Mary Odum earned a BA from Erskine College in Psychology, a MS from The Citadel in Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences, and a PhD from Texas A&M University in Health Education.
Dr. Odum serves Texas State University as an Assistant Professor of Health Education in the Department of Health and Human Performance. Her primary research focuses on socio-ecological influences on obesity and chronic health conditions and creating community-based interventions that target health behavior change (primarily nutrition) to reduce individual and familial risk of obesity and chronic diseases. Dr. Odum's secondary research focuses on improving student writing outcomes, specifically writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy.
Many of the research questions Dr. Odum pursues are best answered with qualitative methodologies, but she values and uses quantitative and mixed-methods research approaches as appropriate for the context. She also appreciates and engages in multi-disciplinary approaches to scholarship and community building. In community-based interventions, Dr. Odum uses a community-based participatory approach as means to build community capacity and improve health outcomes.
Dr. Odum's work has been published in leading health promotion journals, including Journal of School Health, Journal of American College Health, American Journal of Health Behavior, and American Journal of Health Studies. Dr. Odum's ORCID iD is 0000-0002-3994-934X.
Please note that the use of the name Dixon in this faculty profile is a result of an automated university records system and does not reflect Dr. Odum's name as it appears on published scholarly products.
Williams, R. D., Housman, J. M., Dixon, M. O., & Alissa, R. (2017). Energy drink use linked to high-sugar beverage intake and BMI among teens. American Journal of Health Behavior, 41(3), 259–265.
Odum, Mary (Principal), Housman, Jeff M (Co-Principal). Childhood Obesity Prevention for Low-income, Minority Families in San Marcos, Texas, Texas State University, $16000. (Funded: 2016 - 2017). Grant.
Dixon, Mary Odum (Co-Principal), Wiley, David C. (Principal). Evaluating graduate student writing: productivity, anxiety, and self-regulatory efficacy, College of Education Faculty Pilot Research Grant, Texas State University, $5000. (Funded: 2014 - 2015). Grant.
Chen, Lei-Shih (Principal), Ward, Susan (Co-Principal), Odum, Mary (Co-Principal). Taiwan Endowment Funding Program, Texas A&M University, Institutional (Higher Ed), $6900. (Funded: 2013 - 2014). Grant.
Odum, Mary (Principal), Goodson, Pat (Co-Principal). Leonard Ponder Endowed Chair Research Grant, Texas A&M University, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $2500. (Submitted: August 1, 2011). Grant.