Tufts Now: Margie Skeer (SSW’01) Appointed to Named Professorship

Congratulations to dual degree alumna Margie Skeer (SSW’01, SPH’03), selected as the inaugural recipient of the Weiner Hailey Family Professorship at Tufts University School of Medicine. Skeer, an associate professor in the school’s Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, specializes in substance misuse and sexual risk prevention with an emphasis on family-based interventions.

By Kris Willcox, Tufts Now | November 4, 2019

Margie Skeer, associate professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Weiner Hailey Family Professorship, established by Ken Weiner, A73, M77, and Anita Hailey of Denver, Colorado. Skeer, whose research focuses on family-based prevention strategies for substance misuse, will be the first Tufts faculty member to hold the term professorship.

“By creating the Weiner Hailey Family Professorship, Ken and Anita are bringing new capability and strength to the medical school and advancing the invaluable work of a leading scholar,” said Harris Berman, dean of Tufts School of Medicine. “Their gift, and Dr. Skeer’s work, will have far-reaching impact on understanding and preventing substance misuse and addiction.”

Receiving a term professorship to support her work is an honor, Skeer said, and “elevates awareness of my research across the Tufts community and in my field.” The funds will enable her to pursue promising work in key areas, including the role of family meals in reducing substance-related risks, and improving screening practices for opioid prescription, to better identify patients and risk factors that current screenings may miss.

“The opioid epidemic has elevated the prevention of substance-use disorder to a public health priority,” said Aviva Must, dean of Public Health and Professional Degree Programs at the School of Medicine. “Dr. Skeer’s research on family-based interventions for pre-adolescents stands to make important contributions to this crucial effort. She brings passion, insight, and practicality to her research, and to the classroom, where she informs and inspires our public health students.” […]

This story is excerpted from Tufts Now. Read the full article here.