Education
Ph.D. – Health Promotion and Prevention, UAMS
M.P.H. – Health Behavior, Health Education, and Biostatistics, UAMS
B.A. – Biology and Women’s Studies, Washington University
Areas of Expertise
Intervention research on minority health and health disparities
Community-based Participatory Research
Sexual Health Behavior Research and HIV Prevention
Theoretical and conceptual modeling
Survey design and analysis
Quantitative and Mixed Methods Research
Introduction
Dr. Montgomery is a behavioral researcher in the UAMS Southern Public Health and Criminal Justice Research Center. Her focus is on health behavior, education, and promotion and disease prevention.
Credentials, Accreditations, and Awards
Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES # 35457)
Teaching Focus
Dr. Montgomery teaches health behavior and health education in a way that creates a paradigm shift away from exclusion and victim-blaming and towards inclusion and recognition of structural racism and power relations as impediments to health equity. To do this, she teaches the hierarchical roots of health education, introduces diverse cultural perspectives, and connects interdisciplinary resources.
Research Overview
Dr. Montgomery uses quantitative and mixed methodologies to study sociocultural and environmental factors (i.e., sexism, violence) that contribute to health disparities in underserved and minoritized populations. She also uses culture-specific multilevel interventions address the impact of structural racism and discrimination on minority health, producing evidence-based findings to inform social/political decision makers.
Recent Books or Publications
- Montgomery BEE, Crone C, Goodwin B, Hokans R, Williams A, Stacker J, Borne’ R, Pro G, Martel I. Home Together: A Multi-Level Community-Based Health Promotion Program Supporting Families Experiencing Homelessness. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2024; 35(3):880-902. PMID: 39129608.
- Pro G, Cantor J, Willis D, Gu M, Fairman B, Baloh J, Montgomery BE. A Multilevel Analysis of Changing Telehealth Availability in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Settings: Conditional Effects of Rurality, the Number and Types of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Available, and Time, US, 2016-2023. J Rural Health. 2024 Jun 12. PMID: 38867390.
- St Vil NM, Haley DF, Montgomery B, Williams M, Watson L, Zhang S, Wingood GM. An Exploration of Geographic Access to Substance Use Treatment Programs and Violence Against Women. J Interpers Violence. 2024 Apr 11:8862605241246000. PMID: 38605583.
- Pro G, Brown CC, Johnson O, Montgomery BEE, Zaller N. Comprehensive and Integrated Services in Specialty Mental Health Treatment Facilities in the US: Differences by the Racial/Ethnic Composition of the Facility’s Clientele, 2020. Community Ment Health J. 2024 Feb; 60(2): 272-282. PMID: 37436527.
- Pro G, Horton H, Tody B, Gu M, Washington T, Williams A, Gorvine MM, Johnson O, Lovelady N, Jackson T, Ray A, Montgomery B, Zaller N. National and State-Level Trends in the Availability of Mental Health Treatment Services Tailored to Individuals Ordered to Treatment by a Court: United States, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024 Jan 9. PMID: 38193943.
Fun Fact
My long tenure at UAMS drives my commitment to rigorous instruction and teaching the core values espoused by the COPH and UAMS. I build on the strong foundation of the committed faculty who mentored me by training students in the same rigorous fashion, encouraging them to advance their careers while also balancing work and life responsibilities.