Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, CPH
Professor, Public Health
Interim Chair, Rehabilitation Science
Contact Information
Building: Peterson Hall
Room 5420
Biography
Dr. Robert M. Weiler holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in health and safety education from Marshall University, a Master of Public Health, in community health education from the University of Tennessee, and a Doctor of Philosophy in education with a specialization in school health education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. From 1984-1987, he served as the school health coordinator for Cumberland County Schools, the third largest school district in North Carolina (Fayetteville), and from 1991-1993, he was appointed visiting assistant professor of Human Services at George Mason University. In 1993, Dr. Weiler joined the faculty in the Department of Health Education & Behavior at the University of Florida. From 2003 to 2007, he served as the chair of the department and from 2012 – 2014 served as director of graduate programs. In 2014, Dr. Weiler was appointed professor with tenure and chair of the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University where he also serves as the Director of Public Health Institute. In 2019, Dr. Weiler was appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University.
Dr. Weiler’s research interests include needs assessment, survey research, program evaluation, school health policies and programs, adolescent health risk behaviors, and substance abuse prevention with emphasis on the nonmedical use of prescription drugs among adolescents and young adults. Dr. Weiler’s research has explored Florida’s school violence policies and programs and the role of school health instruction in preventing violence. He served as co-investigator for the first published study that confirmed the feasibility of collecting health risk behavior data using a web-delivered survey. A specialist in applied evaluation, he his regularly asked to conduct youth health behavior assessments for local school districts, providing them with a comprehensive overview of adolescent behaviors with recommendations for planning school health policies and health promotion programs.
Dr. Weiler has authored or co-authored more than 65 refereed articles and scientific papers in professional journals including Addiction Biology, Addictive Behaviors, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Annals of Behavior Medicine, Health Education & Behavior, Journal of Adolescent Health, Journal of School Health, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Public Health Reports, and Preventive Medicine. Moreover, he has presented more than 100 papers at national and international scientific meetings and conferences. He has served has co-investigator/evaluator on four NIH grants, and principal investigator on 13 state and private contracts, totaling more than $5.9 million.
Dr. Weiler is a founding member of the American Academy of Health Behavior, a member of the American Public Health Association, a member of the Society for Public Health Education, and is a Fellow of the American School Health Association. In 2002, Dr. Weiler received the prestigious University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship and in 2010 was a member of the inaugural class of University of Florida Sustainability Fellows. In August 2011, Dr. Weiler was awarded the Elizabeth Wood Dunlevie Honors Professorship to teach introductory epidemiology to undergraduates enrolled in the honors program at the University of Florida.
Research
Research Interests
- Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors
- Applied Field Research Methods
- Community Health Promotion Planning and Evaluation
- Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs
- Problem Drinking Behaviors and Injuries among College Students
- School Health Policies and Programs
Publications
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Rossheim ME, Stephenson CJ†, Thombs DL, Livingston MD, Walters ST, Suzuki A, Barry AE, Weiler RM. Characteristics of drinking events associated with heavy episodic drinking among 12 – to 17-year olds in the United States. Drug and Alcohol Dependence (submitted).
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Rossheim ME., Barry AE, Thombs DL, Weiler RM, Krall JR, Stephenson C†, Walters ST, Reed MB, Clapp JD, Suzuki S, Barnett TE, Cannell B. Factors associated with selfestimated breath alcohol concentration among bar patrons. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (in press).
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Rossheim ME., Thombs DL, Gonzalez-Pons KM, Killion, JA, Clapp JD, Reed MB, Croff JM, Ruderman DE, Weiler RM (2016). Feeling no buzz or a slight buzz is common when legally drunk: results from alcohol field studies with U.S. college-aged adults. American Journal of Public Health, 106(10), 1761-2.
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Rossheim ME, Thombs, DL, Weiler RM, Barry AE, Suzuki S, Walters ST, Barnett TE, Paxton RJ, Pealer LN, Cannel B (2016). Alcohol mixed with energy drink: Use may be a consequence of heavy drinking. Addictive Behavior, 57, 55-61 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.02.013
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Aelion CM, …Weiler RM,… Ying J. (May 2016). The US Cancer Moonshot initiative. Lancet Oncology, Vol 17, e178-e180, www.thelancet.com/oncology, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30054-7.
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Rossheim ME, Weiler RM, Barnett TE, Suzuki S, Walters ST, Barry AE, Cannel B, Pealer LN, Moorhouse MD, Zhang Q, Thombs DL. (2015) Self-efficacy to Drive While Intoxicated: Insights into the Persistence of Alcohol Impaired Driving. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 38(8), 1547-1554, https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.12795
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Baheiraei A, Ahmadi F, Weiler RM, Khoori E, Rahimi F, Ghofranipour F. (2015). Health Concerns of Adolescents in Teharan, Iran. Int J Adolesc Med Health. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2015-0023
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Zullig KJ, Divin AL, Weiler RM, Haddox JD, Pealer LN (2015). Adolescent Nonmedical Use of Prescription Pain Relievers, Stimulants, and Depressants, and Suicide Risk. Substance Use and Misuse, 50(13), 1678-89. https://doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2015.1027931
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Barry AE, Weiler RM, Dennis ME (March, 2014). Obvious intoxication” isn’t so obvious. Addictive Behaviors. [Online First: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.02.017].
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Baheiraei A, Khoori E, Ahmadi F, Rahimi F, Ghofranipour F, Weiler RM (March, 2013). Psychometric Properties of the Adolescent Health Concerns Inventory: The Persian Version. Iran Journal of Psychiatry, 8(1), 28-36.
Honors and Awards
- Fellow, 2018, American Academy of Health Behavior
- Phi Kappa Phi, 2016, George Mason University
- Elizabeth Wood Dunlevie Honors Professor, 2011, University Honors Program, University of Florida
- UF Sustainability Fellow, 2010, University of Florida
- Fellow, 2002, American School Health Association
- University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship, 2002, University of Florida
Affiliations
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Fellow
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Fellow and Founding Member
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Member
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Fellow
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Member
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Member
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Member
Degrees
- PhD, Health Education, Southern Illinois University
- MPH, Community Health Education, The University of Tennessee
- BA, Health and Safety Education, Marshall University