Grant will fund cell phone law study at Texas State
Posted by University News Service
Nov. 8, 2010
Will banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving in school zones reduce the incidence of injury and death enough to offset the cost of implementing and enforcing the unfunded mandate?
That is a question a Texas State University-San Marcos researcher will examine as she conducts a study funded by a recent $75,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s leading philanthropy in health and health care.
Tondra Moore, assistant professor in Texas State’s School of Health Administration, will conduct the two-year study under the auspices of the foundation’s New Connections and Public Health Law Research programs.
The New Connections program seeks early- to mid-career scholars who are historically underrepresented ethnic or racial minorities, first-generation college graduates and individuals from low-income communities. The Public Health Law Research program is a national effort to build the evidence for and increase the use of effective regulatory, legal and policy solutions—whether statutes, regulations, case law or other policies—to protect and improve population health and the public health system.
“I am extremely proud to be among the junior investigators honored with this prestigious grant," said Moore. "This award will connect me to a network of established experts in research and evaluation related to health and health care, while providing me with an opportunity to evaluate a program that has far-reaching implications for Texas municipalities and cell phone related policies."
Debra Pérez, RWJF senior program officer for the New Connections program, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Tondra Moore to a program that reflects the Foundation’s commitment to increasing the diversity in our grant making and in the broader fields of health research. More than a grant opportunity, New Connections serves as a lifelong professional network for diverse researchers and evaluators.”
More information about New Connections is available at http://www.rwjf-newconnections.org.
About Texas State University-San Marcos
Texas State University-San Marcos is a doctoral granting university located in the Austin-San Antonio corridor on the edge of the Texas Hill Country. With an enrollment of more than 32,000 it is the largest campus in the Texas State University System, one of the 75 largest universities in the country and has been named one of America’s Best Value Colleges by the Princeton Review. Texas State is a diverse campus community with minority students comprising more than 28 percent of total enrollment. It is one of the top 13 producers of Hispanic baccalaureate graduates in the nation.
About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, RWJF works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years, the Foundation has brought experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those we serve. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, RWJF expects to make a difference in your lifetime.