William Zule
Senior Fellow
Senior Fellow
DrPH, University of Texas School of Public Health-Houston
MPH, University of Texas School of Public Health-Houston
BA, University of Texas-San Antonio
Dr. Zule shared his experience with his first job, lessons learned from an impactful mentor, and a book that everyone should read.
My first research job was as an ethnographer for the San Antonio site of the National AIDS Demonstration Research (NADR) Program, which was NIDA’s first large multi-site effort to reduce HIV transmission among people who inject drugs. There, I observed their behaviors and made friends.
James Frederick (Fred) Maddux left a lasting impression as a mentor. Fred was a psychiatrist who pioneered the research of people who use opioids. He retired from the Public Health Service in 1969, where he served as the Chief Medical Officer for the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital (for narcotic addicts) in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1969, he joined the faculty of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he conducted a career study of opioid users from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Fred taught me how write research papers and helped me understand how to think through statistical problems.
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg is a wonderful book that provides a simple, easily applied road map for adopting new desired habits and getting rid of unwanted habits. It can be used to make positive changes in your personal life and to inform behavioral interventions that people can adopt and maintain.
Read More about Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States (PfS) Program
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