Melinda Forthofer

Melinda Forthofer, Ph.D. is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Health and Human Services and a Professor in the Department of Applied Physiology, Health and Clinical Sciences. Dr. Forthofer’s administrative role includes undergraduate education, academic space and college operational issues, and strategic initiatives.

From 2016-2020, Dr. Forthofer served as Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences, leading that department through a period of exponential growth through the addition of new programs and concentrations and recruitment of new faculty. Prior to joining UNC Charlotte, Dr. Forthofer was on the faculty at the University of South Florida (1996-2006) and at the University of South Carolina (2006-2016). For more than 20 years, her work has addressed social factors related to health behavior change in diverse community settings, often via community-based research. Her research has focused on the role of social factors in the promotion of health behaviors, particularly the role of social networks in physical activity. Her research has been supported by more than $29 million in extramurally funded research grants, via awards from several federal agencies (CDC, HRSA, NIH), state health departments, local and national nonprofit organizations, and several private sector organizations.