Julie Postma, associate professor at the WSU College of Nursing, will be honored with the Public Health Leadership Award by the Washington State Public Health Association at the organization’s annual meeting this month.
The award conferred by the statewide organization recognizes a person who’s demonstrated sustained leadership in public health advocacy, research, education, or equity and social justice.
Postma teaches population health courses in the WSU College of Nursing graduate program and serves as clinical faculty in the Puget Sound region for the college’s undergraduate program. Her research and expertise focus on environmental health, especially asthma.
“The impact of Dr. Postma’s work to reduce the burden of asthma through asthma management is truly impressive,” wrote Janet Primomo of the University of Washington Tacoma, one of two people who nominated Postma for the award.
Patricia Butterfield, associate dean of research at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, wrote of Postma, “She effectively works alongside parents who are new to this country and may not speak English, public health professionals, clinicians and asthma researchers.”
Among Postma’s many activities, she led a successful three-year community engagement project to increase parent participation in the Puget Sound Asthma Coalition. She convened both a parent advisory group and a research advisory network, and has served as chair of the asthma coalition’s research and evaluation subcommittee since 2014.
Wrote Primomo, “She has demonstrated expertise in a range of public health issues, worked with many collaboratives and partnerships throughout the state, and applied her outstanding research and advocacy skills to address health inequalities and improve health.”
