Beaver College of Health Sciences

By Amanda Mlekush 

In December, the Beaver College of Health Sciences welcomed Dr. Adam Hege, associate professor of Public Health, as its associate dean for graduate education and research.

Hege will support the college’s nine graduate education programs and oversee expanding the college’s curriculum, interprofessional education, faculty research and grant writing. He will also work closely with the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness (App Well), including the From Here to Health journal and podcast. Hege succeeds Dr. Gary McCullough, who plans to return to his role as a professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences in fall 2025.

“Adam’s research and focus on rural health will be an asset to the college as we look to expand graduate opportunities for our students and address the need for more practitioners and leaders in our rural communities,” said Dr. Marie Huff, dean of the Beaver College of Health Sciences. “He has shown incredible leadership already in interprofessional education opportunities throughout the college and university and has been a catalyst in helping to grow and attain accreditation for our Public Health program and expand it to include a Master of Public Health program which started in 2023.” 

Hege, who is a first-generation college student, earned his bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from UNC-Wilmington; an MS in sports studies from High Point University, a master of public administration (MPA) in public management from App State and his PhD in Community Health Education from UNC-Greensboro. 

Previously, Hege served as the undergraduate program director for the Public Health program at App State, and on the university’s Research Council, steering committee for the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and member of the Sustainability Council. Hege has received several college-wide awards, including Outstanding Faculty (2024); Interprofessional Champion (2020); and the Making a Difference Award (2018). 

He has led and supported securing $1.5 million in external research funding for App State, and authored/co-authored more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented more than  50 times at various national, regional and state conferences. Hege's research focuses on understanding and addressing social determinants of health (i.e., occupational health, food security, access to care, etc.) utilizing community engagement and a mix of qualitative and quantitative research approaches.

In addition to his involvement at the university, Hege was recently elected to the Watauga County Board of Education and is a member of the Dogwood Health Trust Health Policy Research Consortium and Watauga Compassionate Community Initiative.

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