M. Jo Edwards, Ed.D.
Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services
Director, Center for Health and Human Services
615-898-2905
mjedward@mtsu.edu

Dr. Edwards holds the Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services at MTSU and serves as the Director of the Center for Health and Human Services. She is the principal investigator on several projects serviced through the center: Career Mapping, Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control, Prevention Through Understanding: Investigating Unexpected Child Death, and previously STOP (Student Tobacco Outreach & Prevention) and SMART Mothers Are Resisting Tobacco.  She has produced the 4th edition of Allied Health in Tennessee: A Supply and Demand Study. As the founding director and now consultant to the Tennessee Institute of Public Health, she coordinates the development of the County Health Profiles.

Cindy Rhea, B.S.
Grants Coordinator
615-904-8342
crhea@mtsu.edu

Ms. Rhea is responsible for pre- and post-award grant administration, proposal development, and health communication.  She is experienced in project development, implementation, and management.  Other duties include preparing the Rutherford County HealthWatch newsletter, writing reports, and Center promotion and outreach. Currently, she manages the Tobacco Advocacy Initiative project.  Ms. Rhea is a Master Trainer in the Stanford Diabetes Self-Management Program.

Jeannie S. Paul, B.S.
Executive Assistant Adams Chair of Excellence
615-494-8919
jpaul@mtsu.edu

Ms. Paul provides administrative support to the Adams Chair of Excellence and the Center for Health and Human Services. She also provides technical and fiscal support to grant project managers. In addition, she assists with coordinating the logistical arrangements for events, conferences, and meetings.

Cynthia Chafin, M.Ed., CHES
Project Manager and Consultant
615-847-3081
cindychafin@comcast.net or cchafin@mtsu.edu

Ms. Chafin’s areas of interest include maternal/child health, community health and wellness, healthy lifestyles, and obesity prevention.  Currently, she manages the Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control project and the Yes I Can! Diabetes Self-Management project. Previously, she managed Smart Mothers are Resisting Tobacco, a prenatal tobacco cessation and prevention program, and the Career Mapping and Folic Acid projects . In 2007, she founded the Community Health Collaboratives, LLC.

Jill Thomas, B.A.
Program Manager, SIDS Death Scene Investigation
615-494-8685
jhthomas@mtsu.edu

Ms. Thomas’s areas of expertise are youth tobacco prevention and education and cervical cancer prevention. Currently, she manages the SIDS Death Scene Investigation Project. Previously, she managed the Student Tobacco Outreach Prevention (STOP) Project in the Middle Tennessee region; organizing all STOP tobacco training hosted by MTSU, as well as the STOP/GEAR UP youth summit collaboration.