2017, Denver, Colorado  

Prairie, T., Wrye, B., and Weatherby, N. Physician Views of Working with LGBT+ Patients in General Medicine. LGBT+ College Conference, April 7, 2016, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. -and- Scholar’s Week, April 1, 2016, Middle Tennessee State University  

Teal, J. and Wrye, B. Intervention to Promote Breastfeeding for a Full Year among Working Mothers Living in Rural Areas and Enrolled in WIC. Breastfeeding and Feminism International Conference, March 20, 2016, Chapel Hill, NC. -and- LGBT+ College Conference 2016, April 7, 2016, Middle Tennessee State University. -and- College of Behavioral and Health Sciences Scholar’s Week Collaborative Research Event, March 29, 2016, Middle Tennessee State University  

Prairie, T., Wrye, B., Weatherby, N., & Parente, S. Time Sequenced Citation Analysis of Scientific Literature on Enacted Stigma by Health Personnel when Treating LGBTQIA+ Patients. Society for Public Health Education Conference, April 1, 2016, Charlotte, NC -and- LGBT+ College Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, April 9, 2015, Murfreesboro, TN -and- Scholar’s Day, Middle Tennessee State University, March 20, 2015, Murfreesboro, TN  

Killets, S., Lewis, B., & Wrye, B. Tobacco Free Campus Initiative. Scholar’s Day, Middle Tennessee State University, March 20, 2015, Murfreesboro, TN  

Wrye, B., Weatherby, N., Umscheid, D., Hamilton, G., and Kalwinsky, R. The Effect of Moral Disengagement and Media Exposure on Binge Drinking among College Students. National American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Convention and Expo, April 23, 2013, Charlotte, NC  

Campbell, K., Wrye, B., Ellis, C., and Bartley, D. Acquired vs. Desired Information about Diabetes among African American Women. Scholar’s Day, Middle Tennessee State University, April 4, 2008, Murfreesboro, TN -and- Tennessee Public Health Association, August 27, 2008, Franklin, TN  

Wrye, B., Hamilton, G., Musicant, A., & Brinthaupt, T. The Proverbs Subtest as a Measure of Executive Function among Individuals in Residential Treatment for Substance Use Disorder. 15th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, August 18, 2007, San Francisco, CA    

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Current projects involve behavioral risk factors among college students (specifically substance abuse and sexual violence), the use of technology to enhance pedagogy, moral disengagement and health related behaviors, employee wellness programs, and sexual education and knowledge/behaviors.

Dissertation Committee Member

Sarah Harris, Dissertation chair, current.

Rebecca Claypool, Dissertation chair, Spring 2021.

Sarah Murfree, Dissertation chair, Spring 2019.

Courtney Pruitt, Dissertation committee, Spring 2019.

Jennifer Kelton, Dissertation chair, Fall 2018.

Tara Prairie, Dissertation chair, Spring 2018.

Jessie Hawkins, Dissertation committee, Spring 2018.  

Thesis Committee Member

Aubrenie Jones, M.S. Thesis chair. Spring 2019

Willie Rajavong, M.S. Thesis committee. Graduated Fall 2018.

Sarah Murfree, M.S. Thesis committee. Graduated 2016.   

Undergraduate Research Advisor

Kyeesha Wilcox, URECA Grant recipient and Honors Thesis chair, Spring 2018.

Jesse Teal, URECA Grant recipient. Spring 2015.

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HLTH 1530    Health and Wellness (traditional, honors, on-line, and on-line accelerated)

HLTH 1531    Health and Wellness Lab (traditional, honors, on-line, and on-line accelerated)

HLTH 3240    Foundations of Health Education

HLTH 3320    Assessment Community and Public Health

HLTH 3590    Workshops and Instructional Methods in Health Education

HLTH 4260    Curriculum and Teaching Methods in Health Education

HLTH 4300    The School Health Program

HLTH 4400    Drugs and Violence (on-line)

HLTH 4860    Program Planning

HLTH 4870    Methods of Communication and Marketing in Health Education

HLTH 4920    Independent Study

HLTH 6102    Theory of Health Education and Behavior

HLTH 6910    Special Problems

HHP 7060      Research Practicum in Human Performance

HHP 7640      Dissertation Research

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