Kahler is an Assistant Professor at Middle Tennessee State University where his current activities involve teaching and conducting disaster epidemiology and public health capacity research. He previously served as a local epidemiologist in Texas before entering academia, where his research interests include disaster epidemiology, epidemiologic capacity in local health departments, and community health assessment methods. Prior to that, he worked internationally in Zambia with HIV/AIDs prevention trials. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring state parks in Tennessee with his wife, three kids, and two dogs.  

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Select Publications:

Stone, K. W., Kintziger, K. W., Jagger, M. A., & Horney, J. A. (2021). Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(8), 4369. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084369

Stone, K. W., Felkner, M., Garza, E., Perez-Patron, M., Schmit, C. D., McDonald, T. J., & Horney, J. A. (2021). Changes to Timeliness and Completeness of Infectious Disease Reporting in Texas After Implementation of an Epidemiologic Capacity Program. Public Health Reports. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211009490

Stone, K. W., Felkner, M., Garza, E., Perez-Patron, M., Schmit, C., McDonald, T. J., Horney, J.A. (2021). Characterizing epidemiologic surge capacity in a large, decentralized state health department, Texas, 2017. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 1–8. http://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2020.471

Stone, K. W., Felkner, M., Perez-Patron, M., Schmit, C., McDonald, T. J., Horney, J.A. (2019). How does Surge Capacity Positions Increase Epidemiologic Capacity? Results from a Qualitative Study of Texas Local Health Departments. Health Security. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/hs.2019.0083  

Karaye, I., Stone, K. W., Casillas, G. A., Horney, J.A. (2019). A spatial analysis of possible environmental exposures in recreational areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey flooding, Harris County, Texas. Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01204-4.  

Stone, K. W., Casillas, G. A., Karaye, I., Camargo, K., McDonald, T. J., Horney, J.A. (2019) Using spatial analysis to examine potential sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas. Environmental Justice. https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2019.0007

Stone, K. W., Morehead, B. F., Karaye, I., Davis, C.M., Horney, J.A. (2018). Evaluating Effectiveness of a Full-Scale Exercise of Epidemiologic Capacity for Bioterrorism Response. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. doi: 10.1515/jhsem-2017-0061.  

Sansom, G. T., Stone, K. W., Kirsch, K. R., Horney, J.A. (2018). Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in residential dust collected in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas. Environmental Justice. doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2018.0004.  

Bernhart, J.A., Ylitalo, K.R., Doyle, E., Umstattd Meyer, M.R., Wilkinson, L.R., Stone, K.W. (2018) Leveraging Household Structure for Increasing Adult Physical Activity in a Low-Income, African American Community. Health Promotion Practice. doi: 10.1177/1524839918814731.  

Horney, J.A., Casillas, G.A., Baker, E., Stone, K. W., Kirsch, K. R., Camargo, K., Wade, T. L., McDonald, T.J. (2018). Comparing Residential Contamination in a Houston Environmental Justice Neighborhood before and after Hurricane Harvey. PLoS ONE 13(2): e0192660. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192660  

Sansom, G. T., Stone, K. W., Horney, J.A. (2017). Investigating Injuries Seen in Area Physician Offices after a Fertilizer Plant Explosion Trauma Case Reports. Texas Public Health Journal. Summer2018, Vol. 70 Issue 3, p28-30.  

Smitherman, S., Stone, K. W., Hammond, T., Goldberg, D., Horney, J.A (2017). Assessing the Prevalence of Risk Factors for Neglected Tropical Diseases in Brazos County, Texas. 2017 Oct 4. PLOS Currents Outbreaks. Edition 1. doi: 10.1371/currents.outbreaks.93540c6c8c7831670591b0264479269c.  

Stone, K. W., Sierocki, A., Shah, V., Ylitalo, K. R., Horney, J.A. (2017). Conducting community health needs assessments in the local public health department: A comparison of Random Digit Dialing and the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. Mar/Apr;24(2):155-163 doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000522.  

Zane, D., Haywood, T., Adams, B., Alva, H., Heines, V., Feldt, B., Rosen, J., Henry, J., Thompson, K.,  Stonum, S., Kiger, J., Johnson, K., Wiltz-Beckham, D., Gomez, M., Short, K., Stone, K. W., Horney, J. A. (2016). Lessons Learned from the Field: Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER). Texas Public Health Journal 68(1):6-13.  

