Beth Sundstrom Photo

Beth Sundstrom, PH.D.

Professor, Director of Women's Health Research Team

Education

Ph.D., Health Communication and Public Relations, University of Maryland, College Park 

M.P.H., Health Communication and Women’s Health, Brown University

B.A., Political Science, Tulane University 

Research Interests

  • Health communication
  • Social marketing
  • Women’s health
  • Reproductive justice

Beth L. Sundstrom, Ph.D., M.P.H. is professor of health communication. She is a leading expert on health communication and reproductive health. She focuses on applied research that informs the development of community-based public health interventions and nationally recognized communication campaigns. Dr. Sundstrom is the author of three books, including Birth Control: What Everyone Needs to Know® (Oxford University Press, 2020) and Catching Fire: Women’s Health Activism in Ireland and the Global Movement for Reproductive Justice (Oxford University Press, 2023) with Dr. Cara Delay, as well as more than 70 peer-reviewed publications in such outlets as Social Science & Medicine, Contraception, and the Journal of Health Communication.

Affiliations

  • Graduate faculty, University of Charleston, South Carolina
  • Public Health Program faculty and member of the public health steering committee
  • Faculty affiliate in the Women’s and Gender Studies program
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI
  • Adjunct, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
  • Affiliate faculty member, Cancer Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center (HCC)

Courses Taught

Beth Sundstrom teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on such topics as strategic communication, social marketing, health communication, and public health. She teaches health communication in the Barcelona, Spain Summer Study Abroad Program.

Selected Publications

Catching Fire: Women’s Health Activism and the Global Movement for Reproductive Justice
Oxford University Press (2023)
Beth Sundstrom and Cara Delay
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/catching-fire-9780197625101?cc=us&lang=en&

Google Scholar Account:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=oBMVJs4AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

Honors and Awards

Press and Media

Faith in the Vaccine: Religious leaders discuss the importance of COVID vaccines highlighting diverse faith traditions to bridge gaps in information and build trust in the vaccine. https://www.interfaithamerica.org/programs/bridge-builders-carolinas/ 

Preventing cancer by improving HPV vaccination rates – one champion at a time. (March 14, 2022). By Josh Birch. Hollings Cancer Center News. https://hollingscancercenter.musc.edu/news/archive/2022/03/14/preventing-cancer-by-improving-hpv-vaccination-rates-one-champion-at-a-time 

Local library provides connection point for healthcare. (July 19, 2021). By Colin McCawley and Joy Bonala. South Carolina ETV (SCETV) public educational broadcasting network. https://www.scetv.org/stories/2021/local-library-provides-connection-point-healthcare 

No One Has to Get Their Period Anymore: Menstruating is painful, expensive, and … unnecessary? (July 17, 2020). By Marion Renault. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/07/why-menstruate-if-you-dont-have/614350/ 

Free the Pill: Support Dependable Contraceptive Access. (June 8, 2017). By Beth Sundstrom. The Huffington Post. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/free-the-pill-support-dependable-contraceptive- access_us_5939b563e4b0c5a35c9d9afa 

Obstetric Violence in Ireland’s Past and Present. (January 2, 2017). By Cara Delay and Beth Sundstrom. Perceptions of Pregnancy: Researchers’ Network. https://perceptionsofpregnancy.com/2017/01/02/obstetric-violence-in-irelands-past-and-present/#more- 28979 

Telehealth Research Aims to Improve Women's Health in Rural South Carolina. (November 28, 2016). By M. Ziehe. Women’s Health Research Team featured on SCetv: South Carolina’s public broadcasting, storytelling, and education network. https://scetv.org/blog/telehealth/2016/telehealth-research-aims- improve-womens-health-rural-south-carolina 

Contraception #351. (January 8, 2016). Science for the People: A syndicated radio show and podcast that broadcasts weekly across North America. http://www.scienceforthepeople.ca/episodes/contraception 

Featured Content

Students are Medically WISE. (January 28, 2022). By Alicia Lutz. College of Charleston Magazine. https://today.cofc.edu/2022/01/28/students-are-medically-wise/ 

The Teacher-Scholar Podcast Episode 2: Beth Sundstrom. (March 10, 2020). Hosted by Gibbs Knotts. School of Humanities and Social Sciences. College of Charleston. https://teacherscholar.cofc.edu/teacher-scholar-podcast-episode-2-beth-sundstrom/ 

Women’s Health Research Team Makes a Difference. (August 2, 2018). By Maggie Vickrey. The College Today. http://today.cofc.edu/2018/08/02/womens-health-research-team/ 

Professor’s Health Communication Research Addresses Women’s Health Taboos Through Social Marketing. By Hannah Ashe. (June 6, 2014). The College Today. https://today.cofc.edu/2014/06/06/professors- health-communication-research-addresses-womens-health-taboos-social-marketing/