Metzger, K, Akram, H, Felt, B, Stone, K. W., Alvey, S, Henley, S, Hernandez, A, Melville, S, Haywood, T, Zane, D. (2016). Epidemiologic Investigation of Injuries Associated with the 2013 Fertilizer Plant Explosion in West, Texas. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 10(4):583-90  

Ylitalo, K. R., Stone, K. W., Umstattd Meyer, M. R., Doyle, E. I., Curtis, R. (2016). Using the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) to assess barriers to healthy eating and active living in a low-income community. Evaluation and Program Planning 59:41-46.

Stone, K. W., Pry, J, Akram, H. (2014). An Overview of Tobacco-Free Policy among Worksites in a Central Texas County. Texas Public Health Journal 66(4):18-22.   

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Select Presentations:

Stone K. W., Kiger, J., Calhoun, D., Kirsch, K., Shah, V. Assessments in the Recovery Phase of the Disaster Management Cycle. Disaster Epidemiology Workshop, 2019. May 14-15. 2019. Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), Atlanta, GA.

Horney J.A., Stone K.W., Casillas G, McDonald T.J.. Assessing Environmental Justice Neighborhood Soils for Contamination after Hurricane Harvey Flooding. Soils Across Latitudes: 2018-2019 International Soils Meeting, January 6-9, 2019.

Horney, J. A., Stone, K. W., Kirsch, K.R., Knap, T. Poster Presentation. Partnering to Improve Understanding of Chronic and Acute Neighborhood-Level Contamination, Manchester, Houston, Texas.  December 10-14, 2018. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, Washington, D.C.

Stone, K. W., Felkner, M., Perez-Patron, M., Schmit, C., McDonald, T., Horney, J. A., Oral Presentation. Assessing the impact of epidemiologic surge capacity provided to improve foodborne illness and respond to high consequence infectious disease in Texas, 2012 – 2016.  November 10-14, 2018. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, San Diego, CA.  

Casillas G, Stone K.W., McDonald T.J, Horney J.A. A longitudinal assessment of PAHs in Houston parks following Hurricane Harvey, NIEHS Superfund Research Center Annual Meeting November 2018.

Casillas G, Stone K.W., Horney J.A. Spatial distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston. Lone Star Chapter of the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting September 2018 – 2nd Place Poster Award

Stone, K. W., Morehead, B. F., Davis, C.M. Oral Presentation. Exercising Epidemiology: Epidemiology and Preparedness Coordination. October 4-5, 2017. Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Workshop, Austin, TX.

Horney J.A., Casillas G., Sansom G., Stone K. W., McDonald T. Oral Presentation. Disasters and Environmental Vulnerability: Partnering to Measure Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals after Hurricane Harvey. April 2018. NACCHO Public Health Preparedness Summit, Atlanta, GA.

Stone, K. W., Banks, R. Oral Presentation. Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus: When Late Intervention Fails. March 27-29, 2017. Texas Public Health Association: Annual Education Conference, Ft. Worth, TX.

Stone, K. W., Sierocki, A., Shah, V., Ylitalo, K., Doyle, E. Poster Presentation. Using Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) for health indicators in distinctly different neighborhoods.  March 27-29, 2017. Texas Public Health Association: Annual Education Conference, Ft. Worth, TX.

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Tennessean, Asymptomatic players, incubation, infection led to Nashville SC withdrawal in MLS Is Back, July 12, 2020. Available at: https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nashvillesc/2020/07/12/ nashville-sc-covid-19-mls-back-tournament/5382043002/

MTSU Out of the Blue, New Master’s Degree Program, January 2, 2020. Available at: https://mtsunews.com/out-of-the-blue-jan-2020/

Environmental Health Perspectives, Wristbands for Research: Using Wearable Sensors to Collect Exposure Data after Hurricane Harvey, April 23, 202018. Available at: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP3131

National Public Radio, Air Pollution from Industry Plagues Houston in Harvey’s Wake, September 14, 2017. Available at: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/09/14/550472740/air-pollution-from -industry-plagues-houston-in-harveys-wake

National Public Radio, The Chemical Dangers in Houston’s Manchester Neighborhood, September 2, 2017. Available at: http://www.npr.org/2017/09/02/548076049/the-chemical-dangers-in-houston-s- manchester-neighborhood

KWBU-National Public Radio Affiliate, County Health Assessment Shows New and Persistent Concerns, July 6, 2016. Available at: http://kwbu.org/post/county-health-assessment-shows-new-persistent-concerns #stream/0

